The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-09-25
CONVICT
ROAD
WORK
Will Soon be Under
taken by the Off
icialS
Improvement of Several I'm
pOrtant Highways to the
Great Satisfaction of
the Public


zens are taking up the work of clean.
ing up the public streets before their
iown premises. Public officials are
recognizing the fact that they owe
some vigilant attention to this mat.
ter. City, county and state officials
are awakening to the idea that nothing
will tend to popularize them with the
people so much as some tangible re-
suits in the form of better roads. The
use OF more automobiles is having n
good effect. es It Is almost impossible
to travel with them on some OF the
rock.strewn streets.
Tie Turner Road.
A conference has been had with the
county court of Marion county and
with Governor Chamberlain on the
subject of doing some work under the
act OF the last Legislature, which ap
propriated money and gave authority
to employ convict labor in building
roads leading to the state institutions.
The county and state officials seem
both willing and anxious to make a
test Of what can be done under the
new law.
The opinion OF the attorney-general
authorizes the county to furnish the
engineering and make the surveys
necessary. TO furnish tools TO work
with, to secure a gravel-pit. and final.
ly TO finish the road with the steam
road-roller. Taken altogether, this is
considerable towards making and I'm.
ishing a good road. It would leave the
state TO haul the gravel and build the
road with convict labor. or any other
labor that was hired. and 10 furnish
Iguards 10 look after the convicts. Gov
ernor Chamberlain is very deslrous
that some road shall be built this fall.
The asylum officials have been very so
licitous TO have the first work done
on the road between the asylum and
the asylum farms. but other people
have urged that the-r road 10 the reform
school be built first. As there Is a
broken rock road from that institution
10 the mute school and asylum farm
cottages, any heavy hauling needed
this winter could be done over that
/ road for the asylum farm. and the road
TO the reform school is In deplorable
condition. In summer Il is = strip OF
loose rock and dry waterway In win.
ter II is mostly under water. after
passing the Westacott place II the
road is not built so as 20 form a water
shed, there is great danger OF Mill
creek breaking a new channel through
the road. and coming down into the
city by way of Yew Park Governor
Chamberlain says. owing to building
operations at several state institu
tlons that were Indispensable the con.
victs had TO be employed in the brick.
yards and on those buildings. Now a
force is to be put on the extension of
the state sewer TO the penitentlary.
and when that is done. in about ten
days, the governor says work can be-
gin on state roads. He Is anxious 20
make thorough test Of what can be
done at building roads with convict la
Dor, and believes the new law can be
made operative. and good results Sc
cured He proposes TO push the con-
struction Of good roads to the state In.
stitutions. as but little was accom-
plished in this line under his prede-
cessors In that office.
The Fair Grounds Road.
Having the big. loose rock raked out
of the Fair Grounds road was very
much appreciated by the people along
that road, and also by the thousands
who Travelled II fair week. The county
court did the last act Of Improvement
before that road becomes a street.
The county has not spent any money
on that road In years. The coarse
gravel roadbed has been worn down to
the bare rock next to the street car
track. On the east side OF the road Is
dirt track. and on the east edge OF
that IL ridge from six inches 10
foot high, that holds the water that
falls on the road from running on in
TO the ditch. When the rains come the
dirt road becomes a succession Of
mudpuddles, and the travel all goes
up onto the rocks This road needs
TO be treated to coating Of fine gray.
el, and the ridge on the east edge cut
away so that il would shed water. II
this road were made what Il should be
there would be hne residences all
along It before many years. II IL 10 be
hoped. when Il Is taken into the city.