The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-24

York, June 3.-(Special )--Traveling &
through sections of seven counties of the
state in the direction of the Mississippi
line and making brief stops at the prin-
cipal cities and towns above the west
ward route, State Engineer W. S. Keller
and his party of highway scouts reached
York in Sumter county, at $50 o'clock
tits afternoon. The highway touring car
covered a distance of 145 miles since leay-
ing Montgomery at an early hour this
morning.
The route taken by the highway scout
ing party today proved one IF the hard
est since the present tour of the state
began, while the first half of the trip
took the touring car over comparatively
good roads the second half furnished
some of the poorest roads the state
scouting party has vet Travelled. The
road leading to Livingston and York, a
distance of 2S miles, Is probably one OF
the heaviest in the state. over this road
the highway touring car Travelled
through long, heavy, sand stretches that
made progress both slow and unsafe for
an automobile and driver o. T. Barr de-
cared that with the possible exception
OF his drive through Lowndes and Blount
counties he had not had a heavier lays
work since the present statewide tour be-
gan than putting his car over the sandy
hills of Sumter county.
II Sumter county wishes to encourage
traffic along this thoroughfare leading
from Demopois to Livingston it will be
absolutely necessary for the county to
pay more attention to this road.
As proof of the exceedingly poor con-
dition of the Demopolis- Livingston road
and of the dangers which an automobile
encounters the highway touring party
passed an automobile on the way to LiV-
ingston whose axle had been broken.
The touring car ran over 50 miles of
good roads on the first lap of the trip
today. From Montgomery to Selma the
roads are in a fair condition taken as a
whole and in excellent shape for at least
one-third of the distance. The Montgom-
cry road to Washington's ferry, a dis
tanee of nine miles. Is good. and the
Burnsville road leading into Selma from
the Dallas county line is one of the best
in the state. The road leading out of
Selma to Marion Junction, distance OF
about II miles is a good, though hard,
road as were found by the highway tour
ing car in passing through the pan
handle section of Perry county. The pike
leading into Uniontown for distance of
about four miles is in a fair condition,
and the road between that city and De-
mopolis is comparatively good.
At Selma the highway scouting party
was Joined by Maj. " b. Atkins. MEM
Der of the state highway commission.
who accompanied Engineer Keller as far
as Demopolis. Capt John Craft of Mo-
bile, another member of the commission.
Joined the party in Montgomery, and will
continue with them on the present trip.
The highway touring party spent an
hour in Selma and number of the lead
ing citizens of that city greeted Engineer
Keller upon his arrival. Dallas county
has about 100 miles of the best roads in
the state and citizens of that community
are not wanting in enthusiasm when the
subject of road building is mentioned.
They are much interested in the plan to
build a state highway through their ter
ritory. Dallas county works about 70
convicts on the county roads and the sys-
TEN has proven a great success