The record-union., 1897-09-27
ROUTES FOR ROADS IhMONO
ONE THAT IS ON A PAR WITH
CEILKOOT PASS.
Highway Commissioners Price and
Ashe Return From a Rough
Journey

Commissioners Price and Ashe Of the
Department of State Highways have
returned from an extended trip through
the Sierra Nevada, where for the past
month they have been making care
ful examinations of all the possible
routes over which a wagon road might
be constructed so as 20 connect Bodie,
in the Mono Lake Basin, and the sur
rounding rich and productive country
with the rest of the State.
The Commissioners took a team at
Merced and passed through Mariposa
and Bear Valley, over the grade and on
TO Cold Springs and WawOna~ At the
latter place they were Joined by Cap
tain A Rogers of the Fourth Cavalry,
U. S. a, Superintendent of Yosemite
Park, under the Secretary Of the IN
terror and by Professor Walkup, Chief
of the Geological Department. who was
recently sent out by the Interior De-
partment to examine the geological for
nations in Yellowstone and Yosemite
Parks, as to the natural conditions re-
spectfng the construction of roads
The Big Oak Flat road to the Yosemite
WAS DWEu " &IOEhEls " lAG4 Liz
Tioga road branches off, and the latter
was taken by the Commissioners and
party.
AT Crocker Congressman De Vries
was picked up, and the real journey was
commenced. The Tioga road is % miles
long, and was constructed in 1884. 1t is
for the most part built on an excellent
surveyed grade, which is still extant,
and except for occasional washouts,
fallen trees, etc, is in fairly good con-
dition, though considerable expense
would be necessary to put it in repair
In speaking of the scenery along the
Tioga road Commissioner Price said
that no person has right to say they
have seen the State until they have
made the trip The beauties and sur
prises, continuous with every turn in the
road, beggar description, and leave the
viewer speechless with astonishment
and delight.
The first twenty miles Of the road was
found to be in fair condition, and the
grade excellent, but the last thirty miles
are variably stretches of good and bad
alternating. In some places the sur
veyed grade has been departed from,
but in the opinion Of the Commissioners
the defections can be easily remedied.
The main object Of the expedition was
to find a practicable line for a new road
connecting the Tioga mine, which is
the western terminus of the road, with
Bodie, Mono County, and the surround
ing country, thus giving the people re-
siding west of the divide direct COM
munications with the interior of the
nal ,n-xr
through the State of Nevada, or going
south to Kern County before finding a
pass by which to reach California
proper.
The Bloody Canyon or Walker Lake
route was the first examined. It is
known as Mono Pass, and the Commits
sioners are of the opinion that toler-
ably fair road can be constructed on
that line, though the grade would be in
places sleeper than is desired.
The next route examined was that
over the Mt. Warren from Tioga to Mill
Greek but here the drop of 5000 feet
in two and one-half miles would neces-
state a long serpentine grade. This
route has heretofore been advocated as
the most practicable, but Levining
Creek Canyon was found to be so steep
and rugged as to make a good road con-
structed at a nominal cost out Of the
question.
The fourth route examined was from
the Tioga mine down Levining Greek to
the falls, and thence across the country
to Mill Creek. striking the divide at a
lower and more practical point, and
making connection with the Mono Dis
trict. fifteen miles from Tioga. On this
line the Commissioners roughly esti-
mate that $25. 900 viii construct splen-
did road on a good grade.
The people of the isolated section, the
Commissioners state, are anxious that
road shall be put through at the ear
hest possible moment, and the Mono
County Board of Supervisors has or
dered complete and accurate surveys of
the several routes examined
For several years past attempts have
been made to get measures through the
legislature appropriating money for
extending and connecting the Tioga
road with the Bloody Canyon road. west
of the divide-the distance separating
the two being only about six miles-and
last winter a bill carrying an appropria-
ton of S25,0 900 for that purpose passed
both houses. 1t was, however vetoed
by the Governor for the reasons that the
purpose of the measure was not set
forth in the title. and that no fund was
specified from which to draw the money.