The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1921-04-29
MOVEMENT FOR
BETTER ROADS
LAUNCHED
PLAN TO CONCRETE kINGSBURY
GRADE BEING ADVANCED LO-
CALLY AND ULTIMATE CONSUM.
NATION SEEMS VERY LIKELY

The board of county commissioners
had planned to hold special meeting
ting contract for completing the new
road that is to connect this part of the
valley with Kingsbury grade, and thus
shorten the distance between the two
points considerable. However, conn-
ty clerk Jepsen found in the advance
sheets of the laws passed by the re-
cent Nevada legislature that special
meetings of the board of county COM
missioners cannot be held, unless
resolution to that effect has been past
at the regular meeting. This had not
been done and the meeting was not
held. although while assembled the
board agreed to take up this matter at
their regular meeting on May 5, at
which time contract will un-
doubtedly be let for the completion of
this work.
There is a movement on foot for the
organization of what Is to be known
as the Douglas County Automobile As
oOCldtlOllt WnlCn Will hdfC iOI lio Dui
pose the betterment of road conditions
and the Improvement of highways
leading to outside points. Inasmuch
as the county commissioners have
practically agreed to complete the new
road across the valley, the bridges and
most of the grading having already
been done, large number of taxpay-
ers, who are extremely anxious to re-
move the barrier that retards auto
travel over the Kingsbury grade, the
shotest route to Lake Tahoe from the
eastern slope of the Sierras, are now
working on proposition to give finan-
cial assistance to the county commits
sioners in the Improvement of this i'm
portant highway. This week a con-
tractor was taken over the road and
he gave 1t as his opinion that concrete
could be used in building the noun
tain road cheaper than hauling other
material. His suggestion is to widen
the grade and build two cement strips
three feet wide and eight inches thick
for the entire five miles of the grade.
This would be used for automobiles
on the upward trip. while machines
coming down the grade would follow
the dirt road. By using the dirt road
on the downward journey, less break
ing would be necessary than on the
cement highway, and would not be as
hard on the drivers. The cost of
building the cement strips is now be-
ing worked out, and the contractor
has given it as his opinion that the
work can be done within the bounds of
reasonable expense.
Should such scheme prove practi-
cal, 1t would provide a road to Lake
Tahoe from this point unequalled by
any other route, and would greatly in
crease automobile travel through this
section, as we'll as being of great bene-
mt to the people of Carson Valley in
general
II is proposed to levy voluntary
assessment on all the car owners of
Douglas County, and this fund will be
turned over to the county commissions
ers to assist in the proposed highway
Improvement Many auto owners have
been approached on the subject dur
ing the past few days, and it is the
consensus of opinion that ninety per
cent of the automobile owners of this
county will be willing to contribute
to this cOmmendable undertaking at
the rate of $40 for small cars and $40
proposed improvement would make
possible the saving of that amount in
but few trips to the lake in gas and
rubber.
Thousands of automobiles passed
through Gardnerville and Minden last
summer. both towns being on the main
travelled road between Yosemite VAL
ley and Lake Tahoe. Night after night
the hotels of both towns were filled
with tourists, aud much money was
consequently left in this community.
An equal number of tourists travelling
between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, be-
cause of supposed poor road condi-
tions, were directed over what Is
known as the short cut, skirting the
upper end of the valley.
With the improvements as suggested
to Kingsbury grade, no type Of knock
ing will be able to overcome the ad-
vantages Of concrete highway and
the main travel will naturally follow
the best and shortest route. The bar
rier that now blocks a great deal of
travel from this route should be re-
moved. and the interest that is now
manifest among the citizens of this
community indicates that definite ac-
tion is to be taken at once.