The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-08-14
MIR. MOE TELLS
OF MOTOR TRIP

A feature of Washington state high
way development that interests A. ID.
Moe. back last week from an autom0-
bile tour to Dayton, Wash, is the trend
toward more permanent construction.
Il ind. says Mr.. Moe, ''that the
Walla Walla county court, working in
cooperation with the Washington State
Highway Commission. proposes future
road bases of solid concrete from SIX
inches al the edges to thickness of
six and half inches at the center.
The base is 10 be treated with sur
facing of asphalt. 1t is stated that
the constantly increasing weight of
motor trucks will break down the base
Of any lighter construction. The dis
tricts around Walla Walla have had ex-
perience with macadam, and il il is
already going to pieces. The new trend
will end macadam construction.
Mr.. Moe, accompanied by Mrs. Moe
and their son, Mark f. Moe Just back
from service overseas and daughter,
Miss Frances. journeyed to Dayton for
a visit with MIR. Noes brother, Harry
G. Moe.
Information at hand before start
ing, says Mr. Moe. indicated that
the roads of eastern Washington were
preferable to those of the Oregon side.
We would have crossed over from here
to White Salmon, but the ferry started
too late in the morning for our connec-
tions, and we JOurneyed over the Mo-
sier hill grade to The Dalles.
Indeed, we returned the same way,
for we heard that the road between
Lyle and White Salmon was full of
chuckholes, and the motorists have
their choice of rough dusty route or a
steep mountain road. Because of the
indefinite night service of the Hood
River-Whte Salmon ferry system, we
chose the hill route. The Dalles Grand
dallles ferry runs at any time day or
night, feature that is very convenient
for the transient motorist.
The distance between Hood River
and Datyon is about 260 miles. Mr..
Moe gives the following log of his
journey.
From Granddalles up over the hill
to Centerville is "a II mile climb. The
grade, however, is not steep, and the
road is good except for few rough
places. The distance from Granddales
to Goldendale is 80 miles. From Col
edndale to Bickleton, 3S miles, the go
ing is fairly good. No bad grade. The
worst feature is found climbing down
and up two.mile long canyon on about
a seven per cent grade. Near Bickle-
ton the maximum elevation of about
5000 feet is reached. From Bickle
ton to Mabton, 20 miles, the road grad
u1tIV dooanndo Tho pnlu oIlty bod
road of the journey is encountered for
about 10 miles between these two
places. For five miles the route is al
most impossible because of chuckholes
and dust-tilled ruts foot deep. The
only thing to do is to drop to low gear
and crawl along. Several steep pitches
encountered aggravate the trouble.
The old bugbear known as Mabton hill,
| formerly encountered here, has been
eliminated by a new grade of from five
to seven per cent, comfortably wide,
laid out by the state.
AT Mabton we struck the Yellow.
stone trail. connecting Walla Walla
with Seattle, by way of the Yakima
Valley. This road is in good condition.
1t has been graveled. and provides for
ldot tidNcilIls VIC of uilito uiStdIlCt W
kennewick.
From kennewick to Wallula one
has the choice of two routes. He may
go to Hover, fourteen miles down the
Columbia, or ferry across to Pasco and
then ferry across the Snake. four miles
below. The road down to Hover on
the west side is good, but it is very
sandy on the opposite side. Motorists
making the journey, however, should
ascertain, by telephone before leaving
kennewick if the Hover ferry is run
ming. A heavy wind nterferes with
its operation, while the kennewick.
Pasco ferry and that across the Snake
river operate at all times.
The distance from kennewick to
Wallula is II miles That from Wallu.
la to WalIa Walla, 80. Between the
two last named points, except where
two miles are under construction the
going is good. About 10 miles out
from Walla Walla one is pleasantly
greeted by pavement. The distance
from Walla Walla to Dayton is 81
miles. 1t is on this route that one finds
why the state and county road building
authorities are advocating concrete
bases. A stretch of macadam built
three years ago is going to pieces. The
first tour or five miles is full of holes.
The rest of the way to Dayton. while
holding up better, is soon going to be
in very bad shape"
Mr.. Moe says that he was told while
at Kennewick that parties of Washing
ton State Highway engineers had been
trying to locate an extension of the
Evergreen Highway, to extend at a
low altitude the entire distance from
White Salmon, Wash, up the big bend
to kennewick. Many obstacles from
sand deposits and the contour of the
country are encountered, but officials
are hoping to locate the route that way
in order to avoid the high attitudes
necessitated in crossing the ridge along
the river. The river route will be
open the year around, while the inter
ior road would be blocked by SHOWS in
winter"
"The eastern Washington grain belt
are very prosperous" says Mr. Moe.
"The harvest is on, and wheat ranch.
ers expect handsome returns. LABOR
is high, wages ranging from S. to
! $3.50 per day. While we were at Day
ton we saw kiddie, they said he was
II years old. drive up in a big wheat
wagon. He had to stand on a box. and
then his chin just came over the edge
of the wheat rack, but he was handling
a four horse team like veteran
They told US he was drawing 81. 50 per
day. The Yakima Valley orchards in
the Mabton and Prosser sections
seemed loaded with fine fruit, as are
the orchards of the Walla Walla dis
trict. "