Semi-weekly herald., 1914-04-20
Board Of Trade
Approves Report

The directors of the board of trade
met yesterday at 4 o'cl ,ck and trans
acted considerable business, among
the matters of Importance being the
election of secretary. There were
present President J. W. Wingate and
Directors Ayres, Clay, Ritter, Gift
ford, Pickerill and Graden with Geo.
N. Raymond acting as secretary. The
minutes of the previous meeting were
dispensed with. The auditing COM
mittce composed of w. S. Pickerill,
Arthur Ayres and J. r. c. Tyler re-
ported on the books and accounts of
the secretary from Jan. 1, 1918, to
March 81, 1914, the secretary's and
committees report appearing at the
close of the board of trade proceed
ings.
Mr.. Wingate then announced the
members Of two committees as fol-
lows:
Insurance: J. A. Clay, Edgar Buch-
anan, C. e. Herr, T. C. Graden and
Harry Jackson.
Passenger rates: Frank Eldredge,
A. P. Camp, A. F. Hood, Dan Mac.
Lean and R. f. Sloan.
The question of securing lower in
surance was discussed at some length
and is one of the fights that will be
pushed by the directors.
As chairman of the good roads com
mittee Director Ayres reported the
committee had secured E. H. Burdick
and Senator George West to go over
the proposed auto route from Pa
gosa Springs and report. He read
the following letter from Mr.. Burdick
which will be of interest and shows
the real status Of the conditions:
Pagosa Springs, Colo, April 13, 1914.
Mr.. Arthur W. Ayres,
Durango, Colorado.
Dear Sir:--
Have just returned from the in
spection trip over the proposed lines
for the state highway up the West
and East forks of the San Juan, and
to Elwood Pass.
The West fork route is entirely
blocked with snow at this time, from
a point not more than one-half mile
up from the Chapson ranch, while
the East fork line is open and per-
fectly dry to within one and one-half
miles of Elwood, total distance of
nine miles from the forks of the river.
I would estimate the total length
of the East fork line at seventeen
miles, practically all of which is on
south hill side, with excellent ma
terial available for road construction
Probably one-third of this distance
is already constructed and with prop
er repair can be utilized in the new
highway. To my mind the West fork
route is hardly feasible, and if con-
structed the cost would be tremend-
GUS, and the road be usable but a
small portion Of the year. would
Judge the total length as laid out, to
be twenty-five or three miles, seven
teen of which would be at an altitude
Of close to ten thousand feet, and
nearly all on north slopes and heavy
spruce timber.
l believe ! am safe in saying that
the ultimate cost of the West fork
line will be at least four times that
Of the East fork.
Sentiment is practically unanimous
here for the East fork route, and it
is my personal opinion that it would
be far better for the San Juan Basin
in the end, to have no work done on
this connecting highway, if it must
be done on the West fork, as do
not believe that the state has suffi-
cient money for highway purposes to
complete an efficient highway over
this route.
Senator West and myself leave in
the morning for Denver To lay these
before the highway commits
sion.
Yours truly,
E. H. BURDICK.
The work Of the good roads COM
nittes was commended and approved
With allowance Of necessary expense.
The matter of secretary for the rest