The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-06-19
Supervisor Robbins Talks Roads

Your observations and statements
about the two large bridges father
up, by Clements and the Dubois
ranch, were hardly fair to me on ac-
count of your not knowing all the
conditions These bridges were bad
ly twisted on account of the stills set
thing, due to the washing in the
stream. One of them became unsafe
from that cause. Both of them were
just narrow enough so that harvest
ing machinery such as headers, could
not be taken across without removing
the railing. The planks were worn
more than one would think to look
at them now, because we discarded
the worst ones. Our plan was to
refloor them, using longer planks so
it would be possible for binders and
headers to cross without removing
the railing, This was done, and the
old planks cut and reversed and
placed on top to take the
wear. The discarded planks were
taken to the place where we keep all
old timber, south of the tracks at my
place. Both bridges are now on
cement bases in the stream and are
good for a long period of use with
little or no expense. 1t is true we
exhausted the lumber appropriation
fixing these big bridges, but the
board looked it all over with me and
we all though it was the best way
to do it. You, of course, looking it
over with the canal full of water,
could not know about the foundations
and I suppose did not know about
the need of widening them to accom-
modate the wide machinery.
A few small bridges have been
double-planked where the wear was
heavy. Tt is not satisfactory to lay
new plank with old ones on each
side, because they are of different
height, and it jolts the vehicles. If
the stringers are weak the double
planking- stiffens the whole structure
There are, as you said, other places
where grades, bridges and culverts
are badly needed, and one of those is
the Dubois lane, but until the fences
are placed on the proper lines we
cannot fix them as they ought to be,
and settlers out there are suffering
much inconvenience and loss. Under
such conditions the annoyance to
them is keener | suppose, because of
the good grades made in other places
in cases where this work is donated
by abbutting land owners or is half
donated and that fact is not known,
really is. Many farmers could donate
some work on the roads next to them
and soon be repaid in the advantage
it would be to them in their hauling
but not all of them are willing. They
feel that the county ought to do it,
and so it should and will in time.
but it cannot all be done in one year
We are only filing in the worst
places this year at county expense,
but where donations are offered on
condition that we pay half, the county
always considers the matter. If Of
ficials and the public understood
each other more fully in what they
do and fail to do, there would be
more of cooperation and less of criti-
cism. No mater how fair you try
to be in your criticism of the acts
of officials, it seems to me it must be
impossible to get an entirely correct
view without comforting with the per-
sons having the work in charge, and
shall be very glad to confer with
you about any and all matters of
public concern in my district.