The Washington herald., 1916-06-25
Men Busy at Work Completing
Washington-Richmond Road
Crew Of Seventy-fve Employed Mending Break
in Highway Near Pohick Church-Motorists
and Business Men of Capital Make Good
Start Raising Money for Improvement

From the headquarters of the American
Automobile Association District of Co
lumGia Club comes the cheering news for
Washington merchants and motorists
that construction work on one OF the
uncompleted sections of the Washington
Richmond highway has commenced.
Last Wednesday saw a crew OF seventy
FIVE men and the necessary road machin-
cry put to work between Pohick Church
and the Lorton railway station, one Of
the most vicious of the breaks in the
main highway, and tn nearest to wash
ington.
With the completion of this stretch
there will be opened a new route out of
Washington giving motorists a siXty-mile
round trip into section replete with early
colonial history. and big step will have
been taken in the work of connecting the
National Capital and the Virginia metro
polls with a fine highway
The Pohick CLurCh-Lorton station
stretch has long been one of the most
difficult and dangerous with which motor
tourists have had to contend. 1t has a
steep hill and the roadway is only the
width of a car From the high bank on
the side all the water drains into the So
called roadway, keeping it wet and full
Of bog holes.
Just beyond this is a long low stretch,
below the level Of the surrounding fields,
Of heavy clay that remains under water
long after the fields on each side have
dried out, making it dificult to negotiate.
There are other patches along the way
that give poor going but only in extreme
" wet weather.
To Be Ready in Month.
The work now in progress will do away
with the heavy grade of the hill and fill
in the long low bottom at its foot.
Owing to the large gang of workmen
it is expected that the entire job will be
combeted in about thiry days, giving
a roadway fourteen feet wide with a
twelve-inch gravel top that will be thor
oughly packed under a ten-ton steam
roller.
Under the AUSPICES of the Districts mo.
tor club. the fund being raised in this city
as Washington's qslota of a general fund
for the completion of the Washington
Richmond highway Is making rapid
strides forward Letters are being sent
out daily from club headquarters seek.
ing contributions to the fund from those
who would benefit by the roads compile
| tion, and each days mail brings a gen
| erous quantity Of favorable replies.
Washington merchants are asked t.
contribute s. each and motorists are so
lcited for g each. The former are sup
piled with statistics compiled by the tour
! ing bureau of the American Automobile
Association showing wherein commercial
Washington would be annually enriched
s4Oo 90 through the construction of a high
way between the two capitals. NTotorist.
are asked If they would be interested ir
| spending 81 for a new touring ground
covering approximately 500 miles, and tbs
large number of 81 checks received indi
cate that this class OF citizens are keen
| ly interested.
Practically all OF the other cities alonr
the route have already raised their share
Of the general fund needed to put tht
highway in first-class condition.
Richmond, which gave $5O,01O to the ori.
ginal project for a highway between the
two capitals, has raised an additional
5000 to be applied to the breaks In the
main highway. Fredericksburg and Alex
andria are meeting with success in theiI
efforts to raise another 5000.
Many Contributions Received.
Washington is asked for A.s7o and
while the local fund was started only a
few days ago. approximately 500 has
been subscribed.
Subscriptions amounting to S42717 were
acknowledged in last Sundays issue of
this paper. Since then S222 has been re-
ceived from the following individuals and
business institutions: This list does not
include any subscriptions sent in since
Wednesday. June ~
Hugh Reilly. White House Lunch As
tor Lunch. Guide Bros Company. Barber
/ & Ross, Joseph Strasburger Company,
Family Shoe Store, National Electrical
Supply Company. Hausler & Co. F. P
May Hardware Company, WASHINGTON
Storage Company, r. Harris & Co. Sea
ton Garage and Supply House. H B.
Matchett, Mount Rainier Times: Buell.
Motor Company. w. T. & F. B. Weaver.
5. kann, Sons Co. Bastian Bros Com
pany Browning & Middleton, Inc.
Beren's Cafe, Hoover & Denham. F. ].