The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1916-12-22
COMMITTEE APPOINTED
TO GO OVER ROAD
Captains Pearson, O'COnner and
Walsh appointed by Colonel
TO go over County roads

Colonel I. +. FaTnSWOrth, base
commander, has appointed com
mittee composed of Captain
Pearson, Captain O'Conner and
Captain Walsh, TO go over the
commissioning road for the
purpose Of estimating the prob
able damaged done to the high
way by reason of the road being
used by the heavy government
trucks.
The road board held a meeting
with the committee Tuesday
morning i'm the office of Captain
Pearson, and the matter was
gone into thoroughly. 1t was
learned that only the damages
done to the commissioning
road could be considered by this
committee, and any further
claims for damages will have to
be taken up with Colonel Glenn,
commanding the troops station
ed at Deming. As soon as the
proposition now undertaken is
disposed of, the board will take
up the matter with the Deming
commander.
The basis for the claim for
damages as presented to the mil
itary committee was the dam
age done by the heavy trucks,
the lighter travel not being con-
sidered. The road board esti-
mated that one-half of the wear
and tear Of the road was due to
the travel of the trucks, and the
other half due to the ordinary
travel and the lighter govern
ment vehicles. The commission
ers expressed their willingness
to go $3.50 with the military in
putting the road back into shape
ready for surfacing. They es-
timated that the grading cost
5000 per mile, and damages are
asked for As miles. or Si,500.00
and in addition the board is ask
ing that the military committee
recommend in their report an
additional appropriation to pay
one-half the expense of surfaC-
ing the road from here to Dem
ing, the commissioners agreeing
to appropriate a sufficient sum
from the bond issue to complete
the Job. They estimate that it
will cost $500 per mile to sur
face, and the route proposed to
surface is 33 miles in length. In
case the committee agreed to do
this an appropriation of Sl77OO
would be asked for The board
offers to keep up the necessary
repairs after the road is once
put in shape, and there will be
no further claims for damages
from the government on this
road. Part of the military COM
mittee will go over the road be-
fore making their recommends
tions.
The committee were asked by
the board that the funds be eX-
pended under the supervision of
a government engineer, though
II is not likely that the request
will be granted.
Mr.. Heath and Mr.. Sherman
represented the board at the
meeting, the other member, Mr..
Baker being absent. Mr. Sher-
man came done from Deming
early in the morning, accompan-
led by County Commissioner
Frank /. Nordhouse, County
. Clerk Charlie Hughes, J. G.
| Cooper of the Deming National
Bank, Condor Brown of the
Bank of Deming, and County
Representative s. j. Smith, and
Mr.. Heath was accompanied, by
| G. f.. Parks, of the Courier, and
all were present at the meeting
with the military committee.
There is do doubt whatever
but the committee will recon-
, mend damages and the same will
be approved and Luna County
will receive a nice sum to apply
, on the roads of the county, due
to the commendatory work of
, Charles Heath and Fred Sher-
man, the first road board the
county has ever had that really
tried to do things.
w. T. Dixon had his right
| thnn,h ulrnnef cmi off last Wnpk