Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-02-10
I. (. Nature student)

M q
,t 1900 miles or approx
p'l's .onnty are side roads, let us
y. ~. 'S'lir division of the funds enpend- .',a
o 4 different and more equita-
9IOs lsss,s. by suppOsing that the
oourt and the road supervis-
'lps s..tner have seen fit to expend
~ $40 pev mile annually
.lv ~. a small enough expendi-
y. the maintenance OF these
~ ssds: j it would take $4,000 of
s ~ 5a4 available, leaving but
y !, 10 be expended upon the
p'p' ,roveled roads, Dividing this
DDA " ss5, the Approximate mileage
an .siu \ RAIDS in the county, we find
..vides a fund that amounts to a
,,'on over 500 per mile annually
A' ,Sa main roads. With an annual
.d,ture that amounts to $50 per
Y ,or about one-fifth of our roads,
~ ,to per mile for the other four
na a. and a bridge expenditure that
nuD Units to about $4 per mile, let us
'.-.sarate, and find out the results
a., have been accomplished.
NJ. roads generally have not only
!. ! maintained, but gradually and
'.,,.,uly improved with such expen-
S,rres. For instance, let us take
(. road leading from Salem to IN
,,D.udence. Between Mr., T. W.
Drruks farm and Salem, distance
!, !, miles, there were six bridges
,.,g maintained less than nine
,.,rs ago. Today there are none;
=, instead pipe for drainage, has
,.sn laid and fills made; and in
.,tine the fills, several hills have
Nam cut down and some have been
II out altogether. Besides two hills
,rd several short steep pitches have
,ecn graded, where no fills were
msde al the same time.
petween Mr. Brunk's place and In
doendence, a distance of six and
o.4-half miles, four steel bridges
have been constructed within the
mast five years; the county court
making it a rule to erect steel
ridges only, upon our main roads.
viii next describe some Of these
.MIdges, and the bridges they have
wlacod, according to information
oven me by County Judge Coad.
The bridge at Independence is 1870
et long, and takes the place Of a
wooden bridge 63S feet long; the rest
d Ae distance being made a fill,
Mar Perrydale, a wooden bridge
which was $50 feet long, has been
replaced with a steel span 81 feet
long and a fill, What was known as
he Lunn bridge, which was 11S feet
long, has been replaced with drain
plpe and fill. The Swale bridge,
near Mccoy which vas 255 feet long,
has been replaced with a steel span
80 feet long and a fill; and a bridge
at Ballston, which was 300 feet long,
has been replaced with a steel span
80 feet long, and a fill. All culverts
and small bridges are being replaced
with drainage pipe and fills; and a
large portion of them are such now.
All wooden bridges constructed upon
The side roads during recent years
have been covered and protected
from the weather as much as possi-
bic; thereby increasing the lasting
time Of such bridges several years.
And now, as / have described a
part of what is being accomplished in
cutting down hills, laying drainage
pipe, making fills; and the bridges
being constructed, l will describe
some of the results in surfacing the
roads.
Previous to 10 years ago, and possi-
bly, less time than that, there were
seyerel stretches of road between
Salem and independence that be-
came impossible to heavy traffic, for
weeks at a time during the winter
months; and light rigs passed
through with the greatest Of difficult
les and many mishaps. It used to