Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-01-12
.1lNl ANA COUNTY
ROAD BOARD IS
GOING AHEAD
nn Purchase Tractor Or
Motor Truck for Maintain
Iog Highways Twenty-Five
Miles Of Gravel Laid

.,,sreeannence 70 MORNING JOURNAL
' ,as cruces. y. NJ, Jan. 1.-THE
-srchase Of tractor or motor truck
~ road maintenance purposes the
~ Of public crossing over the
wv. ~ No railroad tracks at Mesquite
~. 7s onenlng and improving of several
wv roads ami the publishing Of Il
u,ad hnlotin were q few Of the inn
'o ..,ont matters upon which the Dona
~ oountv road board took action at
~ regular monthly meeting held m
.so eourt house, a few days ago.
rbe board gave a good deal Of con
.,leraton 10 The matter Of road main
nance. The gravel has now been
M fot the entire twenty-five miles
5,",once of the Canine Real betwce J
w cruces and the Texas state line
..ar about eight miles Of the Wcss
e,5o highway. and over about -four
s,noe of other main heavily Travelled
raols The first course Of gravel was
omnletod on the Canine Real tn"
oyonIng before New Year Years,
,.hicb Is exactly the date figured
rnor hy the road board when il
.,.rted the work Of the construction
~ the Canine Real last fall. The
.o.cnd course Of gravel has yet TO be
lompoled on part of this road. a
AREA mileage Of finished gravelled
sighway however, Is now open to the
rublfa. and the matter of maintain
lpe dis highway is the question tina
uos taken up very thoroughly by th'
hoard at IT'S meeting. The board is
carefully investigating tho advisable.
nv cf purchasing either a motor truck
ar light tractor to be put on the
road exclusively and permanently foi
maintenance work. Tho plan IS 4
have this truck or tractor, which VIII
bc accompanied by two w0rkmea
,auy with II the gravel and the wa.
fer which are the only two essentials
necessary, together with a binder from
the side of the road, for the repail
Al a travelled road. Gravel without
water is almost useless. AS small
holes develop in the surface Of the
road thoy will be cleaned out thor
oughly, wet, filled with gravel an
binder, tamped down and so repair
the hole.
The board Is getting the benefit 81
recommendations from the state high
way commission, through whom il i
in touch with the state highway de-
partments of other states where
motor trucks are being exclusivel.
used for road maintenance purposes
The board desires to install thi'
maintenance patrol system az the ear
hest possible date before the sprint
winds have had time TO injure tn,
finished gravel roads, which are nov
in ideal condition.
Superintendent Summers and Engl'
neer Lank of the Santa Re Railroad
company were present to consult witr
the board In regard TO the crossine
for public highway al Mesquite. The
old crossing crosses the railroad com
pany tracks zoo feet north Of wher'
the main highway from the West Sid
comes into Mesquite station. The roat
board wants the crossing at the place
where the West side highway comes
in TO Join the Canine Real at Mes
quite. but the Santa Re Railroad com
rany has refused TO grant this cross
ing The road board maintains tina
it is an imposition upon the West sid
farmers to have every ton of hal
hauled north from Mesquite to x
over the old crossing and then soutl
m the Canine Real, a total create
distance of about 1900 feet simpl
because the Santa Fe Railroad com
pany does not find 1t convenient f
give rlght-of-gay over a crossing II
The most direct and practical place
After being advised that the railroad
company would refuse to grant suel
right-of-way the road board unani
mously ordered that steps be taken Il
condemn the same on behalf of tn
public interests Of the people of tn
county.
#hAHHiHAH HE lAF NtA HtA laAAA Va Ail
proceeds of the road bond funds hav
now been expended, and differen
methods Of road construction adopte'
by the board as the best in its opin
ion available. IT was decided by tn
board to publish a report 10 the PEG
pie Of the county upon the manner Il
which the funds are being expended
and the methods of road CONSTRUCTION
followed and at its request, Secreiar
OF the Board Francis y. Lester wa
authorized to prepare and publish o
hchalf of the board the report de
eided upon
The board audited a number q
bills and spent the larger part of tn
day comforting with citizens from va
Eous parts OF the county In regard
TOAD matters, the improvement
Row highways, the setting back c
fences, and matters OF that kind.
The general and increasing intere'
10 road affairs is shown at each meet
Ing Of the board by the increasin
large number Of citizens from a
parts Of the county who meet to cot
fcr with il.