The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-20
REAL AUTO NEWS
Plan for a New Road Being
Discussed.
Lincoln Way" From Washing
ton to Gettysburg.
TIRE MEN ARE BUSY
Having a Lively Time to Keep
Up With Demand.
Motor Car Trucks Are in Meas
Ure Responsible.

Strong endorsement of the plan to
have the Lincoln Memorial in the form
of a road from Washington, D. c., to
the battlefield of Gettysburg, was given
yesterday by Benjamin EriscOe, in an
interview on the subject of American
road building and its needs Mr..
Briscos has been chiefly interested in
the manufacture of automobiles and in
cooperative industry and it is not gen
orally known that he has exerted an
increasing influence in highway deVel-
opmenc throughout the country.
THE Lincoln Memorial Road AS
ISOLATION" said Mr.. Briscoe "is rem
dering an excellent service in it's ad-
vocacy of such a road. In studying the
question how to express IN the most
fitting manner our appreciation of
Lincoln's life work, l am forced to the
conclusion that the memorial should
be a great highway rather than mon
ument, statue, bridge, arch or any
other structure. Even if we take from
the question every argument or mo-
tive that might be prompted tby the
use of an automobile, or the owner
ship of one, disassociate it entirely
from our national good roads move
ment and admit nothing but that
which determines the fitness of the
memorial, the road still seems to be
logical and the inevitable choice.
vious. The greatest memorial the
world has ever known is the Amman
Way in Italy, built by Appius Claud-
ius 500 years 3. c. 1t was celebrated
for its beautiful monuments. its tenn
pies and the sumptuOus villas that
arose on either side of it. Throughout
the ages it has been called the Queen
of Roads
The temples have fallen: the mon
uments have been destroyed: the villas
are in ruins, but, today twentv-two
centuries after Appius Claudius built
il. the road is still in use bearing the
burdens of commerce and the name of
it's founder What memorial could be
more worthy-more enduring What
could give Appius Claudius such per-
manent fame?
Congress has decided that the lin
coin Memorial shall be paid for by
the United States Government and a
fund of $2,000.0O0 has been provided
TO cover the cost. A commission has
been created to prepare plans and exc
cute the work The form of mem
orial most desired by the people I'M
doubtedly will be adopted
"a shaft should be excluded he
cause" continued Mr.. Rriscoe. with
such as the Washington monument II
invites contrast. An equestrian
statue should be rejected became
Washington now has one-tenth of ali
equestrian statues in the world. An
arch possibly would make a good feat
ure of a general design but of itself
it would not be complete. An art gal
lery, a museum or any other building
however beautiful, would scarcely
meet the requirement. Lincoln's fame
is growing-not fading. To use any
fixed or completed memorial would he
to ignore the vital fact about his fame
For these reasons a great road seems
to meet all the conditions of fitness.
sIincoln went from the White
House to Gettysburg to make an adj.
dress which is on the tongue of every
schooIboy and will be recited for 4
thousand years. Gettysburg is itself q
memorial. magnificent park on which
seven millions of dollars have been ex.