Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-25
THE CIRCLE
ROUTE
Full Story Of the Road
Which Will Place Us
On Map

Now that Durango ard La P'atu
county are OH the map SO far as TIE
state highway circle road is concerned.
a review of the work may be interest
ing. While there has been more or
less agitation FOR some years, thu real
enthusiasm for state-wids good roads
took form last January 1T the good
reads convention in Denver wnen this
southwest section went TO the conyen-
ton one hundred strong. READERS OF
The Herald will remember the hard
fight at that time to secure recoln-
tion for this section-Canon City,
Colorado Springs and few other sec
tions protesting against enlargiag the
work of the highway commission 4 he
Canon City crowd were particularly
obstreperous in the fight from tIie fact
that Fremont county has enjoyed the
benefit of convict labor ON its II 5ads
and streets of Canon City for ,aany
years without any expense to the peo
pie. To enlarge the powers u the
highway commission would endangcr
the supremacy of Fremont county in
matter of roads. But the fight made
by the people of the San Juan con
gress counties won the day, not pnly
in the good roads convention but in
the meeting of county commissioners
from over the state, and then bills
were introduced in the Legislature en-
larging the scope of the highway com
mission and providing funds for carry-
ing on the work. The legislature Was
requested to turn over the money lin
the internal Improvement fund to The
highway commission, but this was
strongly opposed by members who had
promised to secure direct approprla-
tions for their counties. However, .
bill passed providing for the turnii. s.
over of the internal improveme t
funds commencing with the year 1877
and AN amendment carried for the
turning over of any unexpended mon
les in the fund for 1911 and 1912. This
leaves the highway fund what might
be termed problematical. A direct
appropriation of $4,000 year was
made to the commission to which will
be added unexpended internal i'm
provement funds and monies in other
directions, contingent, however, upon
certain conditions and the approval of
measures by the governor.
Carrying out the requests of the
state good roads convention and ev-
cry other commercial gathering in the
state, the highway commission map
ped out line of work-that Of the
state highway circle and to this end
are using the funds in hand. Natural
ly, about every county in the state
wants slice of the fund and especial
ly to be placed ON the circle road, but
this is not possible at this time. There
are several mountain routes that are
feasible for the circle route, but the
highway commissioners planned the
circle route as outlined in paper re-
Gently read by myself at the meeting
of the commercial executives at the
Denver chamber of commerce in Den
yer. The only change from the de-
scription given being by way Of Ell
wood in Archuleta county to the San
Luis valley. giving more direct route
If not quite 80 picturesque as by way
of Creede and Wimmenuche pass. Eff
forts have been made to have the
highway commissioners change their
plans. Quite determined effort has
been made to have the main line Of
the circle highway traverse the San
Luis valley and cross over the divide
from Creede by way Of Silverton.
Claims were made that it would short
en- the route and take in the Wagon
Wheel country. But this section had
strong advocates on the highway com
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