The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-08-30
The North and South Highway as Seen
by A. H. Afford, Who Took An
other Route Back Home
Lewiston Tribune)

and other farm products is. of course
more immediate and more vital to the
state than anything else but that is a
national, or rather an International
problem and not one which the state
can control or even appreciably af-
feet. This highway which penetrates
and develops the state from north to
south is entirely "a domestic affair." for
which the citizenship is exclusively
responsible. 1t Will be carrying 10000
automobiles along It's route every
summer, with all that this means or
practically none at all. as is now the
case To every town and stopping
place between Lewiston and Weiser, a
distance of $50 miles the road is of
primary Importance; to the rest of the
state it is merely contributory
The north and south highway ex-
tends from the Canadian boundary to
the state line of Utah, distance
equivalent to that from New York city
TO Toledo, Ohio 1t is completed and
i'm excellent condition from the north
to Whiteblrd. on the main Salmon;
and from the south TO the head of
Round valley on the Little Salmon.
or the Intervening stretch along the
two rivers say 90 miles, a few miles
in spots, not consecutively. here and
there have been constructed leaving
perhaps 30 miles untouched, i'm the
same condition of mountain roadway
that it was when the route was
adopted and taken over by the state
few years ago This piece of primi-
tive road along steep, rocky bluffs
practically an the way is the obstruc-
ton and the problem, and not at all
the detours or the rough ends of con-
stuction of which complaint is made
This So miles-the figures are only an
estimate and may be greater or less
is filled with protruding houders
loose rock, ruts. sinks and hills with /
no turnouts and is most uncomfort- /
able travelling Ut might as well be |
said first as last that few care to I'M !
dertalle il who are ont for pleasant /
motoring and so the north and south |
highway is little patronized. The road I
this year is worse than last year he /
cause of the action of the elements /
and it will grow progressively worse /
each year, since it is given no repair I
or maintenance attention whatever.
unless and until remedial measures
are taken 1t is absolutely necessary
to understand this situation if it is to
be controlled and relieved
Expleation Of the Defect.
From Canada to the Utah line the
north and south road is as good
highway as there is i'm the northwest
but the whole of this great system is
paralyzed as a through route by that
S5 miles of dilapidated and difficult
mountain road. From Lewiston and
from points northward travel detours
10 some other route, and from Weiser
southwark it takes the old Oregon
rail. The loss to the state by reason
IF this uncompleted gap is ncalcula-
DE II is also unnecessary.
The state highway department APP
lears to make its plans and develop
is operations from am engineering
standpoint exclusively and without
eference to the social or human in
erests of the equation This is said
n excellent condition from the north q,
ntirely by way of afording "a prob
BILE explanation of the situation The j.
5-mile stretch is the hardest and
most expensive section of the whole
ystem and being i'm an isolated noun
pnous country where there is but
title population and scant taxable -
alues. has been left to the last The :.
or Improvement of the
Id road was no part of the depart
lents business. since il was being
bandoned for survey which con-
)rmed to standard gradients and
lignment But il seems not to have "
cen taken into consideration that I'M
'ss this connecting link was made "
sasonably passable. some $50 miles of -
ne system was taken out of main line "
'affic and the entire project dislocat- "
Z and made useless as an artery ~
Apparent Alternative Policy. =,
II. however, the matter can be de b
sloped rightly, there is no reason to m
)ubt that the highway department fl
ould be glad TO respond to any ade- ID
nate public expression which called U
III a reasonable improvement of the d,
'esent roadway i'm order that il in
light he used TO some purpose pend m
q the construction of tho permanent In
added. This completion is set at m
1t less than five years by respon-
BILE engineer of the department it, va
IT, at the present rate of construc- b,
IN. but based on the percentage of re
DIRK now done i'm comparison with dc
at remaining to be done. with the in
nited and uncertain funds available. su
e ocular evidence is that it win re- ed
ire very much longer than that TO its
lid a completed roadway according gi,
the present specifications. These di
ecifications must he complied with sv
order to procure federal and and CO..
r that reason an elaborate system of tn,
is in process which he col