Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-12-17
THE HEC0UNTYR0ADS
LARGE SUMS SPENT ON HIGH
WAYS AND BRIDGES.
COUNTY BRIDGE THIS YEAR
Road Commissioner Firm Tells The
Observer Whereas How 1915 Mon
ey Was Expended.

FOLK county is engaged Ill ROAD con-
struction work that is destined to put
it in rank with the first counties of the
state in point Of good road mileage,
and ito make the county the most at
tractive in the Willamette valley to
the thousands of tourists who will
travel through this great wonderland
during the years to come, when its
beauties will be heralded to the world
to an even greater extent than they
have been. In saying great work, it
must be borne in mind that the work
of such more wealthy counties as
Multnomah, or the southern Oregon
counties, where larger cities make
larger tax rolls and therefore more
money for the work at hand, is more
perfect and far reaching, but at that
Polk county has built and purposes
building roads that many counties in
the same financial standing cannot,
or do not try to equal. The building
of such famous roadways as the CO.
lumbia river highway and the Pacific
highway, though the latter will very
possibly be routed through Polk coun-
ty before many years, does not detract
from the work done here, but it, rath
er, means of enhancing the value
of and the interest in the local roads.
With her immense resources and her
scenic wonders Multnomah county is
in better position to advertise her
work to the world. By that means
will tourists and travellers be attract
ed to Oregon, thence to Polk county,
where good rural highways will have
become famed. Most of the tourist
travel in years to come will be by
motorcar, and the constantly increas-
ing number of motor-driven vehicles
makes that statement bear double sig
nifcance. The roads of Polk county
will be tributary to the great high
ways built by Multnomah county and
by the state, and, indeed, may be de-
veloped to such perfection that roads
leading from other counties will be-
come tributary to these. At any rate
such is the glowing possibility if Polk
county is successful in a campaign to
re-route the Pacific highway through
its boundaries.
The beauties of nature reign su
preme along the highways and by
ways of the county and extend a
charming invitation to the county's
citizens, as well as those of other
parts of the country, to spend joyous
idle hours in touring them. Grain
fields, orchard lands, hop fields and
veritable forests primeval extend on
Polk county roads in riot of gay
colors and rich tints that the best
of landscapes would have difficulty
in picturing. Slow running streams,
rushing mountain creeks, plains, for
ests and fields combine to give one a
choice of any environment, OF scenic
change that may be in mind. Hunt
ing and fishing grounds that are not
excelled in the northwest send out a
call for visitors, for sportsmen and
for nature lovers that has proved ir'
resistible to those who have tried
them. Portland and other well-popu.
lated centers are within delightful
motoring distance from these Polk
county attractions, and with the i'm
provement that is being made in roads
throughout the valley three-hour
trip from Portland will be an actuali-
ty, rather than a hope, within very
short time.
Where the Money Went.
That Polk county's boast to good
roads is not an idle one is evident
from the report of Roadmaster j.
Waldo Finn for the year that is just
closing. showing where and how $751;
900 were spent on the improvement
of the rural highways of the county.
This amount was divided proportion
ately to many projects and to several
different classes of work. To road oil
ing. grading, bridge construction, and
various other divisions Of the general
head of road work, this $4,000 was
credited. First, to repair and main
tain the roads that have been in use
$4,000 was required. In this is in