Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1914-06-24
AND STILL THEY KEEP
ROASTING MARICOPA

| AlOE-NlNs JUNO IL gu Can
say for, me that the Phoenix Wick
enburg portion of the Phoenix-to-
Prescott road is in a terrible con-
dition. 1t is almost impossible in
places and is a disgrace to Mari
copa county" said Wayland Wood,
manager of the Arizona Motor COM
pany, who with his family and G.
P. Henry and family of Detroit,
Mich, returned last evening from
i00-mile tour to the Grand Cam
yon and vicinity.
Henry is one of the biggest men
in the automobile world being sup
erintendent of the Studebaker fac
tory. He is very much impressed
with the wonders of Arizona par
ticularly the northern section, with
its remarkable natural beauty.
From Congress Junction on to
the Grand Canyon, Williams and
Flagstaff we found real boulevard
1t is simply grand" said Wood.
81 estimate we found not less than
500 men and twenty-five teams at
work on the various roads Of Yava-
pal and Coconino counties. On every
road out of Flagstaff, Williams and
Prescott we ran on to road gangs.
"Yavapai county has more miles
of good roads than Maricopa has
feet of good roads. From Wicken-
burg down to this city the road is
terrible. A big traction engine
crossed the Aqua Fria river wash
Sunday and turned the sand up three
feet high. We found two cars stuck
in the wash and became stuck our
selves before we were across. 1t
is impossible for any automobile to
cross this point at present without
help. All four wheels of the ma
chine sink clear down.
"On this side of the Aqua Fria
the roads are chopped, cut and full
of dust You can't drive faster than
FIVE miles an hour. After crossing
the New river wash you come To-
an irrigation ditch with culvert
twenty-four inches high and no ap-
proaches. One hundred yards fur
Their you encounter another culvert
even worse.
"a fairly good road runs through
Marinette except over a culvert
twelve inches higher than the road.
While crossing this culvert last
night my little daughter. Delvia, was
thrown agaist the machine and bad
ly bruised about the face.
while gone we met at least sew
enty-fiye automobile touring parties,
a great many either coming this way
or going. The road between here
and Wickenburg will have 100 or
more cars over it within the next
three weeks on account of the annual
Fourth of July Frontier celebration
in Prescott.
at is almost impossible to cross
the places above mentioned. 1t
seems queer that Maricopa county
with the highest tax rate and the
most money for taxes has the poor
est roads in the state. You can go
in any direction out of Phoenix and
not find one place where anyone is |
working or has been working on the
roads OF this county.
1T seems necessary for the Mef-
chants and Manufacturers association
or the Board OF Trade to take up
this matter and find out where the
trouble is and why we have such
poor roads in this county.
AT any rate before the Fourth
the road across the Aqua Fria must
be improved or it cannot be crossed
by the many motorists planning on
going to Prescott.
81 am to deliver Studebaker to
Prescott tomorrow and it is neces-
sary to take along five or six men
to help me across the Aqua Fria."
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