The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-09-06
w. j. Hall Describes North and South
Highway and Construction Work
examples of highway development in
the west.
Road Through Hills Of Paouse
Country.


Road Through Hills Of Palouse
Country.
From the head of the Lewiston
grade. through Moscow, TO Viola, the
road traverses the characteristic rolling
country of the Palouse region. From
Viola through Potiatch, Harvard and
Princeton, to St Maries, is through
farm and forest and logged-off land,
which is rapidly being brought into a
state of high cultivation. Northerly
from St Maries the highway follows
the ST. Joe river to Mission point, the
highway embankment forming a dixie
which protects more than 1000 acres
from the overflow waters of the river.
From Mission Point to Harrison the
road vii be built over Harrison flats
and into Harrison, OF follow the foot
of the hill along the St. Joe river flats
and Occur dAlene lake into Harrison.
at which point it crosses the Occur
d'Alene river and follows the east shore
of Occur d'Alene lake and the north
shore of Wolf Lodge bay to a junction
with the Yellowstone trail. at the head
Of Wolf Lodge. The south shore Of
Wolf Lodge bay is then followed into
Occur d'Alene where the road turns
north and extends through Standpoint
and Bonners Ferry to the Canadian
line at Port Hill
at would have been impossible to
have financed the construction of those
portions of the highway already COM
pleted without federal aid. Some crit
icism of the federal and standards and
the cost of roads constructed on fed
eral standards have been made from
time to time In answer to these crit
icisms. it might be stated that with
out federal aid only a narrow and
much inferior road could have been
built and the cost thereof would have
been considerably in excess of so per-
cent of the cost of the present con-
struoted road. Therefore the federal
aid was of distinct advantage, because
il enabled the construction of more
mileage than could otherwise have been
built. and this mileage is much SUI
perior, both in gradient structures and
finish.
TT is unfortunate that additional
state funds could not have been made
available to cooperate with the fed
eral government in the construction of
the uncompleted twenty-three miles.
However. the plans for the improve
ment of the uncompleted portion,
which We're formulated in the spring
of 1928 and which will be put into effect
this fall will undoubtedly result in
placing this section of the highway in
such a condition as to make it through
out it's entire length not only reason
ably passable. but safe and comfort
able to travel. This statement how
ever is not intended to convey to the
public the idea that further construc-
ton work on this uncompleted section
shall be unnecessary. 1t shall be borne
in mind that funds for the completion
of the highway on proper standards
should be provided as soon as the
financial condition of the country per-
mits.
"The argument might he advanced
that the unconstructed portion could
have been Improved in the manner
at an earlier date, but
il is obvious that it would have been
inexpedient TO do this while there
remained any possibility of financing
permanent construction. because of the
waste of money which would have been
involved Work will be begun on the
improvements as soon as the
work now under way is somewhat
further advanced One of the reasons
why it was undesirable to start this
work Ia an earlier date was because
at no time has it been possible to oh
tain sufficient labor on the work now
under way. and the opening up of new
work would have accentuated the labor