The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-11-14

mONements
There still live in the west men who
knew the old Santa Fe trail In the
days of its glory. when mile long
wagon trains dragged slowly over hill
and plain. The prairie schooner of
that day has given way to the motor
car of this, the bullwhacker has be-
come chauffeur, and the old trail has
become the new-the new Santa Fe
trail-a motor speedway from the bank
of the Father Of Waters to the plaza
of Santa Fe. over the old trail these
pioneers and their sons are spreading
n boulevard fifteen hundred miles long.
1t is not merely project. this new
Santa Fe trail. 1t is solid actuality,
which four states are pushing to COM
pletion, with Kansas and Colorado
well in advance. The new Santa Fe
trail is practically finished between
Hutchinson, Kan. and Canon City,
Colo. at which latter place one branch
ends. 1t is being pushed south from
La Junta TO Santa Fe and east from
Hutchinson to Kansas City and st.
Louis.
Founded in sentiment. the real In
centive behind the new Santa Fe trail
was the big touring car. What the
preaching of twenty years had failed
to accomplish the motorcar accom-
plished In one-the conversion Of the
Kansas farmer TO good roads.
The idea Of the new Santa Fe trail
originated with G. III. Scott editor of
the Hutchinson Qian.) News. He
made plan of campaign with r. III.
Faxon of the Garden City Telegram
for carrying out the idea. They first
called their project the Arkansas val
ley speedway and later the new San
tn Fe trail.
Kansas and Colorado Join.
The idea was taken up with enthusi-
asm, and in a few months the road
was completed from Garden
City to the Colorado state line. Colo
rado took up the speedway, and the
counties along the old trail pushed
the new road through.to Pueblo. There
It was connected with the fine road
that led westward up the valley of
the Arkansas river to Canon City, end
Ing at the Skyline drive, one of the |
most magnificent mountain roads I'm |
The world, skirting the edge of the I
Royal gorge, through which the river
lows thousand feet below.
Work was begun almost Immediately
IN several stretches of the road, and
~ spring the whole length of It was
completed. Nearly every farmer along
he way contributed time to the work
lnd lent team or two, and when the
ost was figured up 1t was found that
had cost the counties less than
'5O n mile. For that insignificant
mount was built natural speedway
rom Hutchinson west TO the Colorado
Inc thirty feet wide and as smooth
nd springy as wooden block pave
nent ana made of nothing but common
irt.
Movement Grows Rapidly.
Then the towns east of Hutchinson
sked, If 1t was to be new Santa Fe
rail, why didn't 1t take in the whole
ength of the old trail? Was there any
eason why the new trail shouldn't fol.
DIV the old trail to this, that or the
ext town? There wasn't. So the
owns east Of Hutchinson joined in
onyention a few weeks ago ut EN-
oria, and 1t was decided to swallow
he whole morsel and build the new
rail on to Kansas City.
But" said Kansas City, "if you are
'illing to stretch II point you can even
ny 1t. started ut st. Louis, because
lere La Lande began his historic Jour-
ey over the old Boon's Lick road to
"a Franklin. Besides, Missouri has !
ready planned fine cross state high
'ay over that route between st. Louis
nd Kansas City"
There being no objection, Kansas
ity just hooked up both ends and