The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-25
GOOD FOR ROAD.
Congressman Anthony and En-
gineer Encouraged.
They Find Good Material All
Along Proposed Route.
TOPEKA WILL HELP.
The Commercial Club Pledges
Its Support.
Speeches Made Showing FEAST
bility Of Plans.
TOPEKA WILL HELP.

Congressman D. R. Anthony and
Vernon NJ. PIERCE. chief engineer of the
department of agriculture at Washing
ton. met just an even dozen members
of the 500 which the Commercial club
boasts of at the club room last night.
and explained the action necessary to
secure an appropriation for a military
road connecting Fort Riley and Leav-
enWoFth- Those who attended the
meeting were enthusiastic and gave
their hearty endorsement to the propo-
sition which amounts TO the endorse
ment Of the club. but the limited num-
Der in attendance was a disappotnt-
nent.
.It~is -evifent that a large puq1ber 4,f
the members Of the club attend the
meetings about as regularly as they at
tend church excepting in the latter
case their wives do not take their
place. They do not begrudge paying
their dues and lending their support in
this way. but many of them hardly see
the inside of the club rooms from ono
years end to another, and this has
been source of much embarrassment
to the officers, particularly on an oc-
casion such as that of last night.
The talks made by Congress man An
thony and Mr.. PIERCE were interesting
inasmuch as they went into the details
of the proposed project. At the next
session of congress a bill will be in
troduced by Congressman Anthony
asking for an appropriation for gov
eminent highway connecting the forts
at Riley and Leavenworth- The work
being done by Mr.. Peirce at this time
is preliminary and will be followed by
a corps of surveyors who will furnish
an estimate of the cost of the road.
Upon their figures the amount of the
appropriation to be asked will be based
and there is every reason to believe
that the road will be built as the farm
ers along the line proposed are en-
thusiastic and willing to assist IN every
out of the road building about thirty
years ago when he last government
road of any length was constructed in
one of the New England states.
There has been crying demand
from the army officers stationed at
Riley and Leavenworth for many
years for just such road as ii is pro-
posed to build. The forts are the two
largest in the United States and it is
frequently necessary to move soldiers
from one station to the other and at
certain seasons of the year this is
made we'll nigh impossible on account
of the conditions of the public roads.
This has called the attention of the
government to the necessity of such a
military highway and the time is ripe
to build II according to Congressman
Anthony, who has the matter in hand.
1.-The government work at Leaven-
worth upon which a large number of
convicts have been employed for sew
eral years is about completed he
EdlQ. ana THESE COnNlClS Will De
available by the time that an appro-
priation can be secured.
From 500 to 1000 men Will be
available for work on this road and it
can be built at minimum cost in this
way though at that the cost will I
amount to large sum as it costs from
four to six thousand dollars mile to
construct a road according to the gov
eminent specifications. With the de-
mand which has been made from
army circles 1 do not think that there |
will be any trouble in securing an APP
preparation which will be asked, espe- |