The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-10
Alabama Has No "Old Hick- ory" Monument
HIS WORK FOR STATE
Some Gossip About Nation's.~ Most Famous Braces" and Highways
 and Plea for Great Jack son Highway"
BY ALMS RITTENBERRY

Congressman Maynard of Virginia, Tn the latter part of June, 1910. introduced bill in Congress to authorize the prelim- mary survey and to determine the approx innate cost of seven national highways, connecting Washington with various parts of the country. The bill called for S,OoO,OoO to make the survey. 1t provided Tor highway commission to construct roads as follows
 From washington to Portland. Me, via Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Bos- ton, etc, to be known as the Washington National Interstate Highway.
 From Washington to Niagara Falls, by way of Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Buffalo, etc, to be known as the Roosevelt Ma tional Interstate Highway.
 From Washington to Seattle, wash, via West Virginia, Indiana. Illinois (Chicago), Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Mon tana, Idaho, etc., to be known as the Lin- coin National Interstate Highway.
 From Washington to San Francisco, via Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee. Indiana, llli- nois, Missouri (St. Douis1, Kansas, Colo i rado Denver), Utah. Nevada, etc, to be known as the Jefferson National Interstate Highway.
 From Washington to California, via Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklaho- ma, Northern Texas, Arizona, etc., to be known as the Grant National Highway.
 From Washington to Austin, Tex, through Virginia, North and South Caro- lima, Georgia (Atlanta). Alabama, Missis- sippi, etc, to be called the Monroe Ma tional Interstate Highway
 From Washington to Miami Fla, through intervening states, following the Seaboard, to be called the Lee National Interstate Highway.
 Senator Cullom of Illinois, on August 10 introduced a bill in the Senate asking for the survey of the same highway pro- posed by Congressman Maynard, 10 be built at a cost of S14S. .000.0o0, to be raised by the issuance of bonds. After the roads have been built it is proposed to pay their cost of maintenance by the col lection of toll.
 Several bills have been presented to Congress asking for appropriations to get a survey for highways. Some three years ago Senator Bankhead of Alabama O pioneer in the good roads and highway movement asked for the sum of $500,0OO to determine the most practical routss. The same request was made later by Senator Swanson of Virginia, and Sim- mons of North Carolina. And the other day Congressman Hobson of Alabama asked for appropriation of $25o0o0, to survey a highway from Niagara Falls by Zanesville, O., Maysville, Ky, through = AlSisa naa to New Orleans, to be called ihe Jefferson-Clay Highway. But not one proposed to honor the name of the man whose name is identified with more roads and trails than any other man in Ameri- cas- history.
 Roads and Civilization
 Roads are an important part of civili- zation. The first method of inter-commu- nication and traffic between the aborig inal tribes was by means of rude paths and trails, uphill and down dale. just as wild beasts travelled from time immemo- rial. The introduction of pack animals did not necessitate any material changes In fhe road" which ran at random, except as travellers sought the easiest transit the way of least resistance. No care was given these paths either as regards sur face or foundation, and the impact of the feet of man and beast accomplished all that was done to smooth and harden the surface.
 Volumes could be written on the his tory. and romance of the roads and trails in America in the early days. One of rhe oldest Is the Santa Fe trail the begin ming of which was in 1520, when Francisco vasquez de Coronado led an expedition of exploration and conquest from Mexico Up into Kansas. In 1896 Santa Fe de San Francisco uhe true city of the Holy Faith of St. Francis) was founded in a plain trimmed in by mountains. where The Spaniards and Mexicans slept for two centuries, between wars with the Indians. In 1895 the trail was made an authorized road by act of Congress. In the next two years it was surveyed and marked out, from the western frontier of Missouri, near Fort Osage to San Fernando de Zaos, near Santa Fe. Fort Leavenworth was established to give military protection to