The Topeka state journal., 1913-08-02
AUT0M0BILENEWS
Hundreds of Motorists Pass
Through Capital City.
Tourists From East Follow
Golden Belt Route.
MANY ROAD MEETINGS HELD
Interest in Betterment of State
Highways Increasing.
Auto Races Will Be Feature OF
Meeting at Hutchinson.

| Hundreds of automobiles have passed
| through Topeka this season. Tourists
| from the east are making this city a
stopping point. The Golden Belt route
has put Topeka on the map from a
motorists standpoint, and the road has
been in better condition this summer
than ever before.
Already number of knights Temp
lar members on their way to the big
conclave at Denver have passed
through Topeka, and others will fol-
low.
Motoring on the part of Kansas au-
tosts is becoming more popular judg-
ing from the large number of macn1neS
from other towns that have been seen
on the streets of Topeka recently.
All over the state interest in good
road building is on the increase. EV-
cry week the secretary of the Kansas
State Automobile association, D. T.
Watkins, attends from one to a half
dozen meetings of motorists working
in the interests of better highways.
In speaking of the road movement
Secretary Watkins said today: The
best way to get road improvement is
to interest the people in some partlc-
ular road. When this is done the up
keep of that road is assured. The peo-
pie take pride in keeping 1t in repair.
State Convention.
The forepart of next week Secretary
Watkins will be in Hutchinson to make
arrangements for the state convention
of the Kansas State Automobile aSSo-
citation which will be held in that city
about October and s. One of the
interesting features in connection with
the meeting will be auto races, one OF
which will be novel inasmuch as only
autos of models prior to 1907 Will De
entered.
no hold Al
ley Falls in about two weeks for the
purpose of making plans for the Great
ing of good road from Kansas CITY
to Marysville which will pass through
Tonganoxie OSkalOCSa, Valley Falls'
Holton, Onaga and Franfort.
Fort Scott Meeting.
Secretary watkins attended meet
ing of motorists held at Fort Scott on
July %, when plans for the new Can
ada, Kansas City, and Gulf road were
discussed.
The five hundred or more good
roads boosters who met at Fort Scott
were ambitious; they really laid the
foundation for a road from Canada
to the Gulf of Mexico. The Joplin
Kansas City road will only be nu-
cleus Of a great national highway
which in time will lead south through
Oklahoma. and Texas, and north to the
Canadian line.
The motorists knew of course they
had bitten off a large bite, yet they
do not intend to build the whole road
themselves.
The meeting held at the court
house was one of the most enthusi-
astic meetings ever held in Bourbon
county. AS was expected, Drexel
came to fight, and they fought. Paola
came to block them, and they
blocked.
The program was quite lengthy
and after the speeches of Judge Cory,
welcoming the guests, and Judge AL
bright of Winfield, vice president of
the Good Roads association, A. B.
Dickman of Fort Scott was elected
temporary chairman and he then in
troduced Frank Davis of Pleasanton,
secretary of the Old Trail associa-
ton. 1t was partly due to the talk
given by Mr.. Davis that it was decid
ed to extend the road north and
south to Canada and the Gulf. He
stated that some day a road would
have to be built across the United
States at a point near here. and that
if a road was marked out now, by
the time the government was ready
to make a rock road it would have
the route already laid out. This sug-
gestion met with favor among all the
delegates and they imm ediately de-
cided upon the name-Canada, Kan
sas City & Gulf, or Canada to the
Gulf for short.