New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-07-29
SCENIC HIGHWAY LosT.

SCENIC HIGHWAY !. LOST.
About 10 o'clock Wednesday morning
the Minnesota Valley Scenic highway
gave few despairing gasps, and then
expired quietly. At that hour the
board OF county commission Of Nicollet
county withdrew their appropriation
for the highway, and the federal post
road, upon which the valley towns have
labored for nearly two years, went
| glimmering. a..- 53 .}@
Interest in the scenic road was first
aroused by ansoffer Of the federal govern
mtent, made in the fall of 1912, to set
aside $4,000 for the construction Of
model post road, provided any state
would make an appropriation Of twice
that size. Road boosters in the various
towns along the valley held meeting
at Shakopee, and succeeded in securing
the designation of the road leading
from Bloomington bridge to Mankato.
All OF the counties and towns through
which the road passed voted appro-
prlations toward it, and the conditions
exacted by the government were COM
piled with in every particular.
1t was assumed that nothing could
! prevent the successful completion Of
the road, but in January word was
received from Washington that the
federal appropriation had been with
drawn. Soon afterward meeting Of
the highway association was held in
this city; and it was voted to proceed
with the construction of the road,
regardless of the action of the govern
ment. However, it was decided to
make an effort to secure the restoration
OF the federal appropriation, and Senator
II. F. Weis of LIE Sueur, was sent to
Washington for that purpose. Senator
Weis is reputed to be one of the cleverest
wire pullers who has ever operated in
st. Paul. Washington wires must differ
somewhat, however, for he was not able
to manipulate them with any degree of
, success.
When Mr.. Weis failed to bring home
the bacon, interest languished and a
short time ago the Blue Earth county
! board Withdrew its appropriation.
Last Saturday Senator Henry N. Benson,
president of the highway association,
received request from the St. Paul
i Civic and Commerce association for the
! return of it's money. The St. Paul
. civic body gave $4,000 toward the
project, and it's cash was divided equally
among the various counties, Nicollet
, receiving $3.50.
Senator Benson at once commune
Gated with the other counties and
learned that it would be impossible
to continue with the enterprise, Blue
Earth county refusing to give any
assistance unless federal appropria-
ton was available. Both Congressman
Hammond and Congressman Davis had
written that there was small likelihood
Of obtaining federal aid, that the appro-
priations bill as passed by the house
had failed to make any provisions for
post roads, and Wednesday morning
was confirmed in a telegram received
from Congressman Davis: 1t was as
follows:
ut now seems hopeless to obtain
any money for Scenic Highway at
this session Of congress. The powers
that be, are determined to keep APP
preparations of this kind down to the
lowest possible point. The claim is
tt a; the revenues of the government
at the present time do not warrant it,
On receipt of this message Senator
Benson and AL. j. Potts, godfather
of the scenic road, went before the county
board and informed it's members that
it would be useless to hold the Nicollet
county appropriation longer. The board
thereupon withdrew the money it had
set aside, and directed Auditor Holz to
return $3.50 to the St. Paul Civic and
Commerce association st. Peter
Herald.
NEW MONUMENT AT FORT
RIDGELY.