La Junta tribune., 1913-11-22
HOT ROAST FROM KANSAS
AutOaaoblle Toasiss Mistakes Our
Street CroesinSs for Foothills ~
Rocky MOuAtains

Street Cr0estnSs for Foothills ~
Rocky MoaAtains
II Beloit Wishes to get out OF the
class OF Ordinary towns" which have
nothing distinctive TO attract the eye
Of the stranger or tourist. II could
find no easier. cheaper or better way
than to put In 4 system Of street
crossings. such as is found In Kear-
ney. Neb.
A tourist does not remember even
the names OF most OF the towns he
passes through. The town which has
nothing to attract his attention 9TH
er than those things to De observed
In every other little village Is paused
BY without NO much a. = mental note
but there are lasting Impressions
formed about many places because Of
some distinctive features which they
POSSESS. For example In passing
ArouEh La Junta. Colo. = tourist
III mistake the street crossings for
the foot hills of the Rocky Noun
tains. The fact that II Is impossible
to stay within the speed limit and not
kill the engine or exceed the speed
limit and not throw the occupants
OF he rear seat through some OF
tho second story windows makes an
impression that can never be forgot
ten and one which caused every tour
list to have II In for the town on gem
eral principles. The result Is that
La Junta Is getting much unfavor-
able advertising.
Contrast La Junta with Kearney.
Nebraska, a town but little more
than half It's size. You can drive
through the streets of Eearney. from
and never know when you arrive at
street Intersection simply because
the enterprising city officials investi-
gated and learned how to put In the
right Kind a. esossinSs and cutters.
The streets are not paved and there
Is not = single condition OF drainage
which Is not common to La Junts.
Every tourist who passes through
Kearnsy will remember the place aad
will sing It's psaisss sbreAd.-Bsl0it.
tExn.D Gazette.
The great family journal Is not In
,he least inciirsd TO take umbrxEe
at the above criticism. for Il In = crit
icism that is deserved Il, the light Of
the experience of the writer who Wis
tied our foothills" last summer.
The writer Is Fred W. Knapp. editor
Of the Beloit. tkan) Gazette. who
visited relatives In this city last sum
mer while .n route To the mountains
In his editorial automobile. Condi-
tions, however. as regards street
crossings. have been vastly improved
since Mr.. Knapp visited this city. and
the worst Of the street crossinE
bumps have been entirely eiin,inxt-
ed. During the past summer sixteen
metal culvcrts were Installed where
they were most needed. aud the
street crossings are nov rs level as =
floor. There In stiil plenty OF room
for further Improvement. however.
We do not believe there In u street
crossing In the whole town where
an open gutter Is absolutely ncc~s-
sary. We have not had one inch of
rain for three months. and most any
Kind OF an old culvert would have
had no difficulty In taking care Of all
the surplus water that fell during
that period. The streets Of La Juntx
ar. used every day the year around.
and We fail 10 sce the necessity Of
having thes. unrikhtly open cutters
10 take care OF flood waters We do
not hav. oft~ner than once or twice
"a year. The streets OF Ia JuntA. es-
p~cisiiy IN tn. business section.
ought To BE- made ~ level As \ floor.
Hundreds Of tourists VIII pass thru
la Junta next year. and In 1913
there Will probably be Thousands Of
them en- route to the Pansms-Pacific
Exposition In Han Frsnctsco. Our
prtnripsi streets ought 10 he IN such
condition - 10 give them = pleasant
memory. instead Of \ hid~our night
mare such ~ that chronicied In the
clipping at the head ri this article.
We hope the city council hiss sui.
fici~nt pride In the good name oj -
JuhtA 10 give the ever Increasing
nutomobile world = pleasant memory
Of this city instead Of "cn using every
tourist 70 have Il In for the town on
seaerai pssacipies.' Oct busy s'
onos aad wipe out the foothills Of
the Rocky mountains"-st least all
Of thoss that are located Inside the
-as.s