The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-10-21
HIGHWAY WILL Be GRAV-
ELED COURT ASSURED
Commissioner Il. Il. KiddIe Goes Over
situation with Judge Campbell
Makes Trips Over Various Roads In
County. --..

toHlihlssloHeI II. L. hiuuie VI NV
state Highway Commission was a Wis
itor in Morrow county the fore part Of
the week. leaving for other points on
Wednesday morning. Arriving in Nor
row county on Sunday evening, after
being met at Arlington by Judge Camp
bell and riding over the Willow creek
highway on the way up as far as lone,
when 1t became dark. he continued the
trip on up to Heppner the next day,
taking In every part of the work COW
cred by the Huber contract Mr.. Kiddle
also took time to go over the road from
Heppner out to Hardman. and Of this
he made careful observation, and upon
returning to Heppner Tuesday evening
n meeting was held with the County
Judge and two Of the highway engin-
GERS, Messrs. Vlnton and Baldock. who
were called upon to furnish some esti-
mates.
Some time ago the entire county
court, together with the district attor.
ney and other citizens of Morrow coun-
ty, met with the Highway Commission
in Portland and took up the matter OF
getting the surface of the Willow creek
highway surfaced so far as II will be
finished, and the results Of this meeting
were far from satisfactory, the court
returning home very much downcast.
While they did not get cold-hlooded
turn down, II was very evident that the
commission would do nothing. and II
appeared that the money and work thus
far spent on this Willow creek road
would be simply wasted and both the
court and the taxpayers were facing
gloomy future regarding the problem
OF saving the grade.
The visit OF Mr.. Kiddle here at this
time was for the purpose OF fully in
forming himself as TO the exact condi-
tions, The problem OF Morrow county
not being the only one the commission
Is up against the commissioner Is go
ing over roads in which the state Is in
terested In various other portions of the
Eastern Oregon country He will now
return TO the regular meetings Of the
commission prepared to give that body
some information of very practical
nature gathered up on this trip and by
coming in personal contact with the
situation as II exists in the various sec
tIons.
Judge Campbell is assured by Mr..
Kiddle that Morfrow county and the
Willow creek highway will now be
moved up to first plsce for considera
ton by the commission. Further than
this, 1t was agreed at the meeting on
Tuesday evening, after getting the es-
Inmates on what II would cost to gravel
the road bed, that the state would pro-
ceed at once with the work Of gravel
ing an elght-foot track on the highway
and covering the twenty-five miles of
the Huber contract
1t should be understood that the spec
ihcations called for by the state require
that sixteen feet in width be graveled,
and the commission has UP until now
stuck strenuously to these specifca-
tions. regardless Of the fact that Judge
Campbell contended right from the be-
ginning that eight feet would be suf
ficient, and that the grading should be
done on this basis; and had this plan
been adopted there would have been
plenty of money to complete the work
right up to Heppner and beyond to But
ter creek, and then some to spare. Since
going over the situation here, Commits
soner Kiddle at once recommended that
the gravelling be done on this basis. In
fact II has been a policy OF his to get
the commission to see that an eight
foot road in the most of these smaller
counties where the traffic Is compara-
lively light, is entirely sufficient, keep
ing in mind all the while that proper
space is prepared on all curves, and he
feels that he is bringing the other
commissioners to his way Of thinking
1t Is estimated that it will require
some $4,000 to do this graveling, and
Ms there was no provision in the con-
tract for putting in the necessary
bridges this item will doubtless be han
died by the state now that the expense
Of the gravelIng is cut in half
Some other good suggestions were
made by Mr.. Kiddle and these will be
adopted by the County Court in dealing
with other problems they have to con-
slider. On the Heppner- llardman road
Mr.. kiddle would recommend no par
ticular changes in the route as 1t now
stands as he cannot see where the new
survey Is an Improvement over the old
end 1t will require lot of money to
place the road on that line. He there
fore recommends that available funds
be spent In making necessary improve
ments on some of the road bed between
Heppner and Hardman, rather than
the far greater expense of getting on to
the new survey and yet not having any.
thing better when the work is done, by
observations taken with the aneroid,
Mr.. Kiddle states that there is no grade
beween Heppner and Hardman that
now exceeds five per cent
The visit OF Mr.. Kiddle to Morrow
county has lifted big load from the
shoulders of County Judge Campbell
Court, and they now feel that there will
be something done to preserve the
grade on the Willow creek highway, MS
the commissioner left Heppner Tuesday
morning in company with the engineers
to make arrangements for getting at
the gravel pits and start the work OF
putting the rock on the grade. The en-
gineers claim have discovered two
pits of cement rock which they believe
have gravel In sufficient quantities to
do the work, and IL this proves to be
the case a covering has been found that
is practically as good as cement pave
ment.
It is gratifying to know that this
problem Is being solved so satisfactor-
lily to all parties concerned and may It