El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-29
Military Highway Projected;
Brownsville Up To Ell Paso
Would Closely Follow the Rio Grande Where Possible
and Would Open Up Very Beautiful Country to
Automobile Tourists Government Needs Such
Road and Is Expected to Help Construct It.

z AREDO, Texas, Aug. 2s.-Prelim-
mary arrangements for the con-
stTuetien Of a military highway
that is TO run from the mouth Of the
Rio Grande to Ell Paso are now pretty
well perfected so far as assurances of
. the financial support Of the project by
the different counties along the route
are concerned, In view Of the fact
however, that the federal government
viii perhaps derive large benefits from
the proposed road, an effort will be
made to obtain congressional support
for its construction. to supplement the
funds that are TO be provided by the
counties directly concerned It was
early in the present year that the
movement for laying out the building
OF this highway was announced In
order TO promote the project, the Bor-
der Military Highway association was
organized at q meeting Of citizens rep
resenting the different counties.
Trip Over Route
-Coincident with this meeting and in
order TO provide something tangible
in the way of Information IN regard TO
the project the route Of the proposed
highway was traVersed part OF the way
by a delegation Of good r0ad enthus-
iastists, headed by d. z. Colp Of san
Antonio. They made the trip in auto
mobiles and logged every portion OF
the route Travelled 1t was found BY
the logging party TO be imprRcticaele
for the highway to run Immediately al
jacent TO the Rio Grande in some parts
Of the border owing to the rough ma
ture Of the country Where the in
ternatioHal boundary stream made
sharp turns. thu river frontage was
abandoned By the party and a direct
route was taken. The route by the
river bank between its mouth and FL
PaSO is approximately 1-zuU miles, Dut
the more direct route is $40 miles Il
is stated that the construction OF TINS
highway viii cost approximately 81
co., 00 The survey and laying out OF
the route by engineers viii soon take
place at cost Of about Sz5,OoQ'
Part of Road Good
Some sections aggregating perhaps
300 miles OF this border road have al
ready been finished and are In prime
condition for automobile travel Al
the mouth of the Rio Grande there VIII
have TO be about % miles OF road con-
structed into Brownsville Leading out
of Brownsville and extending up the
river as far as Roma distance OF
about AS miles, is what is known as
the "old military highway that was
built by the United States government
many years ago and used for the move
ment Of troops and wagon trains De
tween the posts Of Fort Brown and
Fort RinggOld as well as for general
military operations in the lower border
region
Needs Rebuilding.
This road leaves the river near Roma
and seeks the more level territory
towards the interior. running thence to
Laredo, where Fort Mcintosh is sit
uated. The division between Roma and
Laredo is in such bad condition at
present as to be almost impossible II
is probable that this part Of the route,
instead Of being rehabilitated will be
abandoned for the road that runs closer
TO the river.
The county system OF good roads lead
ing out Of Laredo IS said to be among