Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-10-06
PROPOSES AUTO TRUCK 8
ROAD TO THE OCEAN

truck, macadamized highway to Cres-
cent City or to the state line, Del
Norte county, Calf. promising to
build to Josephine county termin-
al, and to pay for the same with a
bond issue bearing per cent. The
interest on the bonds being no more,
thinks Mr.. Dale, than Is now paid
yearly for the upkeep OF the present
road. BY such road Mr.. Dale states
that the burdensome freight rates
now charged against this region by
the Southern Pacific would be cut IN
half. In an interview with The Cour-
Ter he says:
Referring to an editorial in The
Courier under date of September 81,
calling the attention Of the people OF
Grants Pass, and the Rogue river
valley to the necessity Of a perma-
nent macadam highway between this
city and the Pacific coast, ] would
like to make few statements OF
facts relative thereto, viz: the cost
OF the road (estlmated), the bene-
fits to be derived therefrom, figured
in dollars and cents, and the revenue
from outside sources.
Estimated Cost.
I'm talking over the probable
cost OF such a road. to point on the
California and Oregon state line,
with w. ], Winner, the veteran road
builder OF Josephine county, he gave
II as his opinion that the road could
be constructed alta cost of not to
exceed $4,000 per mile, and thought
that It could possibly be done for
less money, as the road bed In
greater part of the way is In good
condition to receive rock surface,
while a considerable portion Of the
road has already been macadamized
under the plan that the county has
been operating on this summer. The
total cost Of the road, figuring for
the entire SO miles, at this rate,
would be 100000. This sum when
placed In 6 per cent county bonds
will find a ready sale In the east, the
interest on the same being $6350
per year. II is quite safe to say
that the county Is spending this
amount every year on th,3 road, and
still there are some parts OF the
highway that are almost impossible
in the winter, II being next to i'm
possible to haul heavy trucks over
the dirt roads at that time of the
year.
Amount Saved In Freight.
"The present fieight rates from
Portland on the commodities most
in use, such as wire, lumber. flour,
lime, cement, groceries, dry goods.
farm machinery, papo" harness,
mining machinery, furniture, boots
and shoes fruits and vegetables, oil
and gasoline, dressed meats and
poultry, average about rs centn per
100 pounds, for which we pay not
less than $3.50, 900, or a quarter OF
million dollars each year. And
this amount is growing larger and
heavier as the years go by. This
same freight could be hauled from
Crescent City on the Pacific coast
with auto trucks for one-half that
rate, or 37A cents, and would make
In earnings for slx-ton truck maxi
Ing three trips each week and going
empty one way, the sum Of $540 per
month
Individual Ownership.
Each large merchant could own
his own truck, which could he used
for delivering goods to outlying dis
tricts Ms well as transporting goods
90 and from the seaboard, while fruit
growers that own twenty acres or
more OF bearing orchard could well
afford TO own their own auto trucks,
which could be used for all OF the
hauling to and from the ranches.
The engine could also be used for
power to spray saw wood and a
great many other useful things
"These are only two OF the money
savers OF the auto road, One OF the
greatest money makers will be the
continuous stream OF automobile
tourists that would pass through
Grants Pass enroute TO the ocean
aud California points, instead OF so
Ing down to Southern California by
the hot Sacramento valley The trip
could be taken via Crescent City
CAL and down along the cool coost
Now that Grants Pass has two OF the
very finest modern hotels In Oregon
this would be the popular stopping
place for all automobile traffic.
Who Would Get the Money!