Imperial Valley press., 1923-02-16
THE SANDHTLL ROAD

over the sandhn road last Tuesday He went
over the same road ten years and his recollection
back to the beginning of the agitation for the OPP
ening up of this route across the continent
In the beginning there not large company
daring to stand up and vouch for this road Ed Boyd
Ernest Edwards, Lin Shaw Phil Brooks,-yes, Newt
Gray even though may not endorse all that he has
done-these with Ed Fletcher and you have about the
entire personnel the skrsh line that went forward
in the for the prize of the sandhill road. They
jeered and ridicued; tey made the targets
of all manner of abuse because, it has developed,
they had vision which the rest of were not able
to see.
While few of the company who rode over that
road to Yuma Tuesday can be said really to have
joyed the afternoon believe that there not
who did not in this road the solution of the ayear
transcontinenta route The route is thoroughly prac-
teal The objections which have been alleged against
it are not true. Mountains of sand do not
top of it. The sandhills very little. Recent
comparisons with the authentic data of old surveys
prove that the hills have moved little in half
century. The device of plank road, which, by the
way, little short of inspiration, furnishes ample
adjustment to all possible variations in grade topo
graphy Across the hills themselves the plank road is
perhaps the solution. 1t has been demonstrated al
ready that plank road will last for years. Had the
panks been treated and the road laid with the under
standing that experience has brought the road might
have lasted fully long any concrete road laid
cording to the practice of the past.
The approaches to the hills on the east and on the
west should be paved and that promptly. In spite of
all difficulties and every encouragement there is ire
mendous traffic the sandill road every day. This
because of the pressure of logic and necessity Trans
continental roads converge Yuma and the sandhil
road is the way into California California" is magic
word Where are you gong?' one of our party asked
child trudging along beside an outfit resembling
nothing much the lunch cart of childhood
day. California" the reply Nothing more defn-
lite than that; their whole life purpose centering
around the fact that they their way Gal
ifornia"
Several Of the cars drove the plank road at
forty fifty miles hour. That stretch Of road is
solved for time at least This side of the hghline
canal the valley roads make traffic endurable until
something better can be provided East of the hghline
is nine miles OF paving done under state appropra-
tons. The Bea appropriation will carry the road to
the sandhills The government has provided for paw
ing across the Indian reservation and Assemblyman
Davis bill will connect the sandhs with the Indian
reservation whereupon the sandhl road will be cap
able of being travelled with reasonable comfort There
after improvements will unfold and to pass
under the normal pressure of public opinion in the
way that the road westward from Ell Centre has
been put on the map. The sandhill road is coming
about because it was logical 1t had to be because it
the right answer. All honor to Ed Fletcher and
the others who had vision enough to it in the begin
ming.
Now, as practical hard-headed Yankee of the
old time instincts of thrift and efficiency, Assembly
man Davis sees that the proposed nine foot link be-
tween the present paving and the sandhlls should be
full width This road is destined to be as much travel
ed as many of the roads within the state and
than vast number of them which under the program
of former commissions lead nowhere in particular The
road ought to be full width because full width road
will be demanded Immediately as soon the road is
really opened Mr.. Davis would build full width NOW
because it is economy to do His bill provides for
ID Todu IL Is enough. 1T SnOulQ De lS feet
wide because Is feet is bastard width and would lead
to confusion and accidents 1t scarcely enough to
pass on and those accustomed to gauge distances by
the Is foot standard would almost certainly run into
the passing car off the paving on the other side
The sensible thing is to realize that the sandhi
road to be the main travelled gateway to the state and
provide for it adequately while the work is being DONE
Let US make amends for failure to see when the
thing first pointed out and do the wise thing
at this time by carrying to completion in practical
way the thing which has been demonstrated to our
reluctant understanding