The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-02-25
HIGHWAY WILL
NOT SUFFER
BENSON WILL CONTINUE HIS AID
Local Men Spend Monday Afternoon View.
ing Work that Has Been Done on Co.
Iumbia Highway West Of City

When the State Highway Commission
called for the resignation of Major
Bowlby, highway engineer, an impres.
sion became current to the effect that
5. Benson would withdraw his efforts
in behalf of good roads. This impress
sion was corrected Monday by E. E.
Cooyert, Mr.. Benson's attorney in Port.
land. The news is cheering to Hood
River people; for the work at Mitchell
Point, where improvements will be
made with $780, 900 advanced by Mr..
Benson to the state, will be carried out
according to program.
Some of Mr.. Benson's gifts were
made with the understanding that the
funds would be expended under the su-
perVision of the State Highway Com
mission" said Mr.. Covert, but he
did not specify that MIR. Bowlby must
be retained as the state highway en-
gineer. While Mr.. Benson expresses
regret in recent letters that Mr.. Bowl
by has been ousted, he has not even
limited that changes might have an in
fiuence, and ! am sure he intends to 20
ahead with good road building with the
same vigor that has long characterized
his work"
Mr.. Benson is now in southern Cali.
fornia.
5. A. Mitchell, j. B. Anderson and
John Baker comprised the first party of
Hood River men TO make recent visit
to the scene of Columbia highway con-
struction work in this county. The
party journeyed down to Shell Rock
mountain Monday afternoon, returning
Monday night on the 8 O'Clock east
bound passenger train.
''The work looks fine." says Mr..
Mitchell, I'VE must have walked six
or seven miles with Ii. r. Newport. of
the Newport Land a Construction Co.
| have travelled through many of the
scenic places of this country, and |
must say that | have never seen any
views that can excel some 10 be OBJ
tanned from the Columbia highway"
However. all of the men are of the
opinion that additional work must be
done on the highway after the present
contract is finished before the road 10
passable for automobiles. At points
such as those around Shell Rock noun
tain after the road is graded the cur
face will be composed OF sharp pointed
lock that will ruin the tires of an auto
mobile driven over ii. These stones
must be covered with gravel, sand or
screenings.
Mr.. Baker says: THE force Of
workmen on the road has been cut
about 80 per cent. MIR. Newport told
us That, however, he expected to have
the contract work finished on schedule
time Dy June /. unavoidable accidents
excepted. All of US. as we surveyed
the route, came to the conclusion that
Hood River county will draw large div
ldends from the investments. and that
our citizens will realize that they
made no mistake when they voted the
$75. 600 bond issue.
Eat Shell Rock. the crews Of men are
finishing up the big dry masonry walls.
these walls, about 10 feet thick at the
bottom and from l6 to lS inches thick
at the top, will withstand any minor
slide that may happen there. but the
heavy slides may be expected to sweep
them away. The men are also finishing
up a deep cut just east of Camp Ben
son. This cut IS 60 feet deep. and
| through solid rock. Ii extends for over
200 feet, and is said to be the heaviest
work between Portland and Hood
River.
81 do not think, however, that ii will
be possible to travel over the road until
work additional is done after the con.
tract is finished.
"The work so far has progressed in
Hood River county without q single
serious accident.
MIR. Newport is eager to have Hood
River people visit the scene of the
work, and states that in the near fu-
ture he will invite party of them to
see the work. 81 will promise them a
good .time and good feed at the
| CAMP. he saws.