Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-06-03
DORDERLAND IS IN
BUT FAIR CONDITION
c. n. Lester Writes From Yuma That
Road Is Passable, But
Work Is Needed
BREADS CALIFORNIA JOURNEY
Winds Have Been Blowing and Road
Swamped in Sand on Other
Side OF Yuma

The following is the second of
series of letters which e. II. Lester,
the good roads booslcr, is writing In
the secretary of the Deming Chamber
of Commerce on the condition of the
Bordrrluud from ~ Pa~o 10 the
Coast
Continuing my drive from Doug
las. the first thing of moment | no.
llced was u new bridge of steel aud
concrete across the San Pedro River
1T Hereford From Bisbee To the
State road over the Santa Rita
Mountains the road is much better
than before aud shows considerable
auto travel. From the end of the
State road on the north slope of the
Santa Rtas. the State road will be
extended TO Vail and Tucson. Bids
are now being asked and work will
probably start IN about thirty day.
Even now the road Is fairly good and
We easily averaged a little better
than twenty miles an hour from
Doueas to Tucson. While IN Tucson
visited the old mission south of
Town and was repaid many times for
the ,hor, drive. No autoist should
pass il by
From Tucson Ia Elorrnrr | trav.
rlrd the Oracle Florence State road.
The Florence section of this road Is
good except for the washes. which
have moi yet been provided with cul-
vrrtN. Notwithstanding this handi-
cap this route is considered much
better than The one via Red Rock.
found The old road from Florence
lo Mesa much better and smoother
than formerly. The new State road
between Florence and Mesa is still
N"tl and dusty, especially through
the Volcanic ash district and should
not be- travelled until after the rains
have saaHcd and packed it.
From Mesa again made the side
mp through the wonderful scenery
"i the SuprrStlllous To the Roosevelt
Dam. ! was panied tn note the great
deterioration that has occurred in
this great road since first drove
over II. know of NO greater object
lrSNnn l." teach the necessity of pro-
per road maintenance than is al
t"rdcd by this example. At the
present rate it will bc but few years
until one of Americas greatest roads
viii be- well nigh impaSSable. In Ari-
z"na'N capital city found n friendly
feeling for the 'Borderland.' rs the
Ph0enlclans Seem to have come to
the conclusion that the road is, even
nov, open for successful tourist and
local travel
II wish Ia state here that from
III PaSo To Phoenix logged along
l"lSnrcly but averaged n little over
twenty miles an hour for the entire
distance. My old freight engine or
any other fairly good ear can run it
at twenty-five miles an hour without
great effort.
Leaving Phoenix | took the di-
rect Yuma Phoenix road and had
good gong, with the exception of one
mud hole, caused by u broken ditch,
To Arlington, Swinging northwesterly
ana then more south, the road passes
between the ella Bend and Big Horn
Mountains down to the Gila River
ana on to tahente Springs and Sana-
lorinm' Leaving Caliente, the road
follows the river to Palomas, when
u aeam swings northwest to near
h"ia' when II turns southwest and,
passing over the Castle Dome Noun
'alns' reaches the Gila River ford
opposite Dome. While there are long
stretches of splendid road on this
run other places are badly strewn
WIN small rock and In places there
hfe numerous washes, but no diff
enll sand.
'No'hg east there are u few sharp
sFahes In reaching the summit Of the
'hslle Dome Maintains - one of
"o"nl eighteen per cent. The day !
'eHched Yuma was the windiest in
u'""'hs and ! found the track across
we 'i'la River ford drified full Of
SAINT The pulling was very hard
a"a " took all the old ears pnwer
W push It's way through. A bunch