The record-union., 1896-09-10

not constructed on the easiest lines but
was forced over a hill to accommodate a
man who had a fruit ranch. This is the
county where the people subscribed
one thousand days labor of themselves
and teams If the Board OF Supervisors
would purchase a rock crusher and
feed the men and teams. The first work
the Bureau of Highways did was to
start them on this road, and they have
now over a mile of good macadam road
built without a crook or turn, and the
survey is made for a mile more in an
air line.
A SHASTA CRANK.
Il next reached Redding, the county
seat of Shasta County, and found the
board wrestling with the assessment
rolls, and at the time I met them they
had the toll roads under consideration.
They have their share of them, and the
tax on those using them is far greater
than any other imposed; yet the people
seem willing to pay it, as the owners
keep them in pretty good repair. A
very pleasant and instructive meeting
was held with the board, in which out
siders took hand. I had the pleasure
of meeting the Shasta County crank, .
Bell by name, who questioned me as
to my ideas on wide tires, State and
county roads, and SO forth, and proved
himself to be the most ignorant man on
these subjects I have ever been so un-
fortunate to meet. The weather was
excessively warm, and though a stiff
south wind was blowing it had Travelled
SO far over the heated plains 1t was so
hot To ha o1v,
NEXT THROUGH TRINITY.
From Redding to Weaverville, a dis
tance of sixty miles, a great portion of
which is over toll roads, was my next
drive. One Of the best laid out and
constructed roads I have ever trav-
eled over was encountered on this drive
and was built by Mr.. Loudin, a United
States Deputy Surveyor. 1t is on lines
similar to railroads and does not climb
up 600 or 700 feet to reach a point only
500 feet above the starting point Trim
ity County has very few roads and is
a mining county in every sense of the
word, everything needed being hauled
on teams from Redding at an expense
of $50 per ton
''The assessment roll is something un-
der 81 100000. and though they go to
the extent Of the law, 40 cents, they can
not do much with the money. The
only good roads they have are toll
roads. From Weaverville / was forced
to return to Redding in order to reach
Alturas in Modoc County, as there are
no roads going directly across the cOun-
try. 1t took me five and half days
to reach Alturas, and, outside Of toll
roads l found highways were anything
but smooth. / cannot find it in my
heart to censure any one, for the mount
aims are rough and high, and the funds
are exceedingly low. Modoc has some
of the finest natural roads through her
large and fertile valleys I have en-
countered In my travels, but those
through the mountains and over the
lava plains are exceedingly poor and
rough.
From Alturas / drove to Yreka via
Adm, Beiber and Sissons. For thirty
miles between Fall River and Sissons
the road runs through a virgin forest of
the finest quality Of yellow and sugar
pine. Can't say much in favor Of the
road, but the scenery was grand.
1.-The meeting in Yreka was beneficial
to myself and, hope, to those present,
as gathered some valuable data. This
county is very unfortunate in having
many large streams, over which have
been constructed some very expensive
bridges. These bridges were built orig
inally at a cost of $75, 900, raised by is
suance Of bonds, and their construction
was very faulty, one falling by its own
weight before being received, and an
other by vibration shortly after. At
this point was joined by Mr.. Douglas,
Deputy State Controller, and from
Yreka we made the trip to Crescent
City via Ashland, Grants Pass and
Waldo in Oregon
APPOINTED FOR THEIR PULL.
1--WE were forced to travel more than
double the distance because there Is no
wagon road to the sea coast north Of
Glenn County The roads in Oregon
are in the same condition as those in
California, showing the same faulty To-
cation. found the law Is quite differ
ent from ours. the Superior Judges ap-
pointing the roadmasters, and, as usual,
they are not appointed for their qualifi-
cations as road builders, but for the
pull they have.
when we crossed the State line we
struck a toll road twenty-four miles
Gasquet (now deceased). Gasquet was
certainly a remarkable man, for every
thing he was interested in shows a su-
perior mind. This road is over two
SUBMITS and is monument to the
builders genius. Another piece Of road
he left behind him is stretch Of six
miles of redwood puncheon' through
a swamp. He seemed to grasp the sit
fov hi hy,Hf fn
than it would cost to have drained the
road bed, to say nothing Of the i'm
mense cost of graveling or macadamiz-
ing.
TT has been in use for several years
and the expense of maintaining has
been nominal The puncheons are worn
sufficiently to cause a barklike covering
and one can easily imagine he is 'on
velvet as not a sound is heard from
the hoofs Of the horses. A drive through
the virgin forest Of gigantic redwoods,
some Of them fifteen feet in diameter,
over this road of velvet, is we'll worth
the trials and troubles we experienced
in reaching it.
IN DEL NORTE.
Crescent City is situated on the sea
coast and is the water place for Ore
gonians. We met many campers, both
going and coming. They are not both
cred with a useless mileage of roads
in this county, having only 1O2 miles.
They have some valley roads, but the
greater portion is over the mountains
and very expensive to maintain, for the
rainfall is measured by the foot, and
slides are frequent. One of the most
useless expenditures in the State we
encountered on an arm of the klamath
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