Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-12
time. The original intention was to

time. The original intention was to
grade 200 miles of roads this year
with these outfits, and while we may
fall short of that amount, no one can
be blamed for it except the weather
conditions. The outfits could not get
into the. country to work until about
the t20h Of May, and there has been
a great amount of wet weather when
the outfits could not work. TO date
there has been approximately 50 miles
of road graded, and with the new ma
chinery recently purchased we anti
cipate that the work will go even fast
er in the next 80 days. Should it be
impossible for the grading outfits to
reach all of the districts this year,
the ones in which they have worked
this season will be the last ones to
be worked in next season.
Concerning the Red Trail and the
repair of it, desire to employ men
and teams to fix up the Red Trail all
the way thorugh, and it was my in
tention at that time, and | endeavored
inevery way possible, to place an out
fit on this road consisting Of about 80
head of horses, an elevating grader
and wagons, and make a complete and
thorough job all the way through, but
it was absolutely impossible to get an
outfit to do this work. | spent con-
siderable time and expense trying to
find an outfit of this Kind in the state
that would come in here and do this
work and do it fairly reasonably. The
best that could find was an outfit
that would come for $500 per day for
every pair of horses and man on the
job. / did not consider this would
be fair proposition to the county,
and so refused to accept it. We have
had about Is teams working on the
line and they are now at work, and
within the next 80 days l anticipate
that all the bad places will be filled
and the work in good shape. The con-
tract has been let to raise all the low
places two feet above extreme high
water this spring.
| also wish to say a word concern
ing the construction of the bridges
over Apple creek, for which the COM
missioners have been criticised. Three
years ago was directed by the board
to make arrangements, if possible, to
go around these creeks and save the
bridge construction, but l found that
in order to get right Of way it would
be a question of a long drawn out law
suit and the payment of a consider
Hhlp 1m011nf nf
cutting the land off from the water.
SO reported to the board, and the
board also took it up with the parties
owning the land, and arrived at the
conclusion that the only way to fix
this would be to build these bridges
These bridges will cost but very
little more than four steel bridges
would have cost, and from the stand
point of utility will be worth consider.
ably more than any steel bridge that
could ever be placed there, and we
are getting much better road on this
account. Furthermore, the advertis-
ing OF these bridges by the travelling
public will be Of great value to this
county.
IL anyone Will take the trouble to
drive out over the road between here
and the Fields farm, he will see that
we have there tn best road in Bur
leigh county, taking into considera-
ton the road as it originally was and
also taking into account the small
amount of money that has been spent
upon it. 1t is the intention of the
board to carry this construction over
the Red Trail and make as good a
road Throughout as is being made
here.
My business calls me over a large
part of the state, and I personally
Know that there is not county in
the state that is doing as much road
work for the money expended as Bur.
leigh is and doing it as well. and
while know it is an easy matter to
criticise, especially II one does not
fully understand the situation, as ]
have noted above, yet the county com.