The copper era and Morenci leader., 1913-01-24
OLD TRAILS ROAD PASSES FL
 .PASO
Bill Before Congress Specifics Ell Paso Las Cruces, Deming and Douglas.

The National Old Trails ocean to ocean road which congress has been asked to construct, is to pass through made in the future A bill has already been introduced in congress to appro- priate $20,000 for this work and in the measure, Socorro Las Cruces, Fl Paso Deming and Douglas are specified as points along the proposed road. This is the road that is being fathered-or rather mothered-by the Daughters of the Revolution, to make the historic trail of the west.
 Originally the association had pledged Itself to the Ocean to Ocean highway people west of Santa Fe and the route would have been through Springerville, Clifton, Globe and the Gila Valley, but recently the Old Trails association has decided that the more historical route is by way of Fl Paso, and it makes the official announce men that the road will be run this way unless, by practically unanimous action, the people of New Mexico and Arizona should prefer another route. Therefore, if Las Cruces, Fl Paso, Dem ing and Douglas want to get onto the first cross country route constructed it will be necessary for them to go to work They have the advantage of history with them, but politics and work often beat history.
 Potter Wants to Be Shown. Having read in the Herald last Satur day that the route was to run this way and that I. J. Kirker, organizer for the association was in Fl Paso, Dell M. Potter, champion good roads worker in Arizona, who is the main spirit in the fight for the Ocean to Ocean highway through the Gila valley and Globe, wired The Herald today as follows:
 Clifton, Ariz., Jan. 21. Editor Fl Paso Herald:
 As a matter of business and fairness to your city and the enire southwest would it not be advisable to wire J M. Lowe, president Old Trails associ ation, Midland building, Kansas City Mo-, for a positive statement as tc whether or not the Old Trails asso citation has designated the route ot a national highwy through Fl Paso' DELL M. POTTER.
 As it happens, The Herald and c. H Lester, of South Dakota, champion Borderland route booster, who is now wintering here, have just received let ters from the offices of the Old Trails l association and can give MT. Potter his answer without wiring to Mz Lowe. Enclosed with the letters is map showing the route from Santa Fe down through Albuquerque, Socorro Las Cruces and Fl Paso to Deming Douglas, Tucson, and thence to Phoe mix. The letter states that the asso citation is now pledged to this route that the bill before congress men tions these points; that it formerly was pledged to MT. Potter's route which went through Springerville Clifton, the Gila Valley and Globe past the Roosevelt dam to Phoenix but had dropped that route as less
 
 Old Trails association is now pledged is the Borderland route from Las ECruces west, through Fl Paso.
 The Old Trails Letter.
 The letters from the office of the Old Trails association to MT. Lester and the Herald are almost identical they are so in regard to the route ant the reasons for selecting The Fl Pas way" MT. Lester's letter follows:
 Kansas City, Mo, Jan. 15, 1913 C. H. Lester, Fl Paso, Tex:
 Dear MT. Lester-We are very desic ous of getting in touch with some o the good roads boosters of your VI cinity and have been referred to yo. as a live one.
 Our organization is boosting for al nous old trails of the continent. A the time of organization we were un informed as to old trails in the wes and definitely located our road only t , Santa Fe, N. M. From there west, Ou , constitution says the most scenic ant historic route to the Pacific as de cided by the several states.
 Lowe Refuses to Join Them. We had expected and intended to al filiate and cooperate with the Ocea1 to Ocean highway association, of Cali fornia, Arizona and New Mexico, an l our president, J. NJ. Lowe, made ) special trip to Santa Fe this fall fO that purpose. But at that meeting cropped out that the route as adOpte by the Ocean to Ocean associatino 5 really was not the route preferred b 5 the majority of the people of thos states; but our president went ahear as he intended and they adopted