The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-02-15
Tate Developments Indicate
Activity Towards Final
Completion.
MAKE EALL-YEARROAD
George ". Ring Receives En-
couraging Advices from
Forestry Offices.

Tho building of an all-year-round-
.oad nm the South Fork Of the Clear
,,ater 70 Fix City and the great min
40 district contiguous thereto, for
naors has been a matter of deep inter-
ost to the citizens of Idaho county,
ana especially the eastern portion,
which is more directly affected. This
;ntarest has been intensified since the {
forast service three years ago entered
into cooperatiye work with Grangeville
and Idaho county on road from MT.
Idaho TO the South Fork where the
forast service bridge is located, thence
nm the river to Elk City. Many of the
citizens however, felt much discour- !
aged and decidedly inclined to criti-
else. when the work which had been
begun under such promising conditions,
was suspended and month after month
passed without renewal OF the same !
or any public explanation of why the
project had been abandoned after the
expenditure of several thousand dol
lars, or any statement Of the real sta
tus of the project.
AS Frank McGrane and G. A. Brans-
combe. the Globe editor, solicited the
S1.153.50 contributed by the liberal
citizens of the community to that pro-
iect. and with other citizens asked the
board of county commissioners to ap-
propriate an. additional $1,000, the
II Globe man felt that the public was en-
Il titled to some explanation OF the mat
ter and went to Forest Supervisor
4 George V. Ring with the request that
data be furnished for the enlighten-
"a q TO ,huf ha
done and what the department expect
ed to do, so far as such statement
could be made. Mr.. Ring promptly
81 took the matter up with the Missoula
office and in response to his request the
q following encouraging communication
was received sometime since. 1t reads !:
In the fall of 1913 an allotment
was made for starting the first section
of the proposed road extending from
"a Grangeville up the South Fork of the
Clearwater river to Elk City. At that
time the money for road construction
available to the forest service was
very small, being derived from the so
called 10 per cent fund, which amounts
to total of about $4,000 to $4,000
for the entire national forest area OF
northern Idaho. Also, the terms OF
the act of congress making the 10 pei
cent funds available required that all
such moneys be expended within the
boundaries of the national forests. Ii
view Of these conditions and because
Of the fact that only a small amount o1
cooperative funds could be raised il
Idaho county, the first location was
made with view of building a roat
on very low standards at the very leas
cost possible. Also, i'll order that tn
federal 10 per cent funds might be EN-
S. poyed on the work, the location wa
.# placed as far as possible within tn
boundaries Of the Nezperce natiOna
forest. In this connection, the repor
OF the district highway engineer. date
January II, 1914, states as follows:
The investigation of the most praC
ucaDie route was restricted to tn
country Immediately between tn
& bridge and Mt. Idaho. / think it quit
possible that route leading directl
from Mt Idaho with a constant minu
grade OF less than 4 per cent could /
constructed at a cost of not great
exceeding In average cost per mile til
one chosen, but this would be entirel
new construction and would involN
ABOUT II or IA miles at about $500
per mile. practically all outside Il
forest 1t Is obvious that the finan
iig OF such a proposition is at presel
impossible
Accordingly, therefore, since Il
auoptlon of the most favorable rou
was impracticable from a financi
standpoint, the line as located WI
auopted and construction was carri,
oh Tor several months In the spring
= tolal expense of $S21426 of whi
s-loY.oo represented cooperative fun
%ntrlbuted by Idaho county and /
si'lzehs OF Grangeville, while the b;
al'ce OF S606076 was expended frc
., ne FEDERAL 10 per cent read appropr
s'oh Due to lack of funds the ,vo
has not been continued. A detail
Sauon So,uon survey made In the fall
aolo determined that the cost of [
upietlon OF the road along this ros
sesoruing TO fairly good standards
a aaa as the South Fork bridge, wo,
cost about $4b,0t0.
by the federal road act appro,
lne president on July II, 1916,
olest service was furnished with
sUasce suus OF funds adequate to underts
nen ss road projects Of the extent
saa, aas up the Clearwater river ON la
n e ana adopt standards which v
moside roads of more substantial &
r,anahent r,a.ent design than were conts
eu Ia previous work. Also