The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-12-14
Geo. L. Esh, Elk City Business
Man, Boosts For South
Fork Road.
TAPS RICH DISTRICT
Believes Government Should
Aid Settlers to Secure Bet
ter Transportation.

The South Fork road into Elk City,
like the North and South road to
Boise, seems to be favored by every
body who has anything to say on the
subject Its need is too apparent to
be questioned, and that the government
will be one of the greatest beneficiar-
les by its construction has been clear
ly set forth time and again in numer-
Gus reports sent from the Grangeville
Commercial club to the u. s. Agricul-
tural department at Washington, ID. G.
We quote elsewhere this week the fav-
orable comment of j. III. Colgrove,
postmaster at Orogrande, on this inn
portant road. and the Sites Enterprise
gives the following interview with
George l.. Esh, the well known Elk
City merchant, who passed through
that city last Saturday. He says:
I'VE are greatly handicapped in the
development of the natural resources
at our door, for want of a water
grade highway from Elk City to Sites
The residents of our section as well as
| those who would be benefited along
| its route will use every energy with
the citizens of Sites to get the high
way commission to make some effort
| to start the construction work on this
road in the early spring.
This highway would tap rich agri-
cultural land that would place about
eighty homesteaders in close reach OF
this much needed passage way to the
mining district.
Il have been over the proposed sur
yey made by the Forestry department
and 1t will take some time to construct
the road to our territory as there is
considerable heavy rock work to be
done along the course of the South
Fork, but | understand that there has
already been $4,000 set aside for this
construction of the work. This work is
known as Project No. 5.
THAT portion of the road in Idaho
county from Sites to the reservation
line will be a very small part of the
cost; and we believe should the gov
ernment be convinced by the people
of this section they will give the
residents along the Clearwater a pro-
rata of the government funds to assist
them in constructing the II or 13 miles
from Sites to the forest reserve line.
'The grade between our city and
Sites is less than one-half per cent.
The thousands of tons of parcel post
and freight that is taken in over the
high line should be a good argument
that water grade route Is the most
feasible and practical from the fact
that the rate now charged for parcel
post is about $40 per ton when it
should be handled for from So to so
per ton. The construction of this road
. would be n judicial expenditure of pub
f lie funds for the relief and comforts
of large number of farmers and min
ers.
This road will not only materially
assist the residents along the Clear
. water but the entire farming country
y will be benefited. The mines will
u afford "A good market at good prices
l. for the products of the farm, and we
: as united country can make a pros
: porous community"
We have secured the following in
7 formation from Postmaster M. =
< Strecker to give you some idea as tC
: the amount of parcel post leaving the
:, post office at Sites for Clearwater
u Newsome, Golden, Elk City, Orograndt
and Dixie:
During the month of August, S3,
676 pounds September. 112,554 pounds
October Ill ,515 pounds; November
q 55,70 pounds. The average cost t,
u the government from this point to ths
= interior is $1.94 per hundred pounds
November shows a falling off on ac
y count of bad roads. The tonnage vii
p now increase as the snow roads ge
. good Local shipments to the noun
~ tain districts as well as the genera
- receipts of the Office show an increas.
of about 10 per cent over last year.