The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1911-06-10
THAT ROAD TO MEEkHl
A Proposition Of Vital Interest Thss
People Should Proceed TO Push
vigorously-Hishway Com.
mission Favorable to II.

cause, the proposition to have Gat
field and Rio Blanco counties
operate In the building Of . stase
highway-the work to be psrforueA
by convict labor-is meeting with
what might charitsbly be desm4a
passive enthusiasm. At the press3t
time there 10 no factor that would
contribute more to the growth Of
Meeker "a railroad not excepted.
The same IL true ~ far ~ Rtfe y
concerned, and yet It is Impossible TO
arouse spirit Of enthusiasm In ref
erence to the preliminary work.
"Meeker would multiply her pro-
duction of crops In multiples II she
had some means Of procuring an OUT
let for them. The same is true Of
that entire county. It seems that .
railroad is, at best, . distant dream.
The next best thing, and perhaps .
better thing, would be . system OF
traction engines to haul the stun the.
forty-five miles between this point
and the thrifty little town to tho
north Of US.
s'It has been proven beyond ques-
tion that traction engines for hauling
freight short distances over ordinary
roads really means cheaper method
of transportation than that furnished
by the railroads. This II not denied.
John Brisben Walker, the we'll
hno-,r nocvar MAN In an nhdeona
before the Good Roads conference
held in Denver made the statement
that coal could be hauled by traction
engines from the fields sixty miles
north of Denver for less than l cent
per ton, whereas the railroad rate for
hauling the coal from the same point
is 80 cents per ton. In making these
Figures the cost Of gasoline and
everything was taken into considerA-
tion.
.'In his estimate it was shown that
the heavy loads were hauled over the
road 1T the rate Of about four miles
per hour.
'.If this statement 10 true, and Mr..
Walker has given the subject intense
thought and searched the country for
dependable figures-then N ee ker
conld nn,o.d her nroelnct here at
Rifle for . cost but trifie in advance
Of what Rifle would be obliged to pay
to get her products to Denver-or In
other words Meeker would only have
. varv anal, t.rifY added above what
R,aa h.. "a nav N .hin tn Denver or
mint. fnrther east or south.
.Wa Are ADVISED that the county
.omm,..,o,.,. acting mon the mi
ti.,iva ~ the cnmm;ttas .nnointed bv
Tho R,fe Ch.mher of Commarce
have ,nva.t,g.tad tho matter of am.
rloving convict l.hor and have Wait.
al th. c.mn ~ ro.d convicts in the
p,.,a.n ,.iI.y Wh.t tbe;, rano,t !.
10. ~. ~. h..n ,n.da ruh,;, In, ~
:. ~. ~. - tho.a ,n.a...t.d .h.t ~
v,lI hs S.vor.hia IN the Man so far
n..e.,d .o,n.u =. oo,eo-,ad
..pn. ..,d. &C.,, ~. n...,,. co,-
duct OF our own people, IL appears
that the oehavier OF the people OF
Hio hianco mas been even worse.
Whether or not there Is sentiment
IN that section That progress Is dah-
gerous Is . question.
Fhere Is no doubt tnat few wouio
lose their business as . result OF the
building OF . ROAD OF this character,
but majority OF the people would
resp . reward and 1t Is question
always In any community, OF the
greatest good to the greatest number.
Let US keep this matter stirred up