The record-union., 1898-06-04
That AmadOr Road.

Eds. Record Union: In your issue
of May 31st / note an article relating
to macadam roadways and especially
calling attention to the proposed road
way in Amador County, wherein it is
stated that Commissioner Ashe, of the
State Bureau of Highways, has practi-
cally demonstrated that macadam road
ways can be constructed under his
(free) supervision, and by day labor
for fully one-haIf of the sum demand
ed by most contractors.
I being one of the contractors that
bid on this particular piece of work,
and knowing whereof / speak, wish to
say that your article is very mislead-
ing for two reasons. The first of which
is: That it gives the State at large an
idea that the Highway Commissioners
have actually completed a stretch of
macadaIn roadway in this State. The
second, that they have actually shown
what it cost to build mile of macadarl
road; when the facts are that they
have not constructed or completed a
road of rnacadam roadway in this State
during their term of office, about three
years. They have, however, demon
strated (On paper to the Supervisors Of
Amador County that their four miles
of macadam road could be built for
$2,717 per mile. My bid, the lowest one,
was for from $4. 500 to $1,000 per mile,
according TO the amount of work and
number of culverts to each mile.
The specifications for culverts were
that they should be arched, and of con-
crete or ruble masonry. Now under
the supervision OF Commissioner Ashe
and by the authority of the Supervisors,
he has constructed as an experiment,
1900 feet of subroadway and has built
one culvert at total cost of 81, ,151 or
at the rate of S2O25 per mile, which is
within 1872 of their estimate Of a COM
pleted mile of macadam road. But
they have yet the labor of quarryins
the rock, crushing and delivering it on
the ground to the depth of nine inches
of macadam for the entire mile, and
only S732oto do it with in order not to
exceed their estimate of the cost per
mile. This is done without counting
cost of tools used and with a superin-
tendent who is working gratis. Now
as to this culvert, the dimensions of
which are thirty feet long, eighteen
inches high and twenty-four inches
wide, they say, cost completed $50 if
this was built according to the specifi-
cations given me. Ihe cement alone
would cost, delivered, over $50. 1 wish
now, Mr.. Editor, to call your attention
to this fact, that this same culvert con-
structed in Amador County is the only
piece Of work to my knowledge con-
structed and completed by our High
way men) Commissioners during their
term of office, which, as they say, cost
but $40, has actually cost the taxpay-
ers of this State over 10000
paid as salary, to the members of the
State Bureau of Highways. I staked
out and constructed the seventeen mile
driveway at Monterey, CAL, and later
the Del Monte race track and driveway.
leading thereto. People from all parts
Of the world who have travelled over
these driveways state that they are not
equaled in any country. / have con-
structed macadam roadways in Ohio,
Kentucky and Pennsylvania and with
my practical knowledge of this work,
and after carefully surveying the route
of this proposed roadway in Amador
County, will say that the road cannot
be constructed for any such an amount