The record-union., 1896-02-21
BACK FROM THE MOUNTAINS.
Commissioner Manson Returns From
Mono and InyO.
A Line of Mountains Over Two Hun
dred Miles Long Without Road
That Crosses It.

Bureau Of Highways Commissioner
Marsden Manson returned yesterday
morning by way of Reno from his trip
into Mono and Inyo Counties in pur-
suance Of the work Of the bureau.
To representative of the Record
Union" he said that the trip was an
exceedingly laborious one, but was in
teresting in many respects. He had
altogether from twenty-five to thirty
miles of sleighing and the early morn
ings were very cold, in one instance
reaching 5 degrees below zero. Above
1000 feet in altitude and from that to
5000 feet there was sleighing, the snow
being packed a foot and a half deep,
but below that there was little snow.
In Inyo County the meeting was poor
ly attended and was more like an in
formal talk, on account of the difficulty
Of getting notice of MS arrival sent to
the people. They wished to have the
meeting postponed, in order to secure a
larger attendance, but he could not
delay. It should have been called at
Bishop, the principal town, and will be
held there the next time.
In Mono County it was better, and
there was a good turnout, a large pro-
portion Of the audience being ladies. It
was laughingIy said that the ladies use
the roads more than the men do. The
subject was not only an interesting one
for them, but for the mining interests.
There is a travatine quarry two miles
easterly from Bridgeport, the only work
ing quarry known in the United States,
and a large and valuable one. Travatine
is an ornamental building stone, and the
hot springs are stiIl going on with it's
formation. The only way of getting it
out Of the country is to take it to Car
son, over ninety miles, or by way Of
the Sonora Pass to Stockton.
I'm examining the passes through the
Sierra Nevada Mountains that enter
these counties" said Mr.. Manson, Il
find that from the Sonora Pass, near the
southern corner of Alpine County, to
Walkers Pass, in Kern County, a dis
tance of over 200 miles in an air line,
there are no open wagon roads crossing
the Sierras. The bureau feels it to be
its duty to take up the study Of remedy
ing this state Of affairs.
This long, impossible reach in the
Sierras is similar to the reach of 800
miles across the Coast Range, without
practicable wagon roads, from Uliah to
beyond the northerly limit of our State,
at Grants Pass, in Oregon. Through
both Of these now impossible mount
ain ranges there exist practicable lines
for roads which, il constructed, will
rapidly aid in the development of in
dustrial conditions on both sides.
The construction of such roads will
necessarily involve the cooperation of
several counties, as several of the
mountain counties are too poor to
undertake it themselves and the richer
counties, that are to be benefited by the
new routes of communication can well
afford to aid the construction.
THE present roads, like all noun
tain roads. receive more attention than
do the roads in the valleys and slightly
rolling lands This is due to the fact
that unless mountain roads are fairly
well located and constructed, they are
impossible. Systematic location and
management will, however, vastly inn
prove the industries of the tributary
country and start it on the road to
prosperity.
1T is impossible in the mountains to
go through the solemn farce of fencing
off a streak of dust or mud and officially
dignifying it with the name Of road,
after driving a few vehicles over it. The
mountain roads have to have a reason
able amount of work done on them to
make them passable, although many
miles OF wagon tracks through alkali
dust and sand are spoken of and re-
ferred to in the law as roads
Our mountain roads-like Topsy-
Just growed. First they were COW and
sheep paths. Then the brush was cut
out a little and a few stones were
thrown out and they became trails and
finally they were widened and a few cut
offs made and they were termed roads.
In making the new roads suggested,
over the long reaches now unsupplied,
an excellent opportunity is offered to
make them with regard to the three
prime principles of road location and
construction.
These three prime principles are:
First, to locate the road upon the best
grade and alignment that the shape or
topography of the country will allow;
second, to grade and drain the road bed