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THE MORNING OREGO'IAN,J THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1920.
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ROAD CONSTRUCTION DESIGNED SOON TO PUT MT. HOOD ON TOURIST MAP;
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j Portion of Loop That Will Make Snow-Capped Peak Easily Accessible and Bring Many Wonderful Attractions Within Reach of World Visitors Now Being Constructed Will Open New Playgrounds
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By A, G. Jarkson. Feaaral foreat
Kxamlner.
HE construction of the 37 miles
of lilc-hwav between the nftrth
J- boundary of the Oregon nation
al forest, near Mount Hood lodge,
and around the east eide of the
mountain to Government camp on the
south, will do much to put Mount
Hood on the map and make it one of
the best known peaks in the country.
After this road Is finished, Frank
Branch Riley can truthfully eay no
more that the people east of the
Rockies never heard of Mount Hood.
This loop road, with its connection
with the Columbia river highway at
Hood River and an improved road
between Government camp and Port
land, will provide a loop trip from
Portland along the Columbia river
highway, with its matchless natural
Bcenery; through the wonderful or
chards and gardens of the Hood
River valley and on to the baee of
ice-crowned Hood. The loop then
skirts the east side of the mountain.
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along the east fork of Hood River,
through Bennett Pass, Into the White
river watershed, thence around the
south side of Hood to Government
camp and on westeward to the boun
dary of the national forest at Zig
zag ranger station.
One and one-half miles of the loop
road have been completed from Gov
ernment camp eastward, by the John
son Construction company of Port
land, under a contract let la Sep
tember. The work is being done un
der the direct supervision of the bu
reau of public roads. This is part of
the 14-mlle section between Zigzag
and a point two miles east of Gov
ernment camp. The contract price
for the 14 miles Is 1262,000. From
this point no contract -has yet been
let for the 23-mlle section around
to the north boundary of the forest,
near Mount Hood lodge. The esti
mate for the construction of this sec
tion at pre-war prices was $214,000.
Costs of labor and material have
raised so rapidly that the last estl-niiiiiiiiiiHiaiiftiMiwiHiiiuiHiiiiinuiiimiiiuiiiimiuHniiviHiiiuiiiMiiHiiiitiini
mate for this 23-mile section is $708,
000 more than three times the amount
of the pre-war estimate. Funds are
not available for construction at this
greatly increased cost, and the build
ing of this road will of ecesslty be
considerably delayed. V lie this de
lay is unfortunate, it dot, ' not mean
that construction will be- put off In
definitely, as co-operative plana be
tween the state highway commis
sion, the Mount Hood Loop" associa
tion, ami the forest serylce are 1
ready under way to finance the proj
ect. The delay will offer opportunity
for the development of facilities look
ing to the accommodation and com
fort of tourists in the region.
Development plans include 'the imp
provement of camping sites and rec
reation grounds, ,the building of ho
tels and shelters along the route to
accommodate the tens of thousand
stand out as a scenic route of com
pelling interest to recreation tour
ists, this is net the only feature
which will make it specially vain--:
able. From the standpoint of pro
tecting the forests from fire, it will
provide a route for the quick trans
portation of fire fighters and equip-
KounJfood, Fast em Oregon
Rhododendron summer colonies are
growing up along Still creek and
Zigzag river. Public camp grounds
ment to a large part of the Mount have been improved on the Zigzag.
Hood country. It will also be much lin( -ummer noma ..... surveyed
used by travelers - between central
Oregon and Portland, since its construction-
-will " provide a practical
reducing the
by the forest service have been rent
ed to citizens of Portland and other
nearby towns. At the Still creek
louio. cuMiuoram, rmn ern.mil. Si .lti hiv. been rent
travel distance between these regions ed maklng a total of 78 on-the two
of the state. areas.
The loop road wm open up and Substantial summer homes are
tna.lca a.vaila.ble to the nubile the mac- springing up, where the families of
nlficent natural playgrounds In the Permittees enjoy the wholesome out-
vicinity of Mount Hood. These have
already been safeguarded for the peo
ple's use by their inclusion in the
Oregon national forest. Because suit-
of tourists who will take advantage able roads are lacking they are used
of this unique trip as soon as the
road is open for travel.
While the Iood road is destined to
at present only to a limited degree.
moun
tains. The family breadwinner may
leave Portland at the week-end and
in two hours drive to the restful se
clusion of his summer retreat, to
spend Sunday with his family amid
the refreshing surroundings of woods
cooked over a camp fire and eaieu spots which are now closed to all but
from a rustic (Wble on the bank of a the hardy mountaineers. Instead of
singing Ktream. Whether in a sub- bringing rest and the joy of living
stantial cabin, in a tent or rolled in to a few dozen visitors each season,
your blankets out beneath the stars. Mount Hood will come into its own as
night time has a mystic charm never the summer playground for thousandd
felt in town. Sleep seems more satis- of recreation seekers, not alone from
factory when taken in a camp. In- "Portland and vicinity, but from all
stead .of the customary harsh jangle parts of the nation. The rugged health
of an insolent alarm clock rudely in- and strength which result from life
truding Itself upon the consciousness outdoors will send tourists back to
and interrupting your dreams, only their work with new ideals and a bet-
the sweet music of song birds and the ter love for country,
murmur of the stream Is necessary to The forest service is constructing a
call the camper from slumber to the road between Bear Springs and Clack-
enjoyment of the new day in the amas lake, to connect with the loop
The development of some of these and streams.
playgrounds has already begun. Near Food never tastes better than when
woods.
The loop road, 'with short lateral
connections leading into favored re
treats, will greatly stimulate outdoor
life in the Mount Hood region by giv
ing easy access to many charming
road at Cascade summit, to replace a
section of the Oak Grove road and
eventually become part of the Oregon
skyline system In this region. This
road has no more serious grades than
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those u.-.;a dn me Columbia river
highway; over most of the distance
grades are even less. Ranger Joe
Graham has already done consider
able work on the flackamas lake
Bear springs road. This will be con
tinued until the road is completed.
Other side roads connecting with
the Mount Hood loop will give ac
cess to Lost lake, Elk Meadows and
other regions about the mountain
where there are wonderful recreation
possibilities.
From all these roads, both those al
ready open and to be opened, as soon
as necessary funds are available,
splendid trails lead into numerous
beauty spots to make glad the hearts
of tourists who have learned the joy
of leaving the highways and hiking
into the more isolated parts of the
mountains.
MORE THAN $21 ,464,000. IN ROAD CONTRACTS IS STATE'S PROUD RECORD!
t Highway Commission Working on 4317 Miles of Hard Surface, Grading and Macadamizing Bridges Are. Big Feature Oregon's Scenic Wonders Being Made Accessible to Tourists. Automobile Big Factor I
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By John W. Kelly.
"Let the people who own automo
biles build the roads if they want
em."
Such was the attitude In Oregon to
ward the good roads movement. Then
the automobile owners took the peo
ple at their word, obligated them
selves to pay principal and interest
on $16,000,000 of bonds for road work;
agreed to a special tax on every gal
Ion of gasoline consumed and saw
their license fee double and triple.
To date after 30 months $21,464.
613 has been contracted for " state
highway work, which Includes, also,
forest and post road projects. Ore
gon is being pulled out of the mud
by the automobile owner. The fever
to build good roads has permeated
almost every section; counties have
bonded themselves to the-limit; dis
tricts have gone the limit; there
will be approximately $2,000,000 spent
In 1920 and each subsequent year for
the exclusive purpose of- building
market roads for farmers.
On the state highway map there are
4317 miles which the state commis
sion is pegging away at, grading, ma
cadamizing, hard surfacing, provid
ing with substantial bridges, driving
tunnels, constructing overhead and
underground grade crossings. Then
there are the various county road sys
tems and no one knows what their
total mileage is; each county is hur
riedly building and Improving its
roads to connect with the state sys
tem. The scheme of financing is simple.
Only a limited amount of road work
could be performed annually from
the current automobile licenses, so
someone had an inspiration. Why not
issue enough bonds to build many
miles of road right now, and then re
tire the bonds and pay the interest
out of the license money? All that
was necessary was to work out a table
showing probable increase of licensed
cars over a given period of years and
the license necessary to meet lnter-
- est and principal, and the trick was
done. The entire burden was sad
dled on the automobile owner, and
he was content, for with good roads
he could travel more with his car,
reach far places, get more mileage
from his tires and gasoline and less
wear and tear on the machine.
Large Mileage Contracted.
Since the first road contract under
the new dispensation was let. June
30, 1917. there have been contracts for
more than 855 miles of work, by the
state highway commission. When
projecting a road, the first consider
ation given by the commission is the
element of safety, then the grade.
Death-trap crossings with a long list
of tragedies, have been eliminated on
the Pacific highway. And the rail
road companies figure it is better to
share the cost of an overhead cross
ing than to pay damages for loss of
lives.
Primarily, these state roads will not
only develop Oregon commercially, but
they will also attract the tourist.
The tourist crop began appearing last
summer despite the difficulties of
travel owing to highway construction
work, and it will increase with the
succeeding years. The good roads
and the automobiles have already
made fishing and hunting bard work,
because a fisherman can reach what
was formerly a remote stream in a
couple of hours.
While Oregon talked good roads and
spent money unscientifically, it was
not until 1917. when the legislature
enacted a statute creating a state
highway commission, to be appointed
by the governor, that Oregon began
to have a genuine road programme.
Before the bill creating the present
commission was adopted, the high
way commission consisted of the gov
ernor, secretary - of state and state
treasurer, and these officers were on
so many other state boards that they
could not give more than passing at
tention to roads. In fact, the three
officials were not unanimous on any
road policy, and on the part of one or
two there was an inclination to make
the smallest possible levy Yor state
road purposes, while the-Idea of a
bond issue was unheard of.
It wus the Columbia river highway,
the original section built and paid for
by Multnomah county, that gave the
Impetus for a sane and practical road
programme for the entire state. It was
the highway which brought about the
introduction of the act to. create the
present commission.
Approval of the act creating the
commission was given February 19,
1917, and on March 1. Governor Withy
combe appointed S. Benson of Port
land, W. L. Thompson of Pendleton
and E. J. Adams of Eugene as com
missioners. A month later Herbert
Nunn was selected by the commission
as state highway engineer and the
foundation was laid for the present
extensive -organization. Mr. Adams,
who was appointed for a one-year
term, was succeeded on the commis
sion in April, 1918, by R. A. Booth of
Eugene. Mr. Thompson moved to
Portland in October. 1919, thereby for
feiting his residence In Pendleton, so
J. N. Burgess of Pendleton was ap
pointed as his successor. . Mr. Burgess
had not been in office a month when
he was killed by a bandit and E. E.
Kiddle of La Grande was named on
the commission.
Financing Is Problem.
Financing road work, after the bill
creating the commission was enacted,
was a problem. It was not until the
closing hours of the 1917 session of,
the legislature that . a scheme was'
proposed to issue $6,000,000 bonds, the
principal and Interest to be paid by
the license fees of automobiles. The
idea was new and met with some op
position. In securing votes in the leg
islature to put the bill through, con
cessions were made to nearly every
county and out of these promises to
build to certain towns, a political road
map was evolved which formed the
base for the state road system as it
now exists. This bill authorizing the
sale of $6,000,000 bonds was referred
to the people and a special election
was held in June, 191". It was the
vote of Multnomah county which car
ried the bond bill, although under its
provisions Multnomah county receives
none of the money.'
borne members of the grange bitter
ly assailed' the bond plan and many
counties rolled up an ' adverse vote.
But the bonds carried and by June 30,
1917, tne first contract fbr road work
was let by the new commission.
"Owing to the delay caused by ref
erence of the bond issue to the peo
ple, the season was too far advanced
for the commission to make much
progress in the first year.. Matters
the commission did work out the first
year, however, was a comprehensive
state highway system, modeled on the
political road ma of the bond meas
ure; hundreds of miles of surveys, lo
cation of sections of state roads and
the accumulation of estimates, so that
once they had framed the policy, the
commissioners were prepared to op
erate with speed and accuracy.
In this formative period there were
minor troubles in the matter of loca
tions as rivalries of towns developed,
but the commission adopted the pol
icy on highways of first Importance
that the locations should be on the
straight line whenever- possible and
not wander around the countryside, so
that the highway could touch as many
towns as possible.
Came then the war, just as the
commission was getting fairly under
way. There was a- scarcity of labor
and difficulty in obtaining materials,
but notwithstanding these handicaps,
the work of 1917-18 showed 50 miles
of pavement; 111.8 miles of macadam;
134 miles of grading and 40 bridges
built. The commission was feeling
its way, so when 1919 arrived with
peace and a demand that work should
be provided, the commission was pre
pared to award contracts represent
ing many millions of dollars. By No
vember 30, 1918, the commission had
spent $3,697,982 which represented
about two years of work; at single
sessions in 1913 the commission
thought nothing of contracting for
work amounting to half that sum.
On the official map of the highway
commission, there ace 36 state high
ways, so designated. These have a
total of 4317 miles. The Improvement
and development of this mileage is
the ambition of tne commission and
while millions of dollars have al
ready been expended, the task is far
from completed.
.With such an extensive mileage
confronting them, the members of the
commission came . to a unanimous
opinion. It would be a mistake to
build a little piece of road here and a
little piece there, around the state,
for unless these little pieces were
connected there would be no con-j
slderable stretch of good road any
where. Consequently, many of the 36
state highways were passed by for
the present and the commission
turned Its attention on producing re
sults. . Highways of First Importance.
". Trunk roads were considered . of
first importance, and there are two
such in Oregon, the Pacific highway,
from Portland to-the California line,
and the Columbia highway, from the
Pacific ocean to the Idaho line.
These two trunk roads the commis
sion determined to 'develop first, but
at the' same time providing some im
provement on a number of secondary
highways.
By persisting in this policy and re
sisting incessant demands for im
provement of less important roads the
commission has gradually brought
into being and toward an advanced
stage the Pacific and Columbia high
ways. The Columbia highway, by
next summer, will be open- from the
Pacific ocean to the top of the Blue
mountains In eastern Oregon It Is
now, with the exception of a few
miles.. The Pacific highway Ib open
from the California line to Portland,
and. with the Columbia connection,
traffic can go from the California
line to the Faclfio ocean through
Oregon. The ultimate object Is to
hardsurface these two main arteries.
The Pacific highway will be paved
or locked its entire length by the
coming summer.. The unpaved portion
-must await the time when additional
funds are provided. The Columbia
highway will be paved from the sea
to Hood River by "June, and eastwards
there will be macadam unti the pub
lic demands and provides money for
hard-surfacing.
As the Pacific and Columbia high
ways approach completion, the com
mission is preparing to improve other
important highways. One of these
is The Dalles - California highway,
which will connect with the Columbia
highway on the north, and the Cali
fornia line on the south, this being
the north and south hkghway east of
the Cascade range. Also, the com
mission is developing the. John Day
highway, which meanders east and
west across the state In central Orer
gon. On The Dalles-California high
way the commission . has under con
tract 65.8 miles of macadam; 62.3
miles of grading and two miles of
paving, the contracts aggregating
$567,295.35. On the John Day high
way there are . under contract 20.1
miles of macadam and 77.2. miles of
grading, costing $956. 785.83 In ad
dition, Malheur county is preparing
in the Bpring to - grade practically
all of the highway within its borders.
The central Oregon highway, another
east and west road, has 16.7 miles of
grading under contract at $137,967.
The Columbia highway, while act
ually running to the Idaho line. Is
known as the old Oregon trail, from
Umatilla to the state line, and on
this the commission has contracted
six miles of paving, 21.1 miles of
macadam and 50 miles of grading, at
a cost of $576,567.97. Beginning at
the Washington line near Walla
Walla, swinging around near Pendle
ton. Pilot Rock, Heppner.- lone and
back up to the Columbia highway is
the Oregon and Washington highway
on which there are 27 miles of pav
ing contracted and 35 miles of grad
ing, costing $682,569.75. Nine miles
of grading have been contracted on
the . LaGrande-Enterprlse highway,
for $42,171.80. and on the Baker
Cornucopia highway $314,261 has been
set aside for 12.6 miles of macadam
and 27.1 miles of grading. On the
Flora-Enterprise "road 13 miles are
under contract for $94,500, while on
the Crooked river highway $273,005
is to be paid for 4.6 miles of macadam
nd 47 miles of grading.
Reaching out to aid Lake county
are several roads. The LaPlne-Lake-view
road has 12.9 miles of grading
and macadam under contract or
$141,640. and on the Klamath Falls
Lakeview highway J3 miles are con
tracted for macadam and grading,
to cost $146,008. And, which also
leads toward Lakeview, is the Ashland-Klamath
Falls highway.
Scenic Roads Contracted.
What may be considered more as
scenlo and tourist rather than com
mercial roads are the Crater, lake
highway, where 22 miles are under
contract, costing $246,000 for grading,
and the Mount Hood loop, on which
contracts have been let for 12.S miles
of grading for $227,567.
Through the passes to the coast
from the valley the commission is de.
veloping highways. The Yamhill
Nestucca, which is the Tillamook
, road, has been constructed so that
this winter for tne first time In his
tory people 'in Tillamook can reach
the valley any day. On this the com
mission has contracted for eight miles
of paving and 19 miles of macadam
and 17 mifes of grading, aggregating
$426,682. Another of these highways
piercing the coast range the Coos
Bay-Roseburg road, for which 'con
tracts have been let for 14 miles at a
cost of $350,092. These 14 miles only
take care of. the worst section. Then
the Corvallis-Newport road is another
highway being improved to connect
valley and coast. There are a limited
number of natural passes through the
coast range and each of these has a
road which the commission plans to
develop.
f On the west side of the Willamette,
from the Multnonh county line,
known as the west side Pacific high
way, there are 49.5 miles of paving.
14.6 miles of macadam and 46.4 miles
of grading, a total of $1,397,258.
In short, the state highway commis
sion, while emphasizing thp impor
tance of the two main trunk lines, the
Columbia and Pacific highways, is not
ignoring the secondary arteries, and
there is gradually hc'inp spread across
the face of the state, north and south.
east and west, a mesh of state roads
built to standard grade and standard
width. In a natural manner, the most
money has been expended where the
population Is most dense. Where the
population is most heavy, there the
traffio is dense, and the land valua
tions are highest. The main roads
must be built to serve the most peo
ple, and the main roads cost the most
money. This is why so much money
has been expended on the Columbia
and Pacific highways.
Government Bids Work.
Starting with the original $6,000,000
road bonds, to be redeemed by auto
mobile licenses, the legislature passed
the Bean-Barrett bill, which is In
tended to provide funds to match fed
eral road appropriations. Oregon's
road building would not be so exten
sive and comprehensive but for the as
sistance rendered by the government.
The post road and forestry money has
been used for matching state funds,
and in many Instances county money.
This federal aid has been of great
assistance in taking care of sections
of road in counties .where the con
struction ordinarily would be prac
tically prohibited.
The 1919 sessions of the legislature
authorized .an additional $10,000,009
road bond bill, these bonds, like the
first $6,000,000, to be retired by license
fees. In addition to the state bond
money and the federal money,- virtu
ally every county in Oregon has voted
a road bond issue. These bonds Issued
by counties now aggregate about
$5,000,000. In many Instances the
county bond money will be applied
on state highways, but a few coun
ties Intend using their money to de
velop their own road system and pro
vide themselves with hard-surfaced
pavement on their roads. These coun
ty roads, however, will serve as later
als and feeders to the state highway
system, and the county roads, in turn,
will have as feeders the market roads,
the first of which are to be built in
1920. And, finally, the highway com
mission has as a source of revenue the
tx on gasoline.
i