The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-23
ON GOOD ROADS.
\ Countryman's Views Of the Subject
Of Highways

! Clatsop, Jan. sI.-(EdItor Astorianl-
Today's Astorlan says, speaking OF
county roads: 1T Is almost impossible
for teams to 20 five miles out Of the
city in any direction" II the roads
were good Ave miles out IL would save
an immense amount to lthe county
each year that now goes elsewhere.
Why would II not b. a good plan for
the county court On look 10 the flrst
mile out before going to the second?
a good share Of the money expended
by the court on roads is raised In As
torla and justice. policy and good sense
would seem 20 say. begin TO make roads
from the city outwards, ana make them
permanent The county court has done
all that was possible for the roads
during these last years, but the court
is handicapped by lot OF senselcss
rules that ought to be changed. and viii
have to be. beteore good roads are
made.
The way II Is now. one supervisor Will
start Il piece OF work, the next has
another idea. and undoes what the first
does. and 80 II goes. II Is a wonder
the roads are 50 good as they are The
idea Of the three dislnterested viewers
is all foollshness. II trail was cut
over the ground where the road Is
wanted. an engineer can tell the court
all about IL In a short time. The law
requires points along the route TO be
mentioned. In petition asking FOR
road. Well. they get a lawyer TO
draw up a petition and he looks on
the map and selects a corner stake Of
some section as point on the route,
but when the engineer goes TO survey
out the route he often finds IL lmprac-
tlcable TO go TO such stake, but as the
petition calls for II. he has 10 90. II
ravine or on top Of ledge OF rocks.
The settlers In this county can lay a
logging road on the best grade and "
they were required TO lay out the road
asked for in the petition, before the
petition was considered, and then let
the engineer give the grades OF the
road asked for, doing away with any
viewers report, the roads would be laid
on better ground this way, for the
ones who laid It out would know that
the expense would be on Themselves.
II there Is not enough interest taken
in the road TO cut out trail for the en-
gineer 20 go over, there Is not enough
to open 1t Afterwards.
Before cutting out trail for the en-
gincer, permission would have tO be
got from the county court, with the
understanding that a road would be
laid If the route was up 10 the require
ments: otherwise, some people over
whose land the road was being laid
would stop anyone from working on
the trail.
It is a fact that roads In the county
are badly laid out as Judge Gray says
and viii continue 10 be laid over the
highest hills and In the lowest valleys"
till another plan Is adopted different
from the present one.
Besides being badly laid out, there
are numberless ones laid out that are
not wanted. II they were required 10
be cut out first before the county stood
any expense OF II, those In which there
was little or no interest taken would
be shut out. But II the court grants
the petitioners permission 10 lay a road
| themselves, and agrees TO send the en-
| gineer over It when II Is open enough