Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-06-23
WORK ON ELK CITY ROAD
II is Being Put Into Shape by Private
Enterprise.

Getting tired Of packing heavy
freight over two mountain ranges
ON mule back, and seeing no hope
of the county doing. anything in
the matter of opening the Elk City
road, Buffers Bros, who are in
stalling the Red river dredge, have
taken the bull by the horns and
started a force of men to put this
important thoroughfare in shape
for hauling freight.
We learn that they will
have the road from Elk to New
some open today or tomorrow, and
the same force will then tackle Big
Badly and shovel out the snow SO
as to make road over the summit.
Meanwhile, the mail contractors,
Surridge brothers, started out five
two-horse teams yesterday to work
on the road between Bridgeport and
Grangeville, which is reported as
being in horrible condition down
near the Roll Brown place; the
neighbors also turning out in force
to work out their road taxes; and
by these combined efforts it is
hoped that the entire road will be
opened for travel and freight in a
few days.
1t is an outrage and a public
scandal that the opening of these
mountain roads should be left each
year to the public spirit of enter
prising citizens who by their exer-
tions are opening up. new sections
of this county aud creating wealth
in the form Of taxable property.
The county commissioners claim
that under the law they are only
allowed to levy q tax of sixty mills
for road purposes, and therefore
their hands are tied in the matter.
This is sound reasoning as far
as it goes, but it does not 20 far
enough. The law was never in
tended to cover extraordinary con-
ditions, climatic and otherwise,
such as exist in this county at the
present time, and in this particular
instance penuriousness in road ex-
penditures is the very worst policy
the county fathers can pursue.
There are no decisions of the
supreme court Oh these points that
we are aware Of; but it is a matter
of settled and sound public policy
that the court on similar propo-
sitions holds that extraordinary
conditions. justify extraordinary
expenditures.
In the case of opening these
roads 81, 200 would be the maxi
mum expenditures incurred, and in
view of the important results flow
ing from maintaining open avenues
of travel into our great mountain
county, and the hundreds of tons
of freight now accumulated here
awaiting transportation, it is pre-
posterous to suppose that the courts
would uphold a law which set itself
squarely in the way as an obstacle
to the general development, welfare
and progress of the state in general
and this county in particular.
We should like to see some of
the enterprising gentlemen who
are opening this road put in their
claims against the county for every
dollar of the. expense they have
incurred inthe matter, and on the re-
lection of their claims by the county
commissioners take the case to the
district court and get decision on
this point.
\ public road is a public thor
oughfare and ought to be maintain
ed in condition for travel at the ex-
pense of the public treasury.
This road question in these noun
tain counties is getting more and
more troublesome year by year.
The road by the Roll Brown place
is impossible six months out of the
twelve. 1t should be corduroyed
or strawed, and put in perma-
nent repair, but each successive
board Of commissioners refuse to
act, and, as consequence, profan-
ity prevails the year round on the
part of every teamster and traveller
l.