The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-06-22
TWO STATES BEHIND A ROAD.
An Improved Highway From Kansas
City to Des Moines is Being
Made by Interstate Trail
Association.

A graded, dragged and marked
earth highway between Kansas City
and Des Moines is a project soon to
be realized, according to the plans of
the Des Moines, Kansas City and st.
Joseph Interstate Trail Association.
The markers have been ordered, and
the same practical methods are to be
used in pushing the work to COM
pletion as were employed in finishing
the road from Des Moines as far as
Bethany, Mo,-about half the dis
tance-and the branch of the road
from Bethany to St. Joseph. Fin
ishing" is hardly a proper word, be-
cause the road plan of the associa-
ton contemplates that work on the
w. "A. Hopkins, cashier of the
State Savings Bank, of Lamont, Iowa,
and president of the trail associa-
ton, presented the project to the
Automobile Club. He wilrgo to Lib
erty, Mo-, this afternoon in the inter-
est of the project and will preside
over a tri-county meeting in Cam
eron, Mo-, tomorrow afternoon, which
other officers of the association will
attend. An effort will be made to
determine at that meeting all the de-
tails of the route between Kansas
City and Bethany.
THE work of the association is
supported by membership fees of 81,
by the help of farmers along the
route and by officials of counties and
townships through which the road
passes," Mr.. Hopkins said this morn
ing. There are one thousand mem
bers now. We also have promises of
aid from the state highway engin-
eers of Missouri and Iowa.
You say some farmers are not in
terested in good roads. That's
true, but the type is passing. The
interest among the agricultural
classes of Iowa, where the advan-
tages and actual money profit have
been shown in the last year more
than ever before, has reached fever
pitch. The land along our new i'm
proved earth highways has increased
in value from IS to $40 an acre. The
county authorities have been help
ing to put the road in condition at
first, installing permanent bridges
and the like. The farmers along the
route, aided by the overseers, keep
the road dragged and in condition.
"The efficacy of read plan that
depends largely on the landowners
along the road is shown by the Riv-
er-to-River highway in Iowa, the sew
eral hundred miles Of which were i'm
.prOveds in one day last year and are
now kept In excellent condition
s'The constitution of the associa-
ton provides that Kansas City shall
be considered member of the asso-
citation when two hundred residents
of the city shall have Joined and paid
the 81 annual membership fee. St.
Joseph and Des Moines already have
dred memberships each. That mat
ter, too, was presented to the Auto
mobile Club.
But the association is going
ahead as the membership already
had been taken. The road markers
will be delivered in ten days.
"Of course, there will be a time
when oil and rock surfacing for the
road will be considered, but we are
undertaking now what we know we
can accomplish Immediately, Mr..
Hopkins said. Incidentally, the
general plan to be worked out in
cludes Leavenworth, and we hope to
obtain aid from the government, be-
cause the trail could be used as
military road between Fort Leav-
enworth and Fort Des Noines."
None of the officers of the associa-
toin receives salary. The road
mileage from here to Des Moines
will be about two hundred and twen-
ty miles.-Kansas City Star.