Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-01-11
Billings Side Of
Crossing Matter
Continue from Page one)

CONTINUE from Page One)
Mill hill. When the field engineer
was asked why he did not continue
the road in direct line passing be
tween the house and barn of Mr.
jackson and saving some 800 or 400
feet. he said It would hurt the place
This survey included a "cut" 60 feet
wide on top, "a feet on the bottom
and from ~ to 20 feet deep, and
about 1000 feet long. This "cut
was to come very near the residence
would have passed through some OF
my best land, spoiled valuable sui
phur spring, intcrfered with irrigat-
ing the land, hauling hay and going
to my sons place. The assistant en-
gineer and one or more high officials
looked me in the face and said 1t
would not hurt the place at al. Nat
urally, was not willing for the road
to go on that survey. First, the "cut"
would, in my opinion, have proven
"a death trap" to the public travel,
beside which the grade crossing was
safety" hundreds Of people, after
looking over the situation, said 1t
would not be nearly as safe; second,
the ground over which the road
would have passed would not have
made a good roadbed and lastly, on
account of the irreparablc damage it
would have done to the place.
After months of delay and consult
ing with the city council of Ashland
as to the best way of forcing the road
on this survey, someone thought it
might be a wise thing to ask the
Southern Pacific if they were willing
TO have the road go under their track.
Plans were submitted, and when it
was found that the new road would
have to pass under the track at an
angle of 23 degrees, requiring a very
costly bridge of at least 100 feet in
length, the company said mo, you
can not GO under our track except at
a right angle" So it was not Stub
bornness" on the part OF the writer
because he was not willing to let the
road go where It couldn't go.
After numerous consultations be-
tween the county court, city council
and engineers, including executive
sessions Of the city council, it was
decided hat the road could not be
forced under the track at the place
called for by the engineer.
In July, 1915, ! accidentally heard
that the county court and commit
tee from the city council were going
to discuss road matters at Jackson
vile on that day, so without intima-
tion or invitation my son, Ralph, and
] went to Jacksonville and stated to
the court that we had no desire to
prevent feasible, permanent road
through the two farms, believing that
The "Wright's creek route" passing
under the Southern Pacific tracks at
right angles, would not only be agree
able to the railroad people, but would
cost very much less, be on far bet
ter grade and on land suitable for a
roadbed. We we're asked to state in
writing what VIC would be willing to
do as to right of way, etc. After stat
ing to the court and the representa-
tives of the city council that If they
would take up this matter and push
II TO completion in the shortest pos
sible time, we made the following
proposition: We would give them a
60-foot right Of way through our
land lying north of the tracks on con-
dition that good and substantial
fence should be built, at the expense
of the county, on either side thereof.
This would take more and better