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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1915)
I COLUMBIA HIGHWAY FROM PORTLAND TO THE SEA TO BE DEDICATED I vs4?' ,vs. , I f: Jh'r va; ,-7 'v-?r; ;. at - ,;:i'":T- Af rv-v0-A Wit K 1 CPS: .klWMt- iy-S Ufa - v; . t , , .. ivsrr: ,:' ov. .v.. -rv. 'nmfWa .vk rJr- if Completion of Road Is Evi dence of What Can Be Ac complished by Cooperation 'ORE history will be made Thursday when the link in the Columbia river highway from Portland to the sea will be ded icated and formally opened to t travel. The vision of a magnificent highway paralleling the mighty river f.,,.f the west is being realized. A few -...days ago the section on the upper river i , was thrown open. Now comes in turn . the section along the lower river on .! which has been expended approximate - ly one million dollars between the Multnomah county line and Seaside. 3t The first party to pass over the road Thursday will consist of members of the Columbia Highway association, state and county officials and good : Toads advocates. It will consist of probably 100 persons distributed among '20 automobiles. j.- The party will leave the Benson . hotel 'at 7 o'clock in the morning and 3. drive 122, miles to Gearhart, where the night "will be spent. The different "l". towns along the route will be out in jj,' force .to see the party pass through. At o Clatskania a lunch and an elaborate -f reception is being planned. A large fj delegation from Astoria will meet the S party here and escort it through Clat fsop county. 1- While the invitations to join the of ficial party have necessarily been Hm- ' ited A general invitation has been ex tended to all who care to make ' the trip-in their own means of conveyance. - In its announcement of the official opening of the road the arrangements committee of the Columbia Highway association says: Tf "No event in road construction that ,11 has yet" occurred has greater signifi cance to Oregon than this. This high way, in .addition to Its scenic value, opens upi ; a . magnificent agricultural and industrial country. We are pro- foundly. Interested,:' in this territory made accessible by a high class high 111 Thursday when the link in the tWa constructive work. Furnish a ma- ke off its coat and build a porUon route. , :v, jtfJ-r-7-!,r1' iJ KX'fc Jl3 nffmSjS. J"j&?L?h M IVI Columbia river highway from chlne lf you can; lf not come anyhow." of the highway with pick and shovel. Then came the campaigns for the is- A "L .g" - tf'-Pti J Vat T"! tmC LaSts lfT I way at a very great sacrifice on the part of the people of the state and must show our appreciation by Joining in a gran ddemonstration on the of ficial opening day. Do not forget that we want the ladies with us on this his toric trip. Gasoline obtainable all along the line. Come prepared for two days. In5 a grand demonstration on the of benefit to the state to be derived from this constructive work. Furnish a ma chine if you can; if not, come anyhow." Hill's Prophecy Comas True. One morning about four years ago Samuel Hill entered his office in this city and greeted his secretary, J. C. Potter, with this announcement: "A highway can be built down the Co lumbia river to the sea on a five per cent grade. I know it can be done because I have just walked over the route." "It can't be done," retorted Potter as he looked up from his work. When Mr. Hill broached the subject to others they politely told him he was crazy. Even if it was practicable they said It would bo of no great benefit to the community and would be a needless expense. Hill persisted in his "craziness" until his friends began to avoid him. Finally he succeeded in bringing a few of them up to the mourner's bench where they could see the light as he saw it. Prominent among these was Julius L. Meier, who had been talking about a road to the coast through Washington county into the Nehalem country and thence to Astoria. About this time the people of Clat skanle and Rainier began to talk bet ter roads and a connection with the outside world. Clatskanie had heard of Mr. Meier and he was invited to come down into Macedonia and help organize a movement. The idea of a. through road to Port land began tor take root next in Sea side, Gearhart and Astoria. After a few informal meetings had been held Mr. Meier called a general meeting at Gearhart, Labor day, 1912. The meeting was attended by a few good roads enthusiasts from Clatsop, Columbia, Washington and Multnomah counties. Many of these saw obsta cles in the way that could not be ELKS HAVE overcome. There was the grea consider and where was the money to come from? A "Common objection was that it was 20 years too soon to begin such an undertaking. On the other hand there were a few who had the vision. Among these was Robert Tount of Rainier, who declared that he would have his community take off its coat and build a portion of the highway with pick and shovel. J. M. Conyers of Clatskanie said that his town would do as much as Rainier. Then there was E. C. Judd, county judge of Clatsop county, who said that it could be done. Organization Is Completed. After full discussion it was decided to form an organization for the pur pose of inaugurating a campaign of education. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws and adopt a name. The name reported by the committee was "Columbia River Boulevard." "Cut out boulevard," said Chairman Meier. "Boulevards are associated with scenic drives. This Is to be a highway for the farmer as well as the tourist." "Right you are, Julltls," Interjected Samuel Hill. "Call it the Columbia highway and make it a highway as monumental as the river it parallels." Out of the meeting was born the Columbia Highway association with Julius L. Meier, president; W. D. B. Dodson, secretary, and Paul Wessinger, treasurer. A year was then spent on a campaign of education. In Septem ber, 1913, another general meeting was held at Gearhart. The result ol the preceding year's agitation was made manifest by an increased attend ance and greater enthusiasm. "Bob" Yount was there more hopeful than ever. There was also present At S. Benson, John B. Tton and Rufus C. Holman, with all the zeal of new con verts. The geeral result of this meeting was that the time had arrived to begin the work of actual construc tion. The county courts of Clatsop and Columbia counties gave assurance that they would have a survey made under the direction of the state highway de partment. After reelecting its officers the as GREAT, GOOD TIME PICNICKING AT ill sociation adjourned under the slogan: "From Portland to the Sea in 1914." The next step was the authorization of the survey and location of the routei Then came the campaign: for the is suance of bonds to provide funds to build the road. In this campaign a prominent figure was Frank Terrace, a dairyman of King county, Washing ton. His effective presentation of the value of good roads was largely influ ential in bringing the campaigns to a successful issue. " Clatsop county bonded itself in the sum of $400,000. Of this amount $205, 000 was appropriated for the Columbia highway. Columbia county issued bonds to the amount of $360,000 and set aside $260,000 for the highway. Contracts were let for the work last May. In Clatsop county everything pro ceeded smoothly but in, Columbia county differences arose between the county court members and the state engineer over location and funds. As a result the members of the county court were recalled by the voters. When the rainy season set in last fall the road was still unfinished and funds were exhausted. The trouble between the engineers and the con tractors In both counties is a matter of recent history. It, la sufficient to say that these were finally adjusted and work "was resumed early this sum mer on the road with state aid. At last it has reached that stage of completion which will permit travel in good weather. It is far from a -finished road yet. To make it so there is a moral obligation resting on Portland enthusiasts to assist In" securing aid from the state or private sources. The counties of Columbia and Clat sop have done their share and have burdened themselves with a. heavy debt to do o. During the campaign, prom ises were made that if the counties would construct the grade effort would be made to have the state put on the hard surface. Scenes along the ColamWa-Clatsop stretch of the Columbia river highway from Portland to the sea Above at the left is a graded section in the Bear Creek canyon; in th center is a panorama of point along the highway; below it is a view of the dry masonry wall 51 fecf; high, at Bugby waterfall along the highway. Below at the left and in trie vert on the Gearhart-Seaside section of the highway. At the So much for the history of the road. From a standpoint of developing the country it opens up a vast section hitherto inaccessible. , On the upland there are hundreds of thousands of acres of rich land and on the lowlands or delta thousands of acres that can now be easily reached. The highway will b a trunk line for an Immense re gion of great possibilities. As a scenic highway it is a fitting supplement to the one along the upper river. While not so rugged in char acter there is a beautiful blending of landscape and river that is unsur passed. The roadbed is the product of skillful engineering and of a most per manent character. The grade is 24 feet in 'width under five per cent and the curves are sweeping, and graceful. Probably the most scenic point Is BUgby Point. 1300 feet above sea level. The highway ap proach to Bugby pass and down the supported grade around the loops and for a distance of two miles beyond the loops affords a wonderful panoramic view of the Columbia river, its wooded hills, cultivated valleys and towns along its banks as far as the eye can see. The highway for three miles of its length Is also in full view from the top of the hill and from many points along the llnenjsv The distance from Portland to Sea side over the highway is approximately 125 miles. The mileage from Portland to other points Is as-follows: to St. Helens, 28.9; to Qoble. 40.3; to Rainier. 47.3; to Clatskanie,-65.7; to Astoria, 104.8; to Gearhart. 122.5. r 7 ' -i center are two views oi gnuuug right Is a map showing the location-of the highway. School Accounting Plan Is Efficient School Clerk Thomas Devises 'thm Most Comprehensive System.; How la Use Hsra. .-."'.'''.! I School Clerk R. H. Thomas Is given credit for devising one of the best and most comprehensive' systems Of ac counting for a school, district that has been' seen anywhere. His system, which is In use by the Portland school district, was adapted from the standard adopted by the United States bureau -of census. Mr. Thomas prepared a 16-page pamphlet explaining every detail of the system. BONNEVILLE Xer . n.j,. jp-.vow wsen.. that iwill be dedicated Thursday. the Columbia river from a sightly Point; at the right is a picturesque He recently' sent a copy t this, with a sheet showing the arrangement of accounts, to the School Board Journal, published in Milwaukee, Wis. "This schedule is th first compre hensive classification 'which we have seen," Wrote W. C Bruce, editor of th School Board Journal, in reply. l Is so complete and so reasonable In all Its detail that 1; believe It will prove a "splendid guide for school accountants throughout tne united btaies." x " The-.entire schedule Is to to pub lished in the School Board, Journal. i ' i' ii t ! n , wm f t - ' Minister Works in Shipyard. Birth Kngland, Aug.' tvltev. P. K. Watson, leading Wesleyan . minister, enlisted as a war "worker; and was assigned as a laborer to 'a local ship yard. -.'." ' tmAr - rtj :- T "Mil ii 1 1 1 up Mjtm 1 r-", i 11 i-r 4