The Washington times., 1911-03-27
SANTA FE TRAIL TO
Be MOTOR HIGHWAY
Route of Pioneers Will Be
Made Possible Pleasant,
Speedy Journey.

The restoration of the old Santa Fe
trail, the trail which is so insepara bly,
connected with the early development of
the vast plains country of the South
west, is under way, and is receiving en-
| thusiastic encouragement all along the
route. 1t is TO be an auto highway, and
the autos are numberless.
portion of what soon will be the
New Santa Fe trail' already has been
prepared according to the high standard
planned. but will not be ready for the
army's use during the mobilization
along the Mexican border. All bridges
are to be put in order, sand stretches
cleared, grades cut and depressions
either filled or trestled. The roadway is
being worked to a high degree of per-
fection for the use of automobiles in
this twentieth century change from the
days of the prairie schooner, the army
wagon, and all their rumbling, cumber-
some accessories.
For Army Movements.
The old trail was established primar-
lily by the movement OF soldiers from
forts in the middle West to Santa Fe,
New Mexico, and other points in the
then unpeopled border country OF the
Southwest. 1t soon became the recog-
nized line Of travel for freighting
wagons TO the remote districts out
West" These wagon trains made
trips at the end OF weeks Of strenuous
toll, with many obstacles on the way,
while the new trail will make possible
a journey so swift that distances which
required weeks will be shortened to
days, and all the early hardships and
lonesomeness will be obliterated. for
towns have sprung up all along the
route. In northern Texas and adjacent
districts, the change of recent years
has been astounding.
In the early days of freighting baco
for a roundup in the then Cow coun-
try" cost so cents a pound, and either a
cigar or a drink of whisky cost two
bits. regardless of grade. In the time
OF the old Santa Fe Trail cowboys, SOL
diers. and Indians. with an occasional
hardy family of pioneers formed the
citizenship OF the Southwest, and even
they were found only at posts and II
colonies. But the sod shack and the
dugout are in ruins, and displaced by
the modern houses and by schools,
hotels. banks. and churches in districts
that were the haunts of prowling In
dians when the old trail made its i'm
press on history.
To Lead to Places of Interest.
II is proposed that the various COM
munities interested in rebuilding the
trail as a highway shall, on their own
responsibility, extend the route and con-
struct side highways to places of inter-
est. Amarillo. down In the Texas Pan
handle. has proposed. for instance, to
prepare roads to the picturesque and
scenic Palo Dure Canyon, to Chicken
lake, and to other similarly Interesting
points in the panhandle region. Other
cities and towns have expressed the in
tention OF following this plan, and it
has even been proposed to extend the
route to connect Chicago and Denver.
Enthusiastic auto owners haze volun-
teered their services free Of charge 70
make all necessary surveys and logs
covering the route from the state line
of Kansas. Curiously enough, Ama~,iI0
Is the town found TO have the largest
per capita number of gas wagons. no
less than 500 being owned IN tina. tow
and its immediate vicinity.