The Delta independent., 1912-06-14
BLACK MESA ROAD
MAY BUILD THIS YEAR
BOOSTERS HOLD CONFERENCE.
Senator George Stephsn and Engin-
eer George c. Nickery Attend
Gunnison Last Week.


Senator George Stephan and Geo.
c. Vickery Were in attendance upon
good roads meeting at Gunnlson
last week and returned hoIue feelinJ
highly elated over the prospects for
the Black mesa road being construct
Ell this summer.
The road will be built to Delta
county, it is reported by the Gun
nison News-Chappion, providing the
expense TO Gunnison county will not
exceed s2,5OO or $4,000. This county
will pay its share OF the total ex-
pense and the towns of Crawford
and Maher will raise sufficient
money by public subscription to de
fray the cost of construction where
the road runs through Montrose
county.
This is the understanding which
was reached at conference between
the Delta men and the Gunnison
county commissioners and a commit
tee from the Gunnison Chamber OF
Commerce.
Referring to the new road and the
action taken at this conference. the
News Champion makes the following
report:
Two engineers, one Mr.. Vickery
and the other VIM. Eckbert of Pit
Tin. II his services can be obtained.
will start from Sapinero on June 20,
unless the weather coalitions are
unfayorable. and go over the mesa
viewing a route for the road. Mr..
Vickery already has gathered a.
quantity of data with which to work.
He is very familiar with the ground
from Curecanti Creek to Delta, hav-
ing gone over the country last
August at the request of Delta
county commissioners to make report
on road possibilities. From Sapi-
nero to Curccanti creek he is not
10 familiar with the lay Of the land
According to a statement made
at the meeting OF the Gunnison club
Tuesday by Mr. Vickery, the pro-
posed road will go over new ground
taking an entirely new course and
direction MIR. Vickery, on his trip
last summer. measured the grades
all along and asserted that at no
place would there be greater than
six per cent grade. This is the max
imum grade which the State High
way commission will accept for any
portion of a state road.
while the Black mesa-if built
this summer-oould not be classed as
a perfect highway for all sorts of
traffic. road enthusiasts IN Gunnison
and Delta counties believe that it
will prove to be the entering wedge
that will open the Golfers OF both
county and state IN the oonstruc-
ton OF as fine an automobile road
over Black mesa as will be found in
the state. Mr.. Vickory, as well as
others who have been over the route,
say that nowhere in the state is the
scenery more grand. and Mr.. Wick
cry declared that in his opinion this
highway will become famous to
travellers because of the wonderful
scenery.
Senator Geo. Stephan is n good
roads enthusiast of the investigat-
ing type. He has seen and been con
vinced Talking to n representative
OF News Champion, Senator Stephan
asserted that in his world travels
he had observed that the countries
with the best roads were the most
prosperous. He cited Switzerland,
France, Germany, Italy as against
Mexico, the Central American states,
China, Japan and other countries
where the roads are an abomination.
Money Is Assured.
An enthusiastic meeting of the
good roads men in this county fol-
lowing that in Gunnison last week,
was held in Hotchkiss on Monday.
Senator Stephan. County Commis-
sioner Geo. G. Wilson and John ].
Travis of this city were present and
these gentlemen report that reso-
lutlons were adopted pledging $l,-
900 from Hotchkiss by popular sub
scription, $500 to $1,000 from Pao-
mia and n good fund from Maher,
Crawford and the Surface Creek dis
trict. This fund Is raised for the
purpose of constructing the Black
mesa road through Montrose coun-
ty, and there is other support prom
ised by farmers along the line of the