Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-09-07
HIGHWAY COM
MISSION HERE
Visits Prairies to Look Over
Two Proposed Routes--May
Soon Decide on Location
Engineer Soon Busy.

Inc members or the state high
way commission spent a couple
of days on the prairie the first of
the week acquainting themselves
with the advantages and disad-
vantages of the two proposed
routes for the north and south
highway across the prairie and
as a result of their visit word will
no doubt soon be issued from
Boise announcing the selection of
a route and directing final sur
vey to be made of the route Sc
lected. The members of the
commission visiting here were E.
A. Van Sicklen of Weiser and w.
A. Brodhead of Mackey. The
gentlemen were accompanied by
their wives on the trip north and
had spent several days in the
northern part of the state look
ing over highway matters there.
On reaching Lewiston the ladies'
decided to return home by train
and the gentlemen drove on up
to the prairie Sunday. They
were met at lilo by a delegation
from this place and escorted to
Grangeville. The next morning
they started north over the fly
line survey to Nezperce, accom-
panied by large delegation of
citizens from that place, and
spent some time in that town,
later going on to Winchester. In
the late afternoon they returned
to lilo and viewed the proposed
Ferdinand-Ilo crossing and then
drove to this place where they
were the guests of the local COM
mercial club at a dinner prepared
for the occasion. Late in the
evening they returned again to
Grangeville and on Tuesday
morning started up the Salmon
river valley over the route of the
proposed highway toward Mead
ows and home.
While in the city Monday even
ing both gentlemen expressed
great surprise at the richness of
this northern part of Idaho, much
of which they had never seen be-
fore, and spoke of the great ben
efts to be derived through the
construction of the north and
south highway and other branch
roads which are bound to follow
the construction of the trunk
lines throughout the state. In
speaking of the selection of a
route across the prairie they said
local questions would not enter
into their deliberations but that
the best advantages Of the state
as a whole would largely influ-
ence their final decision, which
would not be biased by friend
ship, prejudice nor politics.
The members of the commits
sion were accompanied on their
tour Of the two prairies by State
Senator Pettibone and Represen-
tative Hussman, both of whom
did yeoman service in the legisla-
ture last winter in securing the
passage of the million dollar
highway bill and particularly in
securing a large portion of the
funds available through passage
of the bill for the north and south
highway.
While it is impossible to predict
just what decision the commits
sion may finally reach in select
ing a route, local people feel rea-
sonably sure that when the ad-
vantages of the route through
Cottonwood, Ferdinand and lilo
are given full consideration and
the reduction of mileage, lower
cost of construction and greater
number of towns and population
to be served are weighed in the
balance the final decision of the
commission will favor this route.