Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-04-27
GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO
BUILD SAMPLE ROAD
To Build Half Mile In jackson
County and Would Build
for Josephine.

In order to stimulate the good
roads movement all over the United
States the Department Of Agriculture.
through its bureau Of good rosds, Is
building q half mile section of road in
every county that will pay the labor
expense of construction. The gov.
ernment furnishes the machinery and
sends an expert to superintend the
operation of the plant and of the con-
struction of the road. A number of
Oregon counties have accepted the
governments offer and will have the
half mile sections Of sample road
built. jackson county, which is one
Of the few Oregon counties to take up
modern road building and to do the
work with road crew and under
the direction OF road master, has
taken advantage of the governments
liberality and will have section of
the Jacksonville ana Medford road re-
built to conform to the latest methods
in scientific road construction.
This offer to build half mile of
sample road for Josephine county was
made to the county court but was de-
clined by the commissioners They
based their refusal to incur the ex.
pense on the fact that the county had
such limited road fund that it was
impossible TO keep the roads in pass
able repair, and further that as it was
proposed to build the sample OF road
in the vicinity of Grants Pass that
city should stand a part OF the ex-
pense. AS Grants Pass pays no
county road tax, by clause in the
charter. and as this road improve
ment would benefit the city quite as
much as the country the county court
holds That tile expense should be borne
equally by Josephine county and
Grants Pass, General Manager Craig
of the Oregon Southern Pacific lines
has notified G.. p. Jester, their agent
in this city, to inform the county
aud city authorities that the railroad
will transport the road machinery to
Grants Pass free of charge and also
deliver in this city the crushed rock
from any nearby place where it could
be had for surfacing the road. The
labor cost on this half mile of road
would not be over 5000 or 500 and
possibly less and as the government
aud roailroad company are will ing
to contribute the machinery and trans.
portation cost it would be a very
profitable investment for the county
and the city to accept their offer.
/ The best returns both in use TO the
/ travelling public aud as an object in
modern road construction would be 10
/ improve that section of the county
road south from the Rogue river
/ bridge, Into this half of mile Of road
converge three OF the most travelled
/ highways In josephine county ana on
no other road could the money he
spent TO such Tr hit to the taxravers
This road is about as bad as anv IN
the county for IL is one series of
mudholes during the Winter and a
stitliug dust bank during the dry
season and 20 add to the bad features
there are two sharp grades one being
down aut the other up 50 teams have
a hard pull either way Then as a
further obstacle 10 teams and a cause
Ter eNpen'e in repair 20 VET hicles much
ot this section Of ro9d is covered with
ooulders. many of them OF consider.
: able size Every farmer and tsams, ~
driving into Grauts Pass from the
south has occasion 90 curse this sc.
tion ot to' "a eud the making Of il into
a maCataWigtd road would be the
hest oOl 20 lesson in modern mad
/ building that c11'd De had In all
Jo cphine comtv