White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-24

Ogden factions to fight out among
themselves the choice of the auto.
mobile route through that section ot
Utah, A. L. Westgard, pathfinder for
the American Automobile association
left the lake city last week. and ar.
rived In Ely. Sunday afternoon, com.
ing from Currie, where he and his
wife passed Saturday night, on the
last lap of the journey, making the
79 miles from Currie to Ely. in foul
hours
A number of local automobiles met
the Pathfinder near the Campbell
ranch, and escorted him to the Step
toe hotel, at East Ely, where he and
Mrs Westgard were entertained
over night, and resumed their journey
TO the coast, early Monday morning.
by the way of Tonopah. After their
arrival at East Ely. Gael S. Hoag.
secretary of the Nevada State Auto
mobile association, sent the following
telegram. to the Salt Lake Tribune:
THE westgard party arrived this
noon, covering the route from Cur
rie, seyenty-nine miles In four hours.
They report excellent gravel roads
the entire distance. me total dis
tance from Salt Lake via, this route
Is 29O miles-two days running time
'Westgard says he has never
Travelled over better unimproved
roads for an equal distance, and aside
from the stretch across the great Salt
Lake desert, which is up to Utah to
take care of. Nevada has only four
miles west of Shafter which needs
grading across a mud fiat. | Will see
that Nevada does it's part.
Ely TO Tonopah. nearly 200 miles,
is excellent going. II is a one-day
trip, thence via. Goldfield to Californ-
la, all good roads are found. making
II three days to Los Angeles.
"The Nevada State Auto assoeia-
tion joins Westgard In hoping the
desert stretch is improved so as to
make the Midland the fayorite trans
continental route"
Whatever the outcome af the diff
ferences of opinion as to route in
Salt Lake. Mr., Westgard does not
hesitate to express his views that Ely
is ar important point in the scheme
of transcontinental automobile routes
and that the road as traversed from
Salt Lake to the Ely district is one
of the best stretches of natural cross
country highway in the entire dis
tance between the coasts.
Mr. Westgard regets the diversity
of opinion that has developed in Salt
Lake, as il delays his making a speei-
fic report to the Automobile associa-
tion, which is of importance, as east
ern men interested in the project of
the transeontinental highway, desire
TO be governed by the Utah people,
in selecting the route of the Mid
land trail across that state.
The Pathfinder prefers the route
he has decided on. as the shortest,
across the desert country TO the Ne
vada line. The road can be built for
less expense than the other proposed
route, the total cost of the forty
miles across the fiat country, estimat-
ed to be not more than $4,000.
There Is plenty of gravel available
for surfacing on both sides OF the
road.
Another feature of the road pick
ed out by Mr.. Westgard. Is the
scenic beauty, that will naturally ap-
peal to tourists. For miles the route
win traverse a section as level ana
hard as a floor, and the only speed
limit will be the capacity of the ma
chine. With stations not more than
ten miles apart, the tourist VIII not
be worried by the fear of break
downs. as he will always be WITHIN a
few miles of assistance. water, ana
telegraphic communication. In speak
ing of the wonderful scenic attrac-
tions. combination of plains anu
distant lofty mountain peaks MI
Westgard said:
THE desert will prove interesting
to travellers. 1t is the only reai
desert In America, absolutely barren
and the most like the Sahara lheh
there are ten miles of the great SAT-
bed. Novelty adds zest to an auto
mobile tour, and the route VIII be oe-
cidedly novel The autoist can ~
as fast as he likes, without danger
The route selected by MT west