The daily tribune., 1909-01-05
raLap-oxa no. 20
PUBLIC Highway TO
TOP OF GORGE

uOT VI OO0O6
An enterprise in which every read
or of the Daily Record is interested,
indeed every citizen OF Canon City
and Fremont county for that matter.
is the proposed public highway to the
top of the Royal Gorge: q movement
for which was inaugurated few
weeks ago by the civic improvement
committee OF the chamber OF COM
merce.
The suggestion looking to the con-
struction of roadway worthy of-the
name to the top OF the Gorge has met
with general favor. SO much 80. in
fact, that many Inquiries have been
made as to the probable cost of such
AZ undertaking. To procure the data
necessary to satisfy public interest
on this point and to carry out the in
structions of the chamber of COM
merce in relation to the shortest and
most economical route for the con-
templated highway a preliminary
survey was made by the committee on
Wednesday, the report of which will
be most encouraging.
The committee, and those who ac-
companied 1t. were Frank p. Smith,
DR.. W. T. Little. W.B. Rowland. C. Il,
Reeves. Chas. L. Milton, A. E. Wilson
and Chas. r. McLain. Mounted on
horseback the members OF the party
left here at o'clock in morning and
returned late In the afternoon. having
made In the meantime somewhat
careful inspection of the route that
seemed to them at once feasible and
of easy construction. 1t is computed
to be from two and a half to three
miles shorter than the old road via
Eight Mile Park and Is said to be in
fnitely the most attractive and pic
turesque Of the two lines.
Mr.. Milton went along with the
committee in the capacity of civil
engineer and he is an ardent advo-
cate of the adoption OF the new route,
which, he says, is admirably adapted
for the purposes for which the COM
mittee would use it. Mr.. Milton is OF
the opinion that first-class highway
such as the nnhlic Is considering, can
| be built from point near Three MIG
1 Spring on the Fairplay road to the
top of the Royal Gorge. along the line
of Wednesdays survey. at cost not
exceeding $4,000 by the utilization of
prison labor, and that the maximum
grade need not be greater than ten or
| twelve percent, an outlay and a gra-
dent very much less than would be
required to put the old road in any
thing like decent condition.
The route inspected on Wednesday
starts from point short distance
beyond the western approach to the
Skyline drive and proceeds by an easy
gradient in southwesterly direction
until a narrow canon Is reached, by
which access is had to the mesa sew
eral hundred feet above. The canon
Is picturesque one and its scenic
beauties will be feature of the pro-
posed roadway. which emerges upon
the bench lands at point from which
an unobstructed view of the utmost
| magnificence may be had to the east
and north: extending almost to Pue-
| bio In the one direction and includ-
ing the snow crowned summit OF Pixies
Peak In the other
The committee. concurrlng in the
opinion os Mr. Milton, is confident
that the proposed road can be built
without serious difficulty and that II
VIII be worth many times its cost to
the residents OF this city and to the
people OF Fremont county at large.
1t will cut OF three miles in the dis
tance to the top OF the Royal Gorge
as now traversed from this city and
reduce the time consumed in making
the trip by carriage or automobile
nearly one-half. 1t takes three hours
TO make the outward trip with good
team under present conditions and
two and half hours to drive back
again. The existing road is little bet
ter than trail and is disgrace to
the people OF any civilized commun-
ity.
For a distance of. perhaps, two
thirds It's length the contemplated
roadway will cost for Its construction
approximately 500 a mile. or $4,000
for the complete enterprise There
will be very little blasting required
M fh. al L.. .,.V.
down with pick and shovel. which
will minimize the expense OF building
1t. The grade. as we have already
stated. will nowhere exceed ten or
fifteen per cent and can be maintain
ed In good condition at all Seasons
OF the year at a small outlay.
The necessity for nrst-class road