The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-11-08
Dere and Dhere
By Mrs. Byrd Trego


Anent all this fine talking about
good roads and some planning thai
Mr.. Parkinson and Mr.. Trego are 40
ing how would 1t be for woman tt
have her little speech set in type
also?
Since my first years in Blackfoot
I've wondered why the entire county
did not have good roads because a
result could seemingly be obtained
with so little effort. There are nc
rocks and boulders to be blasted, nc
big fills to be made ready mo dug
way to be built, no marches to cord
uroy, no hills to climb in the prip-
cipal thorofares, no sinks to take
loads and loads of material before
the first sign of improvement can be
seen day after; no treacherous
mountain streams to break thru each
spring when the freshet is on it's
roaring way. Really there isn't any
thing to prevent us having excellent
roads, but united effort and the
necessary push to reach conclusions.
The absence of an all year around
payroll will lend to road building
for it gives plenty of time after farm
work is over. We have many strong
men with husky teams that need to
be kept from rusting so much Of five
months as the weather will permit,
and that is considerable in our fine
climate.
Times without number during
each year do look at the hills east
of town and wonder what they con-
tain other than stock ranges and the
dry farms. l was born and spent
my girlhood among the hills and roll
ing lands of the Catskills and each
season there is deep longing to see
something like them. People come
here and tell me Of the beautiful can
yons and hills of Utah and l look
over toward our hills and wonder If
there is not just as much beauty
over there, so near home, If one
could only find some way to make
them accessible to the traveller, who
has reached the easy stage period
of life. Surely there are spring
posies, summer fullness and autumn
glory over in those beautiful hills.
Surely there are outing spots and
camping places galore If one wants
to remain a time. Surely the dis
lance is not forbidding for one to
go for a day or half that time.
People who own ranches and
ranges and dry farms up in those
hills say it is a wonderful country,
but difficult to reach for lack of
roads. OF course it woulud seem
sheer nonsense to the average tax
payer to ask for good roads to pro-
mote pleasure, but now that the dry
farms are being promoted, settle
ments and schools established and
an insistant demand from the peo-
pie for their rights as to roads and
other public improvements, why not
allow a little comfortable pleasure
to enhance the value of making the
hills easily accessible.
The county is becoming crowded
with automobiles and each owner
rides for pleasure quite often. Every
one of us hears cry the summer
thru that there is no place to go only
thru the dusty ways of everyday
business. I'm sure old King Autumn
was as lavish with his paint pot this
fall among the hills as with us be-
low, where he splashed his timely
tints of reds and yelloTs and browns
without economy, until one felt
thankful there was something not
needed at the front therefore to be
enjoyed without suggestion Of saw
ing. But only favored few were
permitted to see and know If this
extravange of dame nature, those
living there, having business that
necessitated the uncomfortable jour-
ney or the limited number of those
having large cars and with courage
to risk the trips.
So, may we not build good roads
over our long level stretches of easv
lanes, that only require surface work
with the plow and scraper, then a
top dressing of material we seem to
possess in rich supply in our own
back yard. Go. west to the desert
dry farmers, east to the hill dry
farmers, stockman and for pleasure,
south and north to places of bust
ness and beautiful homes.
/ think it was Holmes who said
this: ut is faith in something and
enthusiasm for something that makes