The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-04-18
ROAD ACROSS SUN NIT
CHANGE TO LOOKOUT
OTHERWISE FOURTH OF JULY
CANYON ROAD ADVANTAGES
WILL BE LOST.

canyon wagon road now seems as
sured. The state highway commits
sion, in session in Boise last week,
finally gave its approval to the pro-
ject, which means that $4,000 will be
forthcoming from the state road fund
to have been the result of an urgent
request, which might be construed as
an ultimatum, from the forest bureau
to the effect that IL the road was to
be built the funds Of the state should
be made available Immediately. 1t Is
understood that work will begin at
the earliest practical date. The fund
for construction purposes as it now
stands is made up Of $4,000 from the
federal government through the for
est service. $4,000 from the road
fund of the state of Idaho. $4,000
from Kootenai county and $4,000
from Shoshone county, the last sum
being an apportionment Of state funds
in favor Of this county, the right to
WHICH HAS UttIi WdiVcu Ioi Tie pun -
pose of having it used in the con-
struction of the Fourth of July can
yon road. In this connection it is pro-
per to note that the people Of Sho-
shone county. through voluntary in
dividual subscriptions, have contribut-
ed not Jess than $4,000 toward inn
proving this road. and it is largely
through the efforts of the Shoshone
County Good Roads association that
this fund is now provided which in
sures the immediate construction of a
new road upon specifications that will
make it a JOY instead of dread to
motorists.
Another Job for Shoshone County.
1t must not be presumed, however,
that the building of the Fourth of July
road will remove the last barrier from
the Yellowstone Trail across Idaho.
This large sum that is now available
was not designed to construct a local
highway connecting the mines with
Occur d'Alene City, although it will
serve most useful purpose In that
respect. 1t is for the purpose of MAX
ing serviceable what is destined to be
the most popular transcontinental
highway that this large sum has been
appropriated and 1t will absolutely
fail In that purpose unless Shoshone
county cooperates with Mineral coun-
ty, Montana, in changing the present
road to Lookout pass. The grade
across the summit as 1t now stands is
dangerous and the snow keeps the
road closed to traffic two months or
more longer than would be the case
at Lookout If this road is not chang
ed the building Of the Fourth of July
read will be absolutely useless so far
as through travel Is concerned. The
Miner has frequently pointed out the
necessity of action in this matter by
the county, and particularly since the
commissioners of Mineral county have
definitely located a new road from the
Montana side and have announced
their readiness to build it if the com
missioners on this side of the divide
will meet them on the summit. 1t
would require little more than two
miles of new road. while Mineral
county would have to build six or
seven miles.
What Good Roads Man Says.
piadal adstnr Of ha Mr,1Iau
progress, officer of the county Good
Roads association and most persist
ent worker for improved highways,
sees the folly of spending a large sum
in Fourth of July canyon without
changing the road on the summit.
Commenting on the appropriation for
the canyon road in the last issue of
his paper Mr. Riedel says.
This means that this very i'm
portant piece of highway, for
which a number of the strong
road boosters of the county have
been working for a number of
years, is about to be completed.
and will mean that the Yellow
stone Trail through the state of
Idaho will have one of the best
pieces of roadway along its entire
line to Seattle. 1t yet remains
for this county to complete the
short stretch connecting with the
Lookout road in Mineral county
to the east of us, giving the
transcontinental travel all Of two
months longer season. If this road
We're completed today autos from
the east and west would be going
through our state now, while un-
der the present conditions 1t will
be another month before the road
win be open east
But they are going to build It,"