Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1903-11-12
A cROSS.STATE ROADWAY.
A Public Highway, 100 Feet Wide, Nay
be Built From ST. Louis TO Kansas
ciiy-Mexico on One Of The
Proposed Routes.

ianS IOf q puDitO HlSnWdJ dCfOos
the state of Missouri, between st.
Louis and Kansas City. are virtually
completed, and, according to W. H.
Moore, president of the National Good
Roads Association, work probably
will begin upon the roadway early
next spring.
President Moore has traversed every
foot Of ground between here and Kan
sas City several times on tours of in
spection, and has marked out three
highways, any one Of which, he
thinks. will suit the purposes of the
state and rebound greatly to the bene-
fit or Missouri.
The project has been cherished
one ever since the National convan-
tion of Good Readers was held in
Chicago, in 1900. At that time the
feasibility of building cross state
road was discussed by Missourians,
and President Moore was asked to use
his best efforts TO make the undertake
ing successful.
He will start for Washington
shortly to confer with government
engineers and to invite one Of the
government road commissioners to
Missouri TO traverse the proposed
routes and to give his opinion as to
which route would be the best
Agents Of tho National Good Roads
Association are now sounding the va
rious counties rs to the right Of way,
and this, Of course, will have, in
measure, a great deal to do with the
course the road will take.
Free Right of Way.
Not cent will be paid for this
right of way. 1t is said, as the road
way will in itself be sufficient COM
pensation in enhanced values and
convenience for any liberty taken
with properties along and of the pro-
posed routes.
1t is believed that the county off,
cials will concur with the rules laid
down by those in charge Of the pro.
ject, and it is also believed that many
of the counties will offer Inducements
to have the pike come their way.
The north roadway, II it is chosen,
will cross the state just north Of the
Missouri river and will take a course
adjacent to the Wabash tracks. This
road will leave st. Louis via the st.
Charles rock road and after leaving
St. Charles will take in Warrenton,
Montgomery, Mexico, Glasgow, where
it will recross the river and continue
on to Marshall, Lexington, Independ-
ance and thence to Kansas City. This
road is 274 miles long.
A second proposed roadway is one
which will follow practically the
Missouri river watershed on the south
side.
This pike leaves st. Louis by way
Of Manchester road. It then strikes
through Kirkwood and out to Glen
coe, and then curves northward tt
Hermann. The Missouri river contour
is then followed to Jefferson City
A sweep is taken araund the bend o.
the river up to Boonville and on t.
Marshall, where the road as proposed
would continue on to Kansas City
This road is $50 miles long.
Roadway No. Q, according to th'
plans would leave St. Louis via tn,
Manchester road as far as Glencoe
Instead of curying northward to Her
mann, however, the route shoot
straight westward for jefferson City
Upton, Sedalia, warrensburg AM
Lees Summet.
From Lees Summet the road turn
north and slightly west with Inde
pendance as its destination, and thel
follows proposed roadway No. int
Kansas City. This route is 2S3 mile
, long.
As proposed the roadway will b
, 100 feet wide throughout its course
While it is to be built primarily fo
stability 1t is also the purpose of tn
projectors to make it one of the mos
beautiful highways Of the world.
. Roadway Plans.
\ Macadam eight inches deep an
/ twenty-four feet wide will form tn
principal roadbed, but clay WACO
paths will parallel the main roadwa
ON both sides for dry weather. Bt
tween the dirt roadbeds and th
4 fences which will follow the court
Of the road water sluices are to
made for drainage. Between thei
sluices and the fences q wide plan
walk for pedestrians is also to
II laid and between the sluices and Il
o walk trees are to be planted for shad
s. These trees are to be planted !
Il persons living along the route Of I'll
!, roadway, according to q clause in q
> agreement, which will be drawn I
" between the projectors and the of
y cials of the counties through Whit
> the road passes. According to Il
s. calculations Of Mr.. Moore. about fift
d five miles of this cross-state highwt
is already completed, and from obse
u vations made along the roads s
counties have material from whit
d the road can be constructed.
The cost of the road is not to Q
ceed Ss. 900 mile, which will bril-
n. the total cost when completed in &
!, neighborhood of 5000, 200. The nor
1t river and south contour routes w
s. cross eleven counties The thi