Arizona republican., 1909-05-06
THE ROAD 10 MESA FROM CENTER ST. SITE
A Correction of Tempe Bridge Com s mittee's View of 1t.

To the Editor of the Republican,
 Sir:-In the Gazette of last Monday evening in an article signed by the Tempe publicity committed, our Tempe friends in their zeal for the Tempe pro- ject misquote certain statements of mine as to the condition of the main road running east to Mesa south of the river, giving the impression that in a statement before the legislature l misrepresented the condition of this road, and it seems desirable that in a dignified way, without descending to personalities, the board should know the facts as to the matter.
 During the late misunderstanding" in the legislature over the bridge situa- tion, 1 stated, I believe, on a number of occasions that this road known as the old Broadway or Gray's Crossing road leading from point about half mile south of the proposed south abut- ment of the Center street bridge direct fly to the south line of the city of Mesa, was in excellent condition, and lined with shade trees the larger portion of the way, which is a statement of abso- lute and exact fact
 A. Since the hearing before the legisla- ture this county has completed the construction of little over half mile of road which will connect the pro- posed south abutment of the Phoenix bridge with the Broadway road above mentioned. Along the sides of this new road the Bartlett Heard Land & Cattle company, at their expense. have set out nearly mile of palms. twenty Two oh hn hr-ff be located at Center street. propose. at their expense, to bring this half mile of road into first class condition.
 i In the Tempe bridge committees article published last Monday in the Gazette, the following statement is made: "The members of this commit tee made trip over that road to see its exact condition We found a few scattered cottonwoods, some mesquite and four palms in the drive of eight miles and a half"
 I assume this statement is made in the spirit of playful humor. or else, in charity to our Tempe friends, con- clude that they had very poor guide and must have travelled the wrong road; for on careful inspection of this road yesterday in connection with MT. Walter Talbot and MT. A. C. Bart lett, in which We traversed the entire distance of thirteen and a half miles to Mesa City we counted the trees bor- dering the road, finding an aggregate of thirty-on hundred trees distributed as follows:
 In the five and half miles that this road passes through the Bartlett Heard Land & Cattle company lands. one hundred and thirty trees were found growing on the side of the first half mile of road, two hundred and l sixty-five in the next mile, two hun | dred and twenty-five in the next mile, l one hundred and seventy-nine in the 1 next, two hundred and forty in the next, and one hundred and seventy in the next mile, or a total in the five and i half miles of road, of thirteen hun dred and nine trees. This did not in clude many trees which have been re- gently set out
 In the remainder of the distance to the southwest corner of Mesa, eight | miles, seventeen hundred and ninety | one shade trees along the road were ! counted, consisting of cottonwoods, l ashes, peppers, umbrellas and osage oranges ana m approaching MeSa the | tfees were, along many farms, so thick that we were unable to get 1 count of them all.
 This road to Mesa is unquestionably | one of the most delightful in the val ley. the river has now receded. the l Phoenix crossing is being put in good | shape, and I recommend to any doubt | ing Thomas trip over this road to | the attractive cities of Tempe and | Mesa.
 I would also suggest to my friends | of the Tempe committee that person alities are not d very strong argument 1 and facts are more convincing.
 Yours respectfully,
 DWIGHT B. HEARD. May 5, 1909.