Forest Allotments

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD ROADS BY THE ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Volume III. MARCH, 1927 Number 2

VINCENT J. KEATING, EDITOR

Subscription rates, $1.00 per year. Single copy 10 cents Advertising rates furnished on request Address All Communications to Editor ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT PHOENIX, ARIZONA

WASHINGTON AS A ROAD BUILDER

“We always refer to George Washington as 'first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.' Let me add, 'first as a civil engineer and road builder.'” These were the opening words of Mr. T. Hugh Boorman in an address entitled, “The Father of Our Country as a Road Builder.” After speaking of the abundant material found in the diaries kept by Washington, showing how they are filed with accurate and comprehensive notes, he speaks of Lord Fairfax engaging Washington when he was but sixteen years of age to survey his estates. The compensation was three dollars and fifty cents a day. Following this work for two years, he became public surveyor of the province for the three succeeding years. Washington had commenced studying surveying at the age of fourteen, as is shown by his Book of Surveys, 1746, now preserved at Cornell University.

A box of his instuments is now in possession of the Department of Education, New York State, and on this box is a pen written statement as follows: “The instruments contained in this box, together with a case of protracting instruments in a shagreen case, two surveyors' chains and the wooden pins used with the same, were the prop-erty of General Washington, and used by him when a very young man.

“These instruments descended to my father, Colonel William A. Washington (the General's oldest nephew), and from him to me, and by me presented to my son, Lewis W. Washington, February 10, 1854.

“(Signed) G. C. Washington.

“Georgetown, D. C., Feb. 10, 1854.

“This box contains compass, various instruments all of brass, surveyor's tripod, measuring iron chains and six oak marking pins.

“Washington was not only the first to map out and recommend the general route of the great highways called the National Pike and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which latter in truth became, to quote him, 'The channels of conveyance of the versatile and valuable trade of a rising empire,' but he was also the first to commend and predict the commercial success of that route through the Mohawk Valley which was afterwards taken by the Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad.

“The national pike, the route of which was practically located by him and the construction of which he planned and the fact that his plans have since been carried out in whole or part, entitle him to rank as the first and one of the oldest of the civil engineers of America.

“But to speak adequately of Washington as a road builder would be an impossibility. May we take his life as a lesson to strengthen us in our purpose to give our lives and best effort freely for the good of our country, and today our country's greatest need is good roads.” The Highway Magazine.

Of the $7,500,000 road fund for the national forests for 1928, $4,500,000 was authorized by Congress for the forest highway fund, which provides for the survey, construction and maintenance of roads of primary importance to States and communities; and $3,000,000 was apportioned to the development of roads in and adjoining the national forests of primary importance for protection, administration, and utilization of the forests, and necessary for the use and development of the resources upon which communities within the national forests are dependent.

Amounts allotted to Arizona follows: Forest Highway Fund. Forest Road Development Fund. $279,246 135,777