Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-05-01

handled by Rangers Long and Snider,
and Ranger Long will now complete
the "River" section and allow Ranger
Durant to take up other work in his
district.
In order to insure the use of this
trail at all seasons of the year it has
been necessary to start construction
work on 5-8 inch cable suspension
bridge across the North Fork of the
Clearwater river at a point about 1-2
mile above the mouth of Orogrande
creek, and this work was started by
Ranger Durant last season and will be
completed this coming season. This
bridge has span of 176'4", and the
floor of the bridge will be II feet above
the high water mark at this point. Ap.
proximately 5000 feet B. M. Of lumber
will be used in this bridge, which was
sawed near the bridge site by port
able saw mill, in addition to vast
amount Of hewed timbers which were
used in tower construction. The large
steele cables, turn buckles, clamps and
all other castings, totaling 5000 lbs.
were delivered to point II miles from
the bridge site on the snow last winter
and will be taken to the bridge site by
pack horses as soon as the trails are
opened this spring. The completion OF
the trail and bridge is of very great
importance, not only to the forest SER
vice, but to all persons who have oc-
casion to travel through the forest as it
completes new and much shorter
route through the forest, and insures
safe travel at almost all seasons Of the
year. Crossing the North Fork during
the high water period has always been
regarded as dangerous undertaking
and only few days ago John Sprague,
an old hunter and trapper, was
drowned within site of the new bridge.
The bridge will also allow sheep to be
crossed at this point and allow stock
men to drive their herds across the
forest for eastern shipment from
western Montana points.
Telephone work has kept pace with
trial work, there now being 96.5 miles
Of telephone lines on the forest, all Of
which have been built during the pas,
three years, and many of the most i'm.
portant points are now connected by
telephone and reports Of fires are tele
phoned to the supervisors office in
Orofino as soon as they are located by
the lookout men.
Last season telephone line was con
structed from the Oxford Mine, where
it connected with the forest service
line between Pierce and Elk Mountain
lookout, to the Mouth of Orograndt
creek and this line will be continued
on to Pot mountain this season, and a.
Pot Mountain IS possibly one OF tn.
very best lookout points in the Clear
water country, it is believed that thi
will very greatly increase the effcienc,
OF the present lookout system OF tn,
forest. In every case where a new
trial or telephone line is to be built b,
the forest service the needs of tn,
country to be served by the proposed
project are carefully and fully con
sidered and only the most urgeutl,
needed are taken up first, and it is ais,
planned to cooperate with and to en-
deavor to coordinate the work of tn
government with that of the Clear
water Timber Protective Association il
every way possible. A number of tn
forest service trails and telephone
have been built SO that they will cor
meet with those of the association an
thus save duplication of work fo
both the government and the associs
ton.