The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-12-03

stead of leaving the road bed undis-
turbed and gradually building it up,
He did not believe in spending all the
money on a short stretch of road and
then leaving the remainder to future
time but advocated building up the
weak places all along the mile or miles
of road and keeping this kind of work
going all the time. He was an earnest
advocate of thorough and persistent
drainage and SO building up the road
that the top would prove 3 water shed
and prevent the moisture from set
ting in. He said that Idaho Springs
had two valuable assets, mines and the
most delightful of scenery. He had
been highly gratiied with his trip
| over Floyd Hill and saw no reason why
at reasonable expenditure of funds,
it could not be made of such an easy
grade as to be made most attractive
for motorists aud when done this sec
tion would see hundreds of machines
and thousands of pleasure seekers
coming here annually. He stronly
urged that in making this boulevarde
that the scenery should not be saeri-
feed to mere convenience, but that
the contour of the winding hill should
be followed, gulches run up and down
rather than to span or throw up en-
bankments for passage and that the
road should leave nature in its prist-
inc state not even cutting down
tree that it was possible to leave stand
ing. He dwelt largely on the manner
Of constructing roads, the nature OF
materials best adapted of which we
have an abundance easy and cheap Of
access and pointed out in felicitous
way the absurd way in which many
overseers did their work. Referring
to the 5000 machines that were taken to
Europe iaat year from this country by
tourists 20 as to live in the air over
there, he stated that the Denver
Chamber Of Commerce was receiving
daily many communications from these
same parties inqlIring about the con-
veniences Of motoring in the Rocky
NJ ountains of Colorado and that if We
had the roads like the mountain re-
sorts Of Switzerland our resources
would be augmented annually by sever
al hundred millions Of dollars.
The next speaker was Charles A.
Johnson who dwelt principally upon
the scenic attractions of this sections
| and its wonderful variety. He re-
viewed clearly and impressively what
the Good Road movement had already
done in Estes Park through the build
ing of highways in that section. He
was familiar with the diversity and
magnifcence of the scenic wonders of
of this section as he had mined
years ago in Russell Gulch. He
urged upon our people the necessity
of cooperation in pushing this grand
work of better roads rs it would be
one of oul most valuable assets. Mr..
johnson is plain matter-of-fact talker
and what he said carried earnest con-
viction. In fact this was the predom-
inant characteristics of the speakers.
There was nothing Of the spread-eagle
or radical nature. The questions
were presented and discussed in clean
conservative and practical light and
from the standpoint of actual and con-
tinuous observations. and expert
enee.
Charles P. Allen the man who as
Chairman of the Statement Highway
Commission has done such an immense
amount of good work in the road in
terest of the state and counties was
next introduced He at once caught
the audience by remarking that DR..
Bartlett had overlooked one Of our best
assets and that was the large number
of boys and girls who had turned out
and was this early showing their inter-
est in this work. He said that he felt
at home among them as he had about
a dozen or SO of his own at home.
He told of the wonderful amount of
of activity in all parts of this state in
building good roads over the plains and
| through the mountains ard he hoped
| to see an appreciation sufficiently
large lOE IuS uCAG blCiialdH oo sh0S
the work could be increased MANIFOLD.
He assured our people of his desire to
do all he could in the matter in which
they are particularly interested and
presaged the large financial results
that would accrue to this community.
His extended experience in this line Of
duty stamps him as the man to ill the
position that has been given in the
most efficient manner. He is practi-
cal, earnest and persevering.
Hon. ]. E Maloney made a short
talk along the line of county boards