The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-07-26
STEPHENS HAS PLAN

some DAY Minnesota will find her
self, and when she does, when the
men who are sent to it's legislatures
are largely Of sufficient caliber to
appreciate the wonderful resources
OF this marvellous state, then Mime
written above in speaking of the
Duluth News-Tribune writes as fol-
lows, and somewhat along the lines
mrltten above in speaking of the
proposition Of Crookston business
man, A. D. Stephens. The article is
we'll worth reproducing, because it
is, every word of it, true. Says the
Tribune: "Does the state of Mime
sofa want new income of
S5O,O0O,00O year distributed among
its people? Would Minnesota be
willing to spent 100000 or
$l0,O0O,OO0 to get this, to get back
five or ten times it's investment
every year A. D. Stephens of
Crookston tells how this can be
done. He is not a dreamer nor
chaser of ll-o'-the-wisps. This is
not the way he has used to become
one of the most substantial men
financially, of northwestern Mime
sofa. He is conservative; in politics
he has even been called ''stand-
patter," and the man who wanted
safe, sane business advice would not
hesitate to go to the Crookston
banker for it. So when he advances
such a scheme as this, it is worth
listening to and considering serious
ly. 1t is sure to have solid fact
back OF 1T, though it may at first
sound like fairy tale. This is Mr..
Stephens plan, simply to build a
substantial, permanent highway
form the Twin Cities to Mile Laos
lake, then to Leach lake and on by
way of Cass Lake to Red Lake and
Lake of the Woods; from there along
Rainy river to Rainy lake and down
through the Vermilion lake region to
Duluth. This would make about
1000 miles of highway. At $4,000
mile it would cost 100000. 1t
would bring, in good, hard cash,
according to Mr.. Stephens estimate,
every year, from motor car travel
from June 1 to Oct. 1, the sum
wanted-$5O,OO Why does he
say this? What possible basis has
he for any such statement? South
ern California does just this same
thing. 1t has spent $S,000,000 on
roads and reaps from them this
same harvest. Not all the people
who own motors go there; just as
many and more would come here.
Here is where Minnesota has it all
over southern California-no other
phrase will express just what we
mean. People go there just to spend
their money. They go in winter,
not because they have to go, for the
winter climate of no part of the
United States forces the people to go
away for health or comfort. They
travel in winter for pleasure. They
go away in the busiest business
season because they have money
which is burning holes in their
pockets. They go just for the sake
of going; they could be mighty COM
Portable in their own fine homes.
This is not so in summer. Then
people leave the South; they fly from
the big cities, run away from the
intolerable heat as from a plague.
They have to go. If they possibly
can, they will go, and most of them,
say 80 per cent, og in motor cars,
and they look first of all for good
roads. If Minnesota had the roads,
it certainly has the ideal climate.
Give this vast procession chance
for such trip as Mr.. Stephens out
lines, succession of the largest
and finest inland lakes in the United
States, and you could not keep them
away. There are 10000 motor cars
in New York state alone. If only
1000 took this trip they would leave
100000 behind them in this state
They could come to Duluth by boat;
they could go back by boat. They
would not wet handkerchief from
+ M