Bisbee daily review., 1913-05-28
B|G ROAD RACE
 ACROSS STATE
Proposal to Route Fourth of July Automobile Run frorm Fl Paso to Phoenix Meeting Much Support

uefland Route from El PasO to Phoe-
 nix and the state fair next November. A year ago this project was aivanced too late to be brought about and this lyear the matter was taken up earlier
 and in a systematic manner. First U. J. Bowen preached it to J. R. Hen. derson Of the state fair commission and later the roads committee of the Commercial club acted. Since then | the secretary of the club has been Kept busy writing to the fair eommis-
 sion and to each city along the line or the proposed race with aim of mak-
 ing the event equal in importance the
 annual Los Angeles-Phoenix fixture
 Speaking of the project as suggest
 ed to the committee by J. J. Bowen | secretary Gray said that he believed i Bisbee would see a great road race next November. one that would adver- iise the city, advertise the Borderland route and be the means of attracting many tourists over that route and Into the city during the coming win ter. this being an underlying influence | that moves the club tO it's efforts. He considers it especially opportune aft | CT the action of the Old Trails Associ- stion in abandoning this route as it | would mean races over the entire i western portion. from Fl Paso 10 the i Pacific as there will also be a race rom San Diego to Phoenix.
 1 The map that was. issued last win { ter by the Old Trails Association mas Teen copied, says Gray. and copies are coming more and more into circula- ton. Despite the action at Kansas City the southerly route is still get ! ting the advertising and the proposed race would follow that route. Thus 1 still more publicity would be brought | 70 1t and it would te the most likely ] to occur to the prospective tourist for | if the road is good enough to race over it is certainly good enough to | tour. in that way We shall get the travel this winter and still more of ft 1 in 1915. Then it will mean more to ! US than would another railroad for auto travellers will stop, look and see
 while travellers by train merely stare out of car windows. We believe this travel is well worth going after. The proposed route for the race is 1 Fl Paso to Deming, Rodeo. Douglas. Lowell, Bisbee, Tombstone, across the San Pedro at Fairbanks. to Tucson, Florence and Phoenix. It follows the mapped BordeFlanS route to Douglas and from Douglas on it tTayerses the state highway as planned and in plac- es completed, it is the route that was
 mapped out by the Old Trails associa- tion-
 in addition to writing 70 the busi- ness organizations and auto clubs of Fl Paso and Phoenix and the cities be-
 tween secretary Gray sent the follow-- ing letter to the State fair commis- sion:
 Arizona State Fair Commission, Phoenix, Ariz.,
 Gentlemen: Last year from Fl Paso to Phoenix. the course to pass through southern New
 Mexico. and in this state over tke state highway as outlined and partial ! ly completed-that is to say through l Douglas, Bisbee. Tombstone. Tucson, and so on through Florence, Mesa and Tempe to Phoenix-was brought up but it was then too late to perfect ar- arrangements for that year. In order 10 avoid such difficulty this year this club has decided to take the matter Up in good season and I am directed 10 write to You upon the sub iect. Be. sides writing to you we are writing to each city along the line of the pro posed route and asking them to organ ize and take steps to raise funds for | the promotion of such a race as VIC stand ready 10 do. Of course this is not to lift the entire burden Of ex. pense from the fair commission but 4 i is intended to help distribute that bur
 den and to add to the success of the
 project
 There are many reasons that can be advanced why there should be held such a race in connection with fke fair. It adyertises the fair and at- tracts interest 10 it from directions where no previous effort that vas worth while has been made to win sup port Bl Paso and Southern New Mexico. It arousess interest in the
 important Arizona cities of Blshee
 Douglas and Tucson and the surround. ing districts as nothing else can do and in addition to the racers that
 came from those towns many more cars would follow in their wake than
 would otherwise make the trip. Fur.
 ther than this such a race would be
 particularly opportune al this time
 when the Old Trails Association has
 left the cities of the south and Phoenix
 as well off it's map as a National High 1
 way. The race from El Psso to Phoe-
 nix and from San Diego to Phoenix
 would call public attention to the
 whole of the westerly portion Of the southeTiy or Borderland route and 1t
 would thus be given advertising which
 would be of great and lasting teusfit to ali of the points along it's line. Thus
 the publicity is not alone for the Phoe | nix fair but for a highway noW in ase and for all of the cities along such
 highway and this we believe will stln- ulste those cities to aid in the sue. cess Of such. a race.
 Eos Angeles has gwen it's support Tor northerly highways and we con tend that for the benefit of the large ! majority Of fhp cffizens of A Ari1ov, ... |