HIGHWAY COMMISSION NOTES

Arizona Highway Commission Notes

JANUARY 10, 1938 The Arizona State Highway Commission met in regular session in its offices in the Highway Building at 10:00 A. М., January 10, 1938. Those present were: Chairman Dowell, Vice-Chairman Angle, Commissioners Langmade, Scott, and Seale, also, the State Engineer, Howard S. Reed, the Secretary, M. L. Wheeler, and Assistant Attorney General A. R. Lynch. Upon recommendation of the State Engineer, who had received prior concurrence from the Bureau of Public Roads, it was moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Scott, and unanimously carried, that the contract on the Flagstaff-Fredonia Highway F. A. 95-B, 1st Reo., F. L. 4-C, Schedule 1 (1938) AFE 8973, be awarded to the low bidder, Oswald Bros., in the amount of $207,533.87, subject to the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Public Roads.

Upon recommendation of the State Engineer, who had received prior concurrence from the Bureau of Public Roads, it was moved by Commissioner Scott, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that the contract on the Showlow-Holbrook Highway - FA 131-A (1938) AFE 7702, be awarded to the low bidder, Heuser & Garnett, in the amount of $249,603.17, subject to the rules and regulation of the Bureau of Public Roads.

Upon the recommendation of the State Engineer, who had received prior concurrence from the Bureau of Public Roads, it was moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Angle, and unanimously carried, that the contract on the Aguila-Congress Junction Highway-FAS 1-A (1938) AFE 7103, be awarded to the low bidder, Pearson and Dickerson Contractors, Inc., in the amount of $55,951.25, subject to the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Public Roads.

Mr. Sam Bailie, of the Arizona Automobile Association appeared before the Highway Commission with reference to safety on the Highway requesting the extending of safety zones wherever necessary and the making of certain regulations in localities where surveys show a limited speed would add to safety.

The State Engineer presented and recommended the adoption of restricted speed zones set forth by Superintendent Rumans after making a survey of traffic conditions and hazards existing on state highways in Maricopa County. The speed restrictions and areas were worked out in conjunction with J. R. Van Horn, Safety Engineer, and E. V. Miller, Engineer of Plans.

It was moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commission Angle, and una-nimously carried, that the recommenda-tions be accepted and adopted by the Commission, and that the State Engineer set up registered speed zones deemed ad-visable on the Superior-Globe and the Wickenburg-Ehrenberg Highways with a further study towards recommending a speed limit over these two highways.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Mr. Wm. H. Westover, representing the Yuma Mesa Fruit Growers' Association addressed the Commission in behalf of the present route from Yuma to San Luis. The Secretary presented and read a letter from the Yuma County Board of Supervisors wherein the Board, in ses-sion January 3rd, went on record as being in favor of and in accord with the present routing of State Highway 95 from San Luis to U. S. 80; the only sug gestion they might entertain being to go north on Avenue B, thence east on First Street, eliminating a possible hazard or sharp turn at Eighth Street and Avenue B.

After hearing other delegates both for and against re-routing of the highway, at the request of Commissioner Angle, and also Commissioner Seale, who has not had an opportunity to inspect the road, the matter was being deferred for further investigation when Commissioner Langmade made a motion that the Com-mission abandon the present road from Yuma to San Luis and designate the Somerton route in its place. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Scott and, when put to a vote, Commissioner Seale stated he was not voting; Chair-man Dowell stated he was voting "no" for the reason he has always been guided by some governing body of the commun-ity affected and, until the recommenda-tion of the Board of Supervisors is changed, he saw no reason why he should change his vote; Commissioner Angle stated he was passing his vote for fur-ther investigation.

It was moved by Commissioner Scott, seconded, and carried that the Yuma-San Luis road be reconsidered when Commissioner Seale has had a chance to go over and investigate the present and proposed routes.

Mr. James B. Girand, District Engineer of the Showlow-Silver Creek Water Conservation and Power District, appeared before the Commission with reference to some poles that have been placed on the highway right of way through error. The line of the District parallels Highway 60 about a mile west of Showlow and Mr. Girand asked if it would be necessary to move those poles that have been placed on the right of way. After discussion, it was moved by Commissioner Seale, seconded by Commissioner Scott, and unanimously carried, that the poles placed on the right of way be moved and that the Showlow-Silver Creek Water Conservation and Power District be given permission to cross the highway with its pole line, under the supervision of the Engineering Division, at such places as are necessary.

It was moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Seale, and unanimously carried, that a resolution extending the duties of the Secretary of the Highway Commission, be adopted.

It was moved by Commissioner Scott, seconded by Commissioner Langmade, and unanimously carried, that the Secretary contact the State Auditor concerning the making of a cash audit of the State Highway Department for the present fiscal year.

It was moved by Commissioner Angle, seconded by Commissioner Scott, and unanimously carried, that an item be included in the next budget for a Safety Department, as recommended by the Industrial Commission.

Petitions regarding the widening of the Globe-Miami Road to a four-lane highway along the present alignment were presented by the Secretary.

A telegram from Senator Hayden advising the Comptroller General has approved WPA Project 62,076 sponsored by the Arizona Highway Department for assembling and compiling data for years 1912 to 1935 to show present status of all rights of way on the Highway Department; the amount of the Federal allotment being $13,204 was presented to the Commission.

The State Engineer, upon being asked if he had any information on the WPA Project in the town of Superior stated he would obtain a report for presentation to the Commission from District Engineer Perkirs.

There being no further business the meeting was declared adjourned at 6:20 P. M., January 10, 1938, subject to call.

El Desierto Pintado

Desert the Navajo Indians have, for untold ages, made the sand with which they construct their free-hand sand paintings. These sacred paintings are made only by their holy medicine men in cases of sickness or trouble and must always be destroyed before the setting of that day's sun.

Commercially, the colored rocks are ground into the finest of dust and with skillfully shaped instruments poured into glass tubes and bottles to form colored pictures of the desert. Thousands of these are carried away from Arizona each year by visitors to the Painted Desert.

Along with the road construction, The National Park Service is building a great comfortable sprawling inn on the most scenic point along the road. It is somewhat on the order of a huge Indian Pueblo, and will house a museum filled with Indian art and crafts. Here the traveler can find lodging and food, and everything the modern tourist demands which is plenty. A ranger is on duty to give information to visitors.

A mile below the rim of the Painted Desert five wells have been drilled and unlimited pure cool water is produced. Two and a half miles of pipe line crawls up over an almost impassable cliff and feeds this water into a fifty thousand gallon concrete tank on the highest hill. From here, other lines carry it to the inn and wherever the traveling public may be in need of it.

In the spring this five miles of highway will be paved, and I doubt if anywhere in the United States can be found a road more popular than this. Although it was late fall when the highway was opened to travel, thousands of cars have already driven over it and parked to watch the sun and shadows fall across the painted landscape. Every changing cloud has its effects on the scene below, and even the great TWA plane wending its daily flight across the country slackens its speed so the passengers can watch their own gaunt shadow play hide and seek among the painted hills.

Agua Caliente Springs was known to the Indians for its medicinal benefits, before white men came to this country.

Komatke, location of St. John's Indian Mission on the Gila Indian Reservation, is 7 miles southwest of Laveen on the Gila river.

Fort McDowell was established in 1865 and was the second settlement in what is now Maricopa County.

Tempe was established in 1870.

MARCH, 1938 ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 29 Welcome to Tombstone AND BOOTHILL GRAVEYARD.

Floyd J. Beeghley, young engineer, was terminated by his unfortunate death in late January of this year.

Vernon G. Davis, superintendent of the Motor Vehicle Division, announces an increase of $240,779.71 in revenues of the division from July 1 to December 31, 1937, as compared to a similar period the year preceding.

While revenues were increasing nearly a quarter of a million dollars, expenses increased only $36,491.68. Title and lien revenue increased $26,587.00 in 1937 and documents handled increased from 43,349 in 1936 to 81,790 in 1937. All of which testifies to the efficiency of one of the busiest departments in the state government.

Here Lie the Bodies

(Continued from Page 19) before yesterday and you was with them!"

Heath was placed under arrest, tried, and given a life sentence. The others were finally captured: Dan Dowd and Bill Delaney in old Mexico; Red Sample and Tex Howard in Clifton, and Kelly in Deming New Mexico. They were tried and all sentenced to be hanged. Not satisfied with the penalty dealt Heath, a mob took the law in their own hands. They stormed the Tombstone jail. They paid no attention to the five condemned men in a nearby cell. Heath was "taken" and paraded down to Tough-

ALONG THE HIGHWAYS

Howard S. Reed, state engineer, was busy in the East during early February attending various meetings of the Nation's road builders. Mr. Reed, in the short time he has been with the department, has acquired an intimate knowledge of the road builders' problems in Arizona and forcefully presented reasons why the government should not retrench in its aid to the roadbuilding program of the state.

The University of Arizona and the American Society of Civil Engineers are sponsoring an Arizona roads and streets conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson, March 18 and 19. Some of the subjects to be discussed will include: Use of road oils, roadside improvement, low cost roads, highway drainage, surface maintenance, low cost streets, street drainage and modern standards.

E. V. Miller of the Arizona highway department will act as chairman. A number of state highway engineers will participate.

There were 136,315 automobiles, Arizona licensed, in operation in this state Dec. 31, 1937, as compared to 120,778 on Dec. 31, 1936. The year 1938 will see Arizona highways carrying a greater load.

Sympathy of the department is extended to C. E. Addams, former highway commissioner, whose wife died in Flagstaff last month from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

January issue of "The American City," important journal dealing with municipal problems, carries as its lead article, "Divided Highway Enters Tucson, Arizona," by E. V. Miller, engineer of plans, Arizona highway department. The article, subtitled "State Highway Department Solves Complicated Problems on Three Right-Angle Turns," is devoted to a description of the "Miracle Mile," the project beginning at the junction of U. S. 80, 89, and State Route 84, extending two miles south into the city of Tucson. The long and devoted tenure of duty in the Arizona highway department of

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