The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-06-10
AAV|LAND TALKS
OF COUNTY ROADS
Especial to the Silver State, i,

boloE, Idaho, June 10-Delegates 10
the Good Roads convention got down
10 business today and listened to re-
ports from different delegates as to the
condition of roads in their resnectiva
localities. This afternoon the eonven-
tlon was addressed by Delegate G. p
liayiland, of Humboldt county. Neva.
da, as follows:
dentlemen of the Intermountain Good
Roads Association:
| AS chairman of the board of countv
commissioners of Humboldt comfy.
Nevada, | beg to submit the following
iePort appertalning to roads and road
eondltlons in Humboldt county:
Durlng the year 1912 the amount of
@iz,99z.2l was expended in road i'm
lprOvements, consisting mostly of tenn
porary and emergency work. to repair
the damage done by washonts. princi-
paily caused by eloudbursts, which left
the roads impossible. Very little
permanent work was done on the roads
with the exception of the construction
or and repairs on bridges.
There are over 1,500 miles of roads
kept up in Humboldt county and ow.
ing to the fact that only $l4.96l 10
was available, and $12,394.2l was ex.
pended during the year 1912 for road
purposes, one can readily see that with
an average allotment of less than
Sl.O0 per mile for road work but little
permanent improvements could be
made on the roads and this condition
IS bound to continue to exist until
some further financial assistance can
be had or until some legislation is en-
acted by which additional funds can
be realized for road purposes. A bill
was passed by the last legislature auth
orizing the board of county commits
sioners to pay the sum of $4,000 per
month out Of the general fund of the
county TO the Humboldt County
Chamber Of Commerce, part of which
amount is to be used to assist the
county of Humboldt in building road
from the Elko county line across
Humboldt county to the Washoe coun-
ty line. This road is being construct
ed to accommodate transient travel
across the state.
About the most effective improve
ment for road work we have been
able to find under existing conditions
is the road drag, when the soil is in
proper shape to pack after storms.
The worst general condition we have
to contend with is the dust and the
chuckholes caused by long dry sea
sons.
About all the damage that is done
to the roads during the wet season is
caused by occasional washouts and by
heavily loaded freight wagons, equip
ped with narrow tires and at times
the teamster, handling large team of
from fourteen to twenty animals, and
three or four wagons heavily loaded,
finding it impossible to pull this load.
will drop all but one wagon and pull
this wagon through the mud, sinking
nearly to the axles and cutting the
road up in such a manner as to leave
il almost impossible.
A great deal of this trouble could
be eliminated if wagons of heavy
capacity were equipped with wider
tires, and it would be wise to have a
law to this effect enacted in all the
states where this condition exists and
where such a law has not been passed
yet.
The condition of the soil on the
whole is a fairly good road material,
being mixed with considerable per-
centage of gravel, but we also have a
good many miles of roads in this eoun-
ty where the soil is composed of heavy
drifting sand and where 1t becomes
necessary to corduroy with sagebrush,
owing to the fact that the only avail
able gravel is too far distant.
Another bad feature that we have
to contend with along some of our
roads is the low alkali flats which,
when covered by water during the wet
season, become very soft and mirey
and it is useless to grade or try to i'm
prove this kind of roads unless it can
be graveled after being graded and
this rs in a great many cases impos-
sble, because gravel is too tar distant.
If this kind of road is not graveled
after being arched the first rainstorm
will leave it in worse condition than
before and owing to the slippery con
dition of the roadbed it will be almost
impossible for the wagons to stay on
the road.
The total assessed valuation for
Humboldt county for the year 1912
was $l2,777 ,395.00.