Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-12-15
ALONG THE TRAIL.

- nv 0o-OuhODAtp 0o
marks the final elimination OF the
dark and impossible places Of our con
tiralt IS being demonstrated daily,
and perhaps IN no section Of the
country more SO thasn in the west,
rich in lis history OF dangers, law
ls5s2asS and hsroism OF even our fair.
ly modern tines. It needs only tours,
such as the Ohio Mud Hen" IS now
completing from New York to San
Francisco and na'urn, to emphasize
The wonderful s'Tides that civiliza-
ton has made in the past one hun.
bred years, and how, duning tie past
decade, portions of this country. that
even the railroads had brought in
close touch with other sec ions, now
are being united by the persistent and
almOs, perpetual hum of the up-to-
uaee mO,Or car.
During the past week the Ohio
Mud Hen" has been traverSing the
famous Santa Fe trail. which was lard
oU- nearly one hundred years ago, TAX
ing as lis original course an Os2ge
INDIAN trail and being subsequently
enlightened out by Col. Nathan
Boone, a son of Daniel Boone, the
"trail' extending from Missouri,
through Kansas and a part of Colora-
dc, into New Mexico. For years this
'tnatl" was used by transcont'nental
pioneers, many of whom lost their
lives i'm comba's Wi h red saNages or
savage white men, and today cars
Ike THE Mud Hen" peacefully glide
over these same mites. unmoles'ed by
r5dskin or outlaw, and being remind
ed =. these stirring happenings of
the past only by the ruins of some
frontier landmark, some memorial
erected by the Daughters of the
Revolution to mark some historic
spot, or tombS' one, crude perhaps
but expressive, telling of lives sacrt-
feed in the fight for the upbulld1ng
of a new country.
Thomas W Wildly, the United States
Government represent at'Re, who is
directing tdis ide2l scenic end htsdor-
lie tour, writes from Garden City,
Kansas; When the Mud Hem
reaches Kansas City rest of a day
will be made i'm order 70 NEE. promi-
nent members of the D. A. R., the or
gan'zation which is responsible for
the placing of markers on the Santa
Fe Trail which so gnea'ly aid auto
mobtbSts touring across the country
In keeping ON the hfstors highway.
And on leaving Kansas CITY we shall
s''ll continue ON the tagIl, as it now
Is part of the socalled Missouri Cross
STATE Highway, which is better known
as Boone's Lick Road and the Santa
Fe Trail. 1t Is recorded that some
of the earliest TRADERS, heading for
the Far West, followed am Usage IN
dian Trail, having old Franklin, Mo.
as a starting point, and This eventual
ly became the road to Colorado and
New Mexico The first EXPEDITION
over this noah started 80 years ago
IN 1S21-under the Command of Capt.
William Becknell, who is known as
the Father of the Santa Fe Trail.
Ruins and other reminders of the his
torical points Of interest. such as
Tavern, camps, ETC., still ane to be
found along the old road, which was
surveyed, marked and straighteued by
Colonel Nathan Boone, from st. Char
les to Old Franklin, Mo-, in 1915. The
first stage coach line was established
over the road between these points
in 1919. Later the stage coach lines
penetrated farther and farther west
ward, and eventually alb the road
that now sees daily passages OF AUTO
mobiles was traversed by these pho
neers Of transportation.
From La Junta, Coo, to Kansas
City we have the generous assistance
of members of the Santa Fe Trail AS
ISOLATION, who, acting as pilots with
Their cars, are guiding us across this
beautiful country. We have had as
many as three pf,Ots I'M one day, and
IN every instance they have been of
the greatest assistance to us i'm MAX
ing our tour easy and pleasant. AZ
Ter leaving Kansas City the latter
pant of this week, we will hurry with
all speed in order to reach Cincinnati
within week of the time we leave
Kansas City.
"After leaving CINCINNATI the Ohio
Mud Hem viii proceed to Washing
ton and thence to New York, thus
compile ing the round trip from cOas.
to coast on which the start was made
m September.