The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-01-25
SMITH DISCUSSES
ROAD CONSTRUCTION

20 Oeyono the Doroer ifne OF autnehti
Gated history with this very important
subject.
Just to show come of our readers how
far the science of roadbuliding Roes
back | will state q few facts which are
recorded to Us by the different histori.
ans. Herodotus speaks OF a great
Egyptian road on which King Cheops
employed 100, 600 men constantly for II
years. The streets of Babylon are said
to have been paved 1000 B. C. Chinese
built bridges as public works 300 years
before Christ. The ancient Peruvians
had q wonderful system Of highways
connecting all the principal parts OF
their empire.
Some time ago my friend Scott, sec.
retary of the Commercial club. stated
that made tho statement that the
East Side road was as good as the West
Side road. which had built a year be-
fore, and that he wanted me to 20 over
the road and the make report of what
! thought Of il now.
Very recently | had occasion to have
quite long talk on the subject of
roads with DR.. Thrane, of the East
Side. He asked me personally il
would not write an article on roads.
and he thought | might be able to clear
the minds of some of the people on the
East Side in regard to some local road
conditions. ! promised him that l
would try TO write something on this
line. so If ! happen to bore you too
much, my dear reader, 20 a cunning
for the Doctors scalp.
| Now, ! will state my position as to
the East Side gravel top which was
built on the old East Side macadam.
At the time was over the East Side
road the gravel had been placed on the
road just little ways past the gate
OF j. l.. Carter's place. walked that
morning over to some distance south Of
the old East Side gravel pit. There
met Mr.. Parmalee and returned back
to where Mr.. Stanton was at work with
the grader down near the spring.
Now. from the best information that
can get without having been on the
ground, is that the part of the road
that is complained about the most is
the last half mile which was built.
Now, ] am not at all surprised about
that last piece of road getting bad. and
there is certainly just cause that il is
bad. First, it was built as an expedi.
ent to partially mitigate an unusually
bad piece of old macadam.
II was built so late in the season that
the rain and heavy traffic came simul.
taneously. without any sunshine to
harden and solidify the gravel. Also
the road has too much shade. 1t is cut
of from the prevailing winds, which
are of very material benefit to all
gravel roads, especially in the first
stages of completion. The grade is en-.
tirely too steep at this point. Il is my
judgment that gravel road is not
success on grade that is very long
and is over six per cent.
|. | doubt very much il the supervisor,
Mr.. Stanton, had extra material to
keep all the depressions filled up as
soon as they began to develop. This
is very vital thing for the success of
a gravel road.
Now, as to roads in general in the
United States. There are very near
1900. 600 miles of common dirt roads
and less that 400, 600 miles of rock and
hard surfaced roads. so we can readily
see that 1t will be quite while before
the country roads of America will have
even q gravel top on them.
In all due fairness to our local home
road question, ! am OF the opinion that
we have some able men who have seen
roads in the different parts of the
United States. and some have visited
foreign countries and have seen the
roads there. many of which are master.
pieces of broad construction.
We all know that to criticise is one
Of the strong prerogatives of American
citizenship. Now. OF course, every
public servant in this county connected
in any way with our county roads Ger.
tainly gets his full allowance of criti-
cism. maintain that much of this
public criticism is unwarranted if the
facts In the case we're taken into. con-
sideration. For instance, have often
heard some of our prominent critics
make the statement that the money for |
road building had all been entirely |
wasted. Now, In light of the facts.
these over jealous critics are giving !
vent to some vindictive spirit of which |
maintain to be unjust and unwise. and |
not founded on tangible evidence.
Many of our county gravel roads have
been highly praised by men who knew
q good road and they were unprejudiced
JUDGES. Tor they we're non-residenters
OF the county. For instance. the criti-
cism OF the macadam roads of this
county has been very adverse. Our
county court built this road with good
material. They had an expert to build
It. Mr.. Faulkner was and is a road
builder of unquestionable ability.
Our county court was handicapped at
The time for lack of funds, and on top
,f that Judge Derby and the commits
'loners were very severely handled at
The time by some of our ever ready
critics. They complained loud and
ong, and would have stopped the entire
'osd work if some of these jealous citi.
.ens could have bad their own way.
Now let US be fair with our first
'ourt, who we're willing to become pio.
leers in the line of road work in this
ounty. First. they were working un.
Ter high pressure Of pub lie opionion,
which was divided. They did not have
he time or the money to outlay in the
Dad construction necessary to obtain
he best results. They had to buy a
arge amount of road machinery, such
quipment that was necessary. as steam
oller. rock crusher, sprinkling tanks,
u tanks and many other accessories
bat 60 with road building. |:
The .waterbound macsdam was the
DAD then that was being built by other
ections of the country. and up TO this
ime this kind of road had filed all the
equirements. But just at this stage
be automobile enters into the road
uestion, ard we in Hood River have
My had the same experience as others
'ho built water bound macadam roads.
hey were soon ruined by new traffic
Next week. IL the readers and the .
ditors are willing, ] will be pleased to
o farther into the local construction on
he West Side in regards to method,
iaterial and cost per mile.
Roy d. Smith.