The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-01
CRUSADE FOR GOOD
ROADS|SSUCCESS
Campaign by Congressman
Howell and Prof. Lyman
Bears Fruit.
BUILD EARTH HIGHWAYS
COMMISSIONERS OF sANPETE
FIND THEM PRACTICABLE.
BUILD EARTH HIGHWAYS
CongreSSnan

Congressman Joseph Howell and
Professor Richard R. Lyman, vice
chairman of the state road commits
sion, seem to be making progress in the
efforts they are putting forth to induce
the people of the state TO build earth
roads.
They have distributed 10000 bulletins
containing information on the methods
of building earth roads, the cost of their
construction, the various means and
methods in use to maintain them. the
cost of these various processes, and the
results these expenditures bring. The
bulletins sent out are those published
by the engineering experiment station
of the University OF Utah and several
issued by good roads department at
Washington, D. Q.
Perhaps nowhere in the state has this
literature been more effective thus far
than in Sanpete county. The county
commissioners and the road commission
er are all thoroughly converted to the
earth road idea
G. R. Alfred Of Chester, the chairman
of the board, and one of the most en-
thusiastic of good roads men, stated
the condition In Sanpete county about
like this: I'VE have in this county some
400 miles of public highways. To place
upon all OF these roads a macadam
| COdLlDS Ol Tie UGSl QUdiAIy "OuA0 SOcl
about $4,000 mile, making total
cost Of 81, 000, 600. Half of the whole as
sessed valuation of the county would
not pay for this construction
Maintenance Expensive.
Further" Mr.. Alfred continued, 81
have been informed that the macadam
road in Ogden canyon costs Weber
county, on an average, some $500 per
mile per year for maintenance. If this
is true, and Sanpete county had Its
roads already macadamized, at this
same rate it would require, to keep
these roads in repair, an annual ex-
penditure OF 5000, 900, an amount far be-
yond the annual paying capacity Of
Sanpete county for road purposes"
Peter Matson, the commissioner from
Mt Pleasant, says that for years he has
had an idea that the great quantities
of stone in Sanpete should be crushed,
then placed upon the roads and rolled
firmly into place, the same as the ex-
been constructed. But" says Mr..
Matson, "since I have given careful
consideration to the cost and main
tenance of such roads, 1 see plainly
/ that with the funds we have available
/ for this work such roads cannot pos
/ sibly be built. Since we have hit on
this earth road idea. we have made a
|
structed more miles of good roads dur
ing the last year in this county than
have been built before"
AT last" said Mr.. G. NJ. Madsen,
the third commissioner, who comes from
the new city of Gunnison, I'VE have
found the right line to follow. With
the money we have already spent and
| that we viii have TO spend on the coun-
| ty roads, in proportion to our proper
4 -1-f1 &l@r, 10
| for road construction by the last legis-
Iature, we expect to put all Of the very
bad roads in Sanpete county into
good passable condition. Before we got
| the earth road idea, we could hardly
make any showing at all on our roads
with the money we had available for
road purposes"
Those who accept the general invita-
ton sent out by the county commission
ers Of Sanpete county to attend the road
convention to be held at Ephraim Sat-
urday, May Il, will have an opportunity
to give these roads a careful inspection.
Cost of Earth Roads.
The cost Of constructing the earth
roads in Sanpete county, where the
country was comparatively level to be-
gin with. has been from s125 to $3.50 per
mile. Those who inspect the roads of
this county, and discuss road problems
with the county commissioners. will be
impressed with the fact that these men
are rapidly becoming road experts. The
commissioners themselves attribute
their success and interest in road con-
struction to three things: First, the
literature that has been put into their
| hands Second, the inspiration and in
| struction they have received at the road
conventions held recently, and third,
| the appropriation made for road con-