The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-09-07
Run Survey From White Bird
to Lewis County Line
at Once.
DISTANCE IS 40 MILES
State Engineer Booth Inspects
Road Work at White
Bird.

H. M. Booth, state highway engineer,
came in last Saturday from Lewiston
and in company with Engineer p. Cd
Ter, of Lewiston-C Charleston made a trip
to the honor camp at Whitebird, Sun
day to inspect the work there in prog
ress on the north and south highway.
He speaks highly of the work, and
says all can rest assured that the new
road around the point next to the
river will be connected up with the
old state road at RemmIngton's ferry
before there Is any move made to shift
locations.
Mr. Booths chief mission to this sec
tion was to make arrangements to be-
gin a survey for the permanent loca-
tion of the north and south highway
from Whitebird to the Lewis county
line. This is to be done i'll response to
the demands of the Idaho County Good
Roads association, and other workers
in the interest of good roads, that re-
liable data may he had for the pro-
posed bond election which is now be-
ing talked of and may be called in the
near future. The first survey made
by the state was what is called "fly-
ing survey" simply to ascertain the
feasibility of the road, and furnished
little or no data from which reliable
estimates of cost of construction could
be made.
The new survey, which will be under
the direction of G. G. Van Arsdol, who
now has in charge the engineering
work on the lewiston Uniontown hill,
and is said to have no superior as a
locating engineer in the northwest,
will be commenced within few days.
The work, covers forty miles or more,
will occupy something like sixty days
at a cost of about $1,000, and will
supply all required data for accurate
estimates on cost of construction per
mile. The state and county will break
even on the expense, the state to come
through with its halt after the con-
yening of the legislature in January.
A delegation of Cottonwood citi-
zens composed of Il. L. Parker, w b.
Hussman, Felix Martzen IT, S. Winner,
and George Robertson, came over
Monday and with like delegation of
Grangeville citizens, met with Mr.,
Booth and the county commissioners
and discussed plans for the new sur
vey With the pressure brought to
bear by the Idaho County Good Roads
association, and the commercial clubs
of the various towns of the county, it
is understood that the survey will be
authorized and the board of county
commissioners will cooperate in the
work.
] 1t is proposed to also investigate the
highway which is asked for by the
/ Clearwater citizens from Grangeville
to Harpster, Sites and Kooskia to
the Lewis county line near Kamiah,
according to Mr.. Booths statement:
this to also includes the down hill road
from the Winona country to some
Clearwater river point.
From present indications, a route
down the Salmon river from White
Bird, to the point near Sodeburg'S
place or to the mouth of Rocky Canyon,
will be tried out. and no doubt num-
of lines will be run before definite
location of the highway Will be made.
The trying OUT surveys are what
make the cost in locating permanent
lines but it is absolutely essential to
securing a proper grade and cannot be
avoided.
The era of good roads building is
now on throughout the entire country !;
and If Idaho county is to get its share
OF national and state appropriations
for that purpose it must put itself in
a position to do so by hearty coopera-
tion or else it will simply pay its
share of the taxes to build up good
roads in other sections without re-
ceiving commensurate returns itself.
We cannot afford to do this; we must
get busy and keep abrest of the times.
Mr.. Booth as the representative of
the state highway department, recent
ly visited Washington to confer with
the state highway authorities rela-
tive to the disbursement and utiliza-
tion of the federal funds created by
the gdod roads bill passed by the
present congress. This bill, which
authorizes the expenditure of S75,-
100000 on permanent highway con-
struction in the states of the union
during the next five years, allots Ida
no nearly $1,000,000, while from the
fund of $10,000,O0O to be used on the
construction of roads in forest re-
serves Idaho will get $1,OOO,OOO dur
ing the next ten years. Mr.. Booth
states that the forest reserve allot-
ment for Idaho the current year is
$10S,000, the department disbursing
to states on the general basis of aera