The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-05-04
Interstate Trail Attracting Atten-
ton.

ton.
The new Interstate Trail which
passes through Leon, running from
kansas City and st. Joe to Des
Moines and St. Paul, is attracting
rational attention. The May number
Of Motor, the big auto maine has
the following notice of the trail:
1.-THE latest motor car speedway
project in the Midwest is the Kan
sas City-St. Paul Motor Trail. The
promoting body is the Des Moincs,
Kansas City and St. Joseph Inter-
State Trail Association, with head
quarters at Lamont, Iowa. Subsid-
ary organizations are now being
formed at various stages OF the route
from Kansas City to Des MOines, and
within short time similar organiza-
lions covering the" traiI' north from
Des Mones will be formed.
Projects for speedWays running
east and west from the Mississippi to
the Pacific are already we'll under
way. 1t is the object Of the promot-
ers of the new trail to provide
north and south pleasure drive,
which shall, incidentally be of great
benefit to heavier traffic.
In a general way, the route will
be bee line" from Kansas City to
the Iowa Capitol, and another "bee
From Kansas City the route will be
by way Of Cameron, Pattonsburg
and Bethany, all in Missouri. Strik-
ing the Iowa line north OF Bethany,
it will reach Des Moines by way of
Indianola, Osceola, Leon, Lamont
and Eeglevllle.
From st. Joseph, Mo-, a branch
will run northeast to intersect the
main road at Bethany. 1t is probable
that this branch will be extended on
south from St. Joseph to East Leav-
enworth, Mo. 1t is pointed out that a
finished highway between that point
and Des Moines, affording an easy
route Of march for troops between
Fort Leavenworth and Fort Des
Moines. would be Of benefit to the
government and might induce con-
gress to give assistance.
The plan of the trail association
| is, first of all, to induce counties to
macadamiZe as much of the route as
possible. A considerable proportion
of it is already paved, but there are
few places where the macadam has
been laid continuously for more than
few miles. Where the counties can
not be induced to use macadam, they
will be asked to put in bridges and
culverts of stone and concrete
J Farmers will be asked to cooperate,
each man with property abutting on
the road to see that his part of the
road is thoroughly worked with a
King road drag. This drag does
wonders in converting an impossible
dirt road into a good highway.
All work will be done under the
supervision of a highway engineer
Of long experience. He will cooperate
with county authorities and his sub
ordinates will teach the farmers how
to keep their part of the road in
good condition at a surprisingly
small expense.
A preliminary canvass shows tina
the "Traif' promoters will meet with
encOura cement from the cities and
counties touched by the road. AL
ready dozen towns and villages
have agreed to he responsible for the
necessary Improvement from points
half way to the towns on either side
The region to be traversed by the
trail is adapted to easy and rapid
lunning. From Kansas City to St.
Paul is practically one continuous
stretch of prairie. There are few
hills of any size along the whole pro-
POSED route and nothing even faint
ly resem bling mountain. Once COM
pleted the trail" should afford an
opportunity for some record break
ing runs.
Not only are the motorists and tie
motorists organizations throughout
the Middle West, most active in the
prom lotion of good roads in general
but they seem to have a firm grasp on
the knowledge Of what the country s
future roadWayS are to be. There
is much talk of roads as motor
"speedways' in this section-roaus
upon which the motor car shall J;
free to travel at any reasonable rate
within the desire Of the driver