The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-05-02
Echo Trail Improvement
Project Outlined by Pete
Much-Publicized Gravel Pit to
Furnish Material for Road
Rebuilding Job.

An outline of the work that the
district has planned for improving the
Echo trail. using the gravel from the
much publicized pit owned by the
Fourth district commissioner until il
was condemned and purchased by the
county, has been obtained from Com
missioner Jacob L. Pete.
After much publicity had been given
to the purchase by the county Of land
owned by a member Of the board,
County Attorney Thomas j. Naylor
came forward with a statement pub
hShed in Duluth newspapers outlining
the procedure involved, declaring that
the purchase was utirely legal and
justified, and in effect dspelled any
inference that the purchase had not
been proper.
About three-fourths Of a mile of the
Echo trail from its junction with the
Grant McAIahan boulevard on Lake
ShagaWa will be rebuilt, continuing a
project that was started several years
ago. Part Of the lower end of the
trail has already been improved. The
SomerO road into the east end of Burnt
side lake will be widened and a lift
placed on it.
Set for the near future is improving
the rest OF the Echo trail traversing
county land to the boundary line Of the
Superior National Forest at Everett
lake It is doubtful # funds will be
available fer this portion OF the work
until next year, Pete said.
u received CnIy half the regular
price paid by the county for gravel"
Pete said IN discussing the purchase
Ordinarily the county pays cents per
yard, but it has paid from 10 to IS
cents. On the basis OF an estimated
10000 cubic yards Of gravel in the pit
and the price of $1,000. the cwner re-
ceived % cents per yard.
Work slated for this yea Il the
Echo trail is estimated . require
$4,000 yards Of gravel, according to
figures compiled by the county highway
engineer. The nearest available source
CT gravel, not including the property
formerly owned by Pete, IS the city
owned pit near the cemetery. If the
city had granted the county permission
TO buy the gravel, it would have meant
an average haul Of seven miles. Haul
ing costs for the county per yard of
gravel would have averaged 10 cents al
the customary price OF 10 cents per
mile
The average haul from the pit the
county now owns is two miles, thereby
affecting saving of so cents per yard
of gravel in hauling charges alone.
In his statement Naylor said. IT adj
vised the board it could only condemn
the tract to effect this saving to the
county" State law prohibits any public
official from entering into contract
with a municipal corporation, he
pointed out, but it also permits NUM-
cipal corporation to secure private lands
that cannot be sold or have been re-
fused for sale to the county by in
stigating condemnation proceedings in
district court.
His statement continues, as contained
in the Duluth Herald:
Under date Of Oct "a. 1899, the
Board authorized me to start condem-
nation proceedings. On Nov. 20. 1889
MeSsrs. Herman T. Olson of Tower,
Martin Nelson and Henry TenTlunen Of
Virginia were appointed to appraise the
value Of this tract by Judge c. r.
Magney of our District Court. They
appraised the value of the tract to be
100000 These facts are of public
record and may be obtained from the
Office Of the Clerk of Court at Duluth
The engineering department Of St.
Louis County estimates that the tract
contains at least 10000 cubic yards Of
gravel
THE Board, upon these facts, voted
TO accept the value as fixed by the
appraisers"