The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1920-11-25
FROM BOISE TO
LEWISTON DIRECT
state Road Through Salmon Riv-
er Hills Be Open Next Sum-
mer.-Make Us One
State.

South highway, which will unit,
northern and southern Idah,
will be practically completed
This highway has long beel
awaited as a connecting link be
tween Lewiston and Boise, whicl
would enable travel by auto from
one city to the other with a sin
ole day. The present trip by raj
takes 26 hours and the traveller
passes thru Washington and Ore
ron in going from Lewiston II
Boise, a distance of 450 miles.
When the new North and Soutl
highway is surfaced and worr
down for a few months the can
yon Of the Salmon river, in tht
wilds of central Idaho, will echo
to an ever-increasing volume ot
automobile traffic. Shippers are
now figuring on the saving to bt
made by using trucks for freight
instead of making the long raj
haul through. Washington anc
Oregon, it is said.
Many years ago the pioneer
miners Of central Idaho made q
trail through the rugged interior
following the Little Salmon from
New Meadows down to Higgins
and the canyon Of the Big Salm-
on, and from there to Whitebird
From here the trail wound up the
precipitous Whitebird hill to the
open grain lands of Camas prai-
rie. The Salmon river country
was rough and uninviting, peo-
pied sparsely by cattle and sheep
men, who were satisfied to live
for from civilization. AS the years
went on and north Idaho contin-
hed to be isolated from the south
ern portion Of the state the big
project of opening up road thru
this wild central region began tC
take shape. For several years
sections of the long highway have
been under construction and now
comes the elimination Of the La
bors of the state highway engi-
neers and the construction com
panies engaged on the projects.
The Whitebird- -Grangeville link
Of the North and South highway
is % miles long and will cost two
hundred seventy-five thousand
dollars. The elevation at White
bird is 1400 feet and at the sum
nit of the 12-mile hill, above
'Whitebird, the elevation is 340C
feet, making rise of 1000 feet
in the 12-mile climb. The hill
road has a maximum grade Of 5
per cent. The construction com
pany which has the contract for
the White-bird- -Grangeville sec
tion began work in January
1919, and will complete this %
mile link next December, it is es-
timated. The work has been un-
der the immediate supervision OF
J. j. McCready, resident engineer
of the state highway department
who has been engaged on this
project for three years.
One of the most difficult piec-
es of road construction ever un-
dertaken in Idaho is the 6S-mile
stretch from Whitebird to New
Meadows. Twenty eight miles o1
this in under construction at pre-
sent at the cost Of seven hundred
fifty thousand dollars. The route
Is along the rocky canyon OF the
Big Salmon, from Whitebird to
higgins (32 miles) thence up tht
Little Salmon to New Meadows
l36 miles) Steam shoyels have
dug many miles Of the road out
Of the, steep rocky banks OF the
rivers. During the past few
months this highway has beer
closed to traffic and automobll
lists have been forced to go iron
Lewiston to South Idaho by way
Of Pendleton, Ore.
Highway Begins at Weiser.
The North and South highway
proper begins at Weiser, where
it connects with the Idaho Pa
cific highway, which runs thru
Boise toward the east. From
Weiser the highway goes NORTH
through Midvale, Cambridge
Council and New Meadows, the
latter point being about half way
between Boise and Lewiston. The
construction work has been be-
tween New Meadows and Grange,
vile. The grading of the rest o.
the highway from Grangeville to
Lewiston and from New Mead
ows to Boise will be started when
funds are available. This section
is said to be in fair condition
There will soon be an excellent
all-year highway over the entire
most Qy10