New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-13
Stone ROAD IDEA GROWS.
Highway from Ocean to Ocean
May Become Reality. ~
WOULD BOOM AUTO TRADE
Beecroft Says This Is One of
Best Suggestions Ever Made
for Highway Betterment.

,rbare IS widespread interest through
~, the country in the plans recently an
,oupoed looking toward the building OF
,rsnscontinental highway from New York
:. Gan Francisco with the financial back
to Of the automobile industry to the eX-
80. NJ AZ least 100000. which amount
ri assure the success Of the enterprise
:, ,s the intention TO construct road
.-h,cb will be practically of permanent
,s,nrs so as to eliminate the great cost
:, maintenance, which is the drawback
>, the type OF roads now in use IN many
s,.,ss At a conference soon TO be held
~, the commissioners under whose direc-
Az, the road will be built II Is probable
re, the type Of construction will be
agreed upon .. .. .......
IRE preliminary work will be pushed as
last as possible, with a view TO arrang-
ing for the actual construction Of the
tighway, so that 1t will be completed by
January /, 1915, in time for use by the
thousands Of motorists who are already
rlsnning tours to the Panama-Pacific Ex-
,os,tior IN the spring Of that year. The
,sb+afiye route suggested starts from
Nav York City, going south by way Of
washington, through Wheeling and Co
.rinbus 10 indianapolis, thence west
through 81. Louis, Kansas City and over
i,bA Santa Fe trail through La Junta,
phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles, fol-
Lowing the Pacific Coast to San Fran
cisco ....' - +
The greater portion OF this route was
originally surveyed by pathfnders for
The Touring Club Of America two years
ago, F -,
IN commenting upon the practicabality'
of the plan, DAVID Beecroft, one OF the
lbA,t known Of American automobile ana
rad experts, said recently: . '-s
..Sever before has the time been more
cboortune for road improvement than TO-
ldsy Where improvements have been
made cars have sold as a direct result.
The good roads movement needs more
than anything else to-day the spirit or
6o sonethlpg-stop talking and act!
There have been enough Of routes
enough OF getting lost, enough OF delays
h,, not enough actual work. What is
naeded is stone-crushed stone-along the
roadside, so that II can. be put on the
road. Stone is needed from the Atlantic
10 the Pacific, and II the automobile world
expects 70 get this nbhon Of stone from
toceap 10 ocean with the next decade IL Is
imperative that II take up the white
mans burden and provide the stone.'
Mr.. Beecroft commends the spirit of the
prominent automobile manufacturers VINO
have instigated this movement, and be-
reves that If the automobile Industry
and motor car users furnish the funds
the state and county authorities should
be agreeable 10 signing contracts TO do
the actual road building under engineer
ing supervision.
.l,Tbis. is one Of the best good roads
suggestions that have occurred. 1t is 10
he hoped that II goes through" continued
Mr. Beecroft. 1T will II the automo-
bile manufacturers are awake 70 the
signs of the times. and II the men at
the helms Of the big industries reaize
ard have properly weighed the big fac
tors that 90 10 make UP the successes OF
the industry.
.If stone road could be built from
ocean 10 ocean In three years on these
lines il would be the greatest incentive
10 good roads that America ever wit
messed. II would advertise the autoino-
Bile industry as nc, other movement has
done since the inception Of the motor
propelled vehicle. If would interest the
farmer in the motor car and would bring
home to him the value pr good roads to
such an extent that other transconti-
mental routes would be started, feeders
to these lines would be open, and In
word, road building would throw on It's
swaddling garments and take on the at
tributes Of an adult"