The Delta independent., 1919-10-24


pires and have outlasted dynasttes.
The changes wrought by the Great
War have left these mounds and
ridges untouched. They grow more
distinct and prominent from year to
year and from age to age. When the
sands of the Sahara have entirely
effaced the hieroglyphics from the
obelisks of Cleopatra and the remain
ing features from the Egyptian sphinx
these mounds and ridges will still
steadfastly proclaim to future genera
tions that not all the works Of man
are doomed to perish-that permar
nence, though difficult, is possible.
Some distance west of these histor-
ic mounds and ridges the road turns
to the south and continues roughly to
the point at which it turns again to the
west.
1t is. perhaps, misuse Of language
to speak of the point at which the
road turns again to the west" for at
the point at which 1t is supposed to
turn to the west there is no road. 1t
is the right-of-way that turns to the
west No road was ever built here,
and the primeval gullies. stream beds,
and canyons crossed by the right-of-
way can still be studied and admired
in all their pristine sublimity.
Further to the west the road de-
scends a hill of shale. 1t is record
ed that this was once a perfectly
good hill. but it is now only too pain
fully obvious that under the long sus-
tanned insults of Ford cars and mule
teams this hill has lost much of its
historic excellence. That side OF it
on which the road descends is SCARED
by deep gullies and great holes de-
ceptively filled with dust and is 9TH
erwise rapidly falling into ruins. A
better hill could now be found almost
anywhere.
From the bottom of this hill through
the ad obe hills, across the Buttermilk.
and up the first ascent on the other
side. the road. despite its eternal
wheel ruts, is better, when it is not
wet, than it is in almost any other
part OF its course. For those who
have travelled 1t when it is wet no
description is necessary. and for those
who have not so travelled 1t no de-
scription is possible.
Presently it begins its last winding
ascent along the side of a mesa. Hav-
ing twice nearly reached the top it
playfully descends nearly to the bot
tom-much as a young calf that you
have got nearly out of the alfalfa sud
denly sticks its tail into the air and
breaks away to the farthermost cor
ner of the field. Its purpose is evil
IDENTIFY to remind you that life is more
or less of joke and is not to be taken
too seriously even when your horses
are exhausted and you are in hurry
to get home.
This hillside road is fully four feet
wide at its widest part. After the first
autumnal snowflakes float gently
downward 10 the waiting earth all the
snow in the countryside collects on
this narrow trail, and by virtue of
four feet of solid snow it is closed to
traffic till the following summer. Its
curves. both horizontal and vertical.
are numerous and sharp. At each of
its sharp horizontal curves it is built
with a pronounced and carefully de-
signed outward slant that is well
adapted to purposes of suicide but TO
no other useful purpose that is con-
ceivable. Finally it makes one swift
steep. ugly curve with a nasty out
ward slant and reaches the top of the
mesa with the air of saying. I've done
my damdest Now, what are you GO
ing to do about it?''
This is typical Delta County road.
That II is less bad at the present mo-
ment than it has previously been for
years is an exceptional and accidental
circumstance that but emphasizes its
habitual badness. In its description
there may be a slight exaggeration
OF the facts, but there is no exagger-
alton of the emotion with which one
regards these facts. However. my
purpose is not censure but portrayal.
We have an unlovely habit of
always wanting to blame some one
for the ills that afflict us and Of try
ing less earnestly to cure the ills than
to punish the culprit. Usually we To-
cate the authors OF our misfortunes
in Chicago. Washington, New York.
or some other large and distant city,
and preferably in Wall Street.
think % Wall Street is the place most
favored with infamy.
Well, % Wall Street has never done
anything to Delta County roads. Nine
tenths Of all our hardships and misfor'
tunes are due to our bad roads. and
no one in any great and distant city
or anywhere else outside of Delta
County is In any degree responsible
for the badness of these roads. We can
not evade our responsibility even by
making scapegoat of the county com
missioner. Even IL all our commiss-
toner's were expert road engineers
fhny could do nothing for ns In the