The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-06-02
URGE BETTER
OREGON ROADS
DIR. ELDRIDGE AND JUDGE WEBSTER
Former Tells How They Should Be Built
and Latter Explains Plan to
Finance Them.

large as was WlSneu Ior owing 10 the
extremely busy season among the
/ farmers, the meeting was success,
the address and pictures shown by DR.,
Maurice Eldridge, government expert,
and the practical road talk by Judge
Lionel r. Webster, head of the Ore
gon good roads movement, were much
appreciated and every person present
signed the paper to become member
of the Hood River Branch of the Ore
gon Good Roads Association.
Owing to the fact that pictures were
to be shown by DR.. Eldridge, the
meeting was held in local moving
picture theater instead of the Congre-
gational church. When the crowd had
assembled, Secretary j. c. Skinner,
of the Commercial Club, introduced
DR.. Eldridge, who illustrated his re-
marks with slides showing the roads of
which he talked.
He began his remarks by sketching
briefly the history of road building
from the old Egyptian roads over
which the material for the construc-
ton of the pyramids was hauled on
and down to modern times. The Car
thagenians learned from Egypt and
taught Rome how to build roads. The
Appain Way, one of the famous roads
built by the Imperial Romans still
being in use and in a fair state of
preservation. Diagrams showing the
methods of b',ilding roads by the
Romans, by the French of Napoleon's
time and by John l.. Macadam, the
Scotchman, who originated in England
the style of road which now bears his
name. In emphasizing the necessity
of thorough crushing of stone for
macadamized roads, DR.. Eldridge told
of the rue of Macadam, who would
put in no stone which was too large
to get in his mouth.
A series of pictures were shown of
the famous and expensive roads of
Europe which have been built for
many years. Other pictures followed,
showing good and bad roads in this
country. Much has been accomplished
in the states of this country toward
good roads where convict labor has
been used in the construction of the
roads. Distance on roads according to
the government expert is no longer
measured by the yard stick, but by the
clocks tick. He said that Oregon
possessed an abundance of excellent
material for building good roads. He
said that good roads would save the
| farmer enou., h in harness expense and
vehicle repairs to pay his road taxes.
DR.. Eldridge told his hearer that the
u. S. Office of Public Roads would
be glad at any time to send repre-
sentative to any community to advise
its people about the construction of
good permanent highways and help
them deal with their local problems.
The proper drainage of road is an
all-important feature in keeping it in
good condition throughout the year.
Another very necessary requisite of
good roads is to have an easy grade
and according to DR.. Eldridge this is
one of the most serious problems
which Hood River is up against in its
road building. No greater load can
be hauled over a road than can be
pulled over its heaviest grade, so that
no matter how good road may be for
ten miles if it has 100 yards of heavy
grade or deep mud in the winter, the
poor spot in the road will govern the
load which can be carried over the
whole. He said that here in Hood
River there was problem of relocat-
ing roads so as to avoid the steep
grades. He said that roads should
always be laid out in the the first
place with reference to the conven-
ience of the whole public instead of
that of an individual. In speaking
further of the disadvantage of steep
roads he said that it was impossible
to keep the best road on heavy
grade, as it would continually wear
out.
He told of backwoods county in
Virginia which was noted for its poor
roads where the inhabitant put up the
argument against improvement that
the building of good road would bring
strangers into the country. This doc
trine, of course, sounds very strange
to Oregonians.
In speaking of bridges for good
roads, the man from Washington EN-.
phasized the fact that wooden bridges
were the most expensive in the long
run and showed pictures of a great
many good and substantial concrete
arch bridges. He said that roads
should always be repaired with the
same material they were made of, nc
matter what that material was. TC
put stone into hole in mud roac
only makes two holes which is twice as
bad as the first trouble. He ex
planted the use of the split log drag
and of the construction of the sand clay
roads which are very good and mex
pensive. He said that the biggest pro
blem which road builders are now W
against is the construction Of roads
which will withstand the wear 0!
automobiles. In speaking Of oileC
roads, he said that only oil should bt
used which mas an asphaltic base, ant
he said that the California oil was thu
light sort.
Following DR.. Eldridge, Judge Web
ster spoke and his remarks were de
voted mainly to the plans which HI
has in mind for financing grea
system of good roads for Oregon
He said that Hood River was doing al
it could toward the construction Of
good roads and appreciated their value
SO that to urge their value on the
people would be waste of energy
] He explained his idea Of amending
: the constitution so as to allow counties
to vote bonds for the building O
3 permanent roads. He wants to MAKE
3 the good roads Of Oregon great sys
E TEN of internal improvement instead o
e a few miles here and there only t,
Der cached through seas Of mud. Re
e pairing poor roads and building goo
! permanent roads is represented by tn
8 difference between expenses and in
r vestment. He showed that it was
b. good business proposition to inves
: several hundred thousand dollars an
n have the benefits ACQUIRING from goo
e roads rather than to have TO stan
the constant expense of keeping poo
roads barely in shape to travel.
At the close of his remarks, Judg