Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-12
THURSDAY EVENING. NOV. il
Il SCENIC ROAD.

THE SCENIC ROAD.
Mr.. Sparks Of the Pecos country, In
an Interview published In The Optic
this evening, Expresses his diHapprov
al Of the scenic route as IL has been
constructed M to date, both from thu
Las Vegas and Santa Fe ends. III
evidently has his own idea as 10 wha,
q Scenic Route should be. Quoting
from the article, he thinks 70 good
passablc wagon road could have been
built from here 10 the Pecos owe
which the trade Of the Pecos settle
mentx could have been coming Il
Las Vegas" The Optic agrees with
Mr., Sparks that Il would be a Ane
thing 10 have even a ''pAssabIe" wag
on road from here directly to the Pc
cos country. but we do not believe
that the purpose OF the legislature In
making the appropriation was that ii
should be employed In constructing
such a wagon road. We doubt. even,
4 such . plan had been followed, that,
~ the gentleman believes, the time
and labor already expended would
have been sufncient to open . road
into the Pecos country. II, as he
says. the plan OF the Pecos power
company TO carry a line Of poles and
wire by anything like a direct route
u impractIcable, It would seem BY
tho same reasoning. that anything
like = direct wagon road would involve
greater ~dificulties Of construction.
Al best such a road could be little
better than a doublc-barrcl trail, ana
would not hare drawn auficient traf.
nc from the present Pecos road 10
Keep nature from retaining Il within
one season.
Moreover. the legislature OF the
territory did not make an a~ppropria.
ton for Las Vegas to establish close
and quick connection with the trade
OF small settlements on the Pecos or
anywhere else. II the merchants
want to expend money in such a man.
ner 4 would be highly commendablc
and might bring good returns. Ger.
tain II IL that they could profltably i'm.
prove some Of the existing roads. such
AZ the one leading 10 Mora and Ro.
ciads, as has already been suggested
In these columns. hut the territorial
legislature leaves such matters for
the communities involved. What the
legislature did was To provide for the
construction OF A Scenic Route or
Highway between the city OF Las
Vegas and the historic capital OF the
territory through one or the most
beautiful and grandest stretches Of
country 10 be found on the American
continent.-to open up TO the tourists
Of this and other countries Who visit
the West in increasing numbers every
year the unsurpassed beauties OF ma.
ture on the Pecos forest reserve.
which. II once revealed 70 the gaze
OF discriminating travellers. will rival
In popularity the low famous Grand
Canyon Of Arizona. To carry out this
conception OF the Scenic Route, q
highway Is being constructed which
will rank with the famous roads Of
Switzerland, which will withstand the
winter SHOWS and the summer floods.
and will. with reasonable supervision,
remsn for generations AZ a mont
ment TO the enterprise and forcslgh,
Of those who conceived and carried
out the project. Such an undertaking
viii require time and money for liz
completion, but Il can be, and We be,
lieve will be. provided for. We know
little about what IL being done at the
Santa Fe end. but hope they are max,
Ing Al good a showing there al Is
being made here. In beginning the
construction or the road at The twu
ends adjacent TO the towns of Las
Vegas and Santa Re, those who have
the work In charge have followed The
wisest course This portion OF tho
road will be made Immediately avail,
able Tor the people of the two towns
and will be It's own and strongest ar
gument 10 favor Of It's further esten'
sion.
Wseu the road has been completed