Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-07-07
WERE IN CORVALLIS.
Members of National Good Roads
Convention.

uS ulSuUSIS vi Lie NdllOudl
Good Roads Association arrived
in Corvallis by special train at
o:3o Tuesday morning. The
party was met at the depot by a
reception committee of leading
citizens representing the Benton
County Citizens League, the city,
the Agricultural College, the
county court, and including the
county's representatives in the
legislature, viz, Senator Avery
and Representative Carter.
Arrived at the City Hall, the
meeting opened with invocation
by Rev. Reeves, and stirring
addresses of welcome by Mayor
A. ]. johnson on behalf of the
city; Judge V. E. Waters, for
Benton county; and B. w. John
sou, president of the Citizens
League. All these efforts were
pointed, full of public-spirited
enthusiasm, and elected hearty
applause. In the remarks of
Mayor Johnson, he admitted that
at certain times during the year,
Benton citizens were a triae
ashamed of Benton's highways;
but at no time, he said, were
they ashamed of the soil of which
the roads were composed, and he
believed in taking this good soil
and making from it good roads.
Colonel w. H. Moore, presi-
dent National Good Roads Asso-
citation, followed with a respon-
sive address that was of deep in
terest to all. After declaring
that this was a unique conven-
tion, inasmuch as it was the first
ever held by the association on
the Fou;th of July, he proceeded
to say that they had come to Cor
wallis as agitators, but that they
had no notion of telling Benton
county people to get in and build
roads that would cost from
$1,000 to $1,000 per mile. Earth
roads could, however, be built,
he declared, for $50 per mile.
With the material that Benton
county can supply; viz, soft stone
and gravel, he said good and
lasting roads could be built, first
putting on the roadbed a layer Of
soft stone, followed by a layer oil
gravel that should first be put
through a rock crusher.
They had come, he said te
teach the people how to organize,
how to raise money and how te
spend it. He declared that i
Corvallis expected to invite
capital here, she must first fl
her streets and roads; otherwise
cities more progressive will Sc
cure the investment of this capi
tai. Col: Moore touched npol
the proposed establishment OF
mountain water system for Cor
wallis and advised the citizens t,
secure it at any reasonable cost
Returning to the subject of roat
building he stated that grave
roads could be constructed fol
from 300 to $1,000 per mile il
Benton; fot 6rst-class streets b
said the cost would not excee,
81, 500 per mile, and that thi
would be one of the best possibl
investments that the count,
could make. Among other re
marks of local interest, Col
Moore warmly commended tn
county court for its initial worl
in good road building, sayin
that the stretches of permanen
road already built wer
the most sensible steps the cour
could have taken in the matte
of road building. The troubl
ia most sections. the speaker said
was that the butter was sprea
over too much surface. In othe
words, the money available fe
road work was spread over to
large an area, doing a little wor
here and there, none of it of
permanent character, hence
no lasting value. The entir
speech by Col. Moore was bot
bright, interesting and instrut
tive, and met with hearty az
probation.
The last speaker at the mori
ing session was Colonel T. ]
Rixey, of Missouri. His SUI
ject was Legislation, . and |