Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-30
STATE ROAD EXPERT
.LAUDS Ia SALE CO.
TRAILS AND SCENERY
EARL B. SEARCY ENTHUSIASTIC
IN PRAISE OF STATE PARK
WRITES FREE TRApER.JoURNAL
OF VISIT HERE.
BY EARL B. SEARCY.


La Sale countys Indian history and
her spots rich in natural scenic beau.
ty, make the county one which every
citizen of this state should visit in his
worthy ambition to See Illinois
First
The writer is concerned chiefly in
roads, and little later will endeavor
to set forth some facts worth notice
but, 1t is impossible to treat La Sales
wonderful resources merely in a pass
ing way.
I'm not technical writer on roads
| don't pretend to be. I'm rather the
layman. Mr. average reader, who
knows good road when he drives
over it; and who has, probably, fair
ly intelligent idea of the road needs
of an interesting community once he
traverses its highways. The point is,
I'm not attempting. because of any
publicity connections. to say to peo-
pie who know their county thousand
times better than ever could, to do"
or don't do" things.
had the opportunity to visit La
Sale county again two weeks ago,
however. and made the best of It.
In some of the road building in the
last two~years, bad luck has crept in,
and in consequence, there are critics.
Many OF them are as honest as can
be In their opinions. Despite its hand
leaps, however, the county has made
good showing In roads.
Since 1913, La Sale county has had
allotted to 1t as the county share CT
the state aid fund.- the sum of $94, 1898.
The county, of course, has come across
with an equivalent amount, making
the grand total of $1S9,S76 OF this
last named amount. $l65,31963 had
been expended up to July 5th last.
might remark here that the allot-
ments for 1917 and 1918 have not yet
| Deen announced.
State aid funds have been expend-
ed on nine separate sections in La
Sale county. A to 1, inclusive. Those
nlshed up to date are:
A, south of Utica 1000 feet of 49,.
foot brick; B, north of Ottawa, 1900
feet of ten-foot brick; G, southeast of
a SalIo r nm font ne 10 root ,o,,
crete; f. north of Streator, a mile of
l5foot brick; and |. southwest of OF
tawa, a mile of 15-foot concrete.
The jobs yet unfinished are:
ID, southwest of South Ottawa, 1000
feet of 1S-foot brick, better known as
Dimmick Hill; f, brick stretch south
of Seneca; G, water-bound macadam
road southeast of Earlvile; and II,
north of Lotsant, concrete road.
I and G are near completion.
La Sale county residents who have
studied into the road situation of late
know something of the financial i'll
luck which befel one of the cOntrac-
tors. The Utica road and the Dimmck
hill stretch. the latter of which has
progressed under especially distressful
circumstances, were left for compile
ton by succeeding contractors. Ex
cept for these two sections, it can
scarcely be truthfullly said that
troubles which have arisen in connec
tion with road work have been any
more numerous in La Sale county
than elsewhere in the state. There
are always those whose ideas are mod
flied as a given work Is commenced
and whose suggested changes, as re
. suit bring confusion 1t isn't a sigr
ness, you might say, of the road
building game
Dimmick hill | visited That roa(
stretch-hill stretch rather--will b'
an engineering and construction fea
worth going miles to see, once 1t Il
, complete. And the Public Service
Construction Company expects t,
have it done by the middle of Aug
y ust, or little later.
Convict labor was first employed ol
Dimmck hill Five thousand dollar
were spent, and the grade was still
nearly l6 per cent. In 1915, the stat
highway department took over the jot
The department figured that 70 pc
cent grade was the least to which III
u roadway might be reduced, but cit
l. zens objected, All right" tho d'
I partment said, in substance, "f.' It Tn
0 way you want II, and VET meet yo
Q half way" Which resulted in a
n agreement upon 2 per cent grade
o and that's what Is being built thei
K now. That was In the fall of 19i
3. soon after the state had taken ovt
1t the work contract was let for 81
Yya.