The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-06-15
BUILD 4 ROAD
BEFORE TOURISTS
CAN Be EXPECTED
John Lee Clarke, After Max
ing Trip, Says Grants-La-
guna Highway Is No Place
for a Nervous MOtorist.

Disposition Of people at Laguna.
Grants. and other poiats along the
highway from Rio Puerco west to
criticize Col u. X. Il. Sellers ami
other Albuquerque road authorities
for sending tourists west via the Mag.
dalena route IL based on the mistaken
belief that the Laguna-G Grants high
way "a Ia shape for tourist travel"
said John Lee Clarke today. Mr..
Clarke has Just returned from a busi-
ness trip which took him 20 Los
La1as. Rio Puerco, Laguna, Grants,
Mccarty's and San Rafael. He has
GENE back convinced that In direct
ms tourists TO proceed west via the
Masdaiena road Col. SELLERS aud the
other local o a authorities are per-
forming a service for the state as
well as for the comfort OF the tour
lists.
There Is a mistaken impression
out there said Mr.. Clarke 10 the
Herald today, that Col. sellers and
Albuquerque road men have II in
for the Laguna- Grants highway. uch
an impression Is of course wrong and
as a matter OF fact the local road men
would be seriously o~ndangering tour
ist travel through this state II they
were TO send motorists over a
road which L. not % for travel. The
Masdalena road Is In good shape aud
until the people on the Grants-La-
guna line get their road into passable
condition they have no right TO kick
II the tranic goes the other way.
New Mexico simply cannot AFFORD TO
send tourists accustomed 20 the
smooth highways Of the east out over
trails which are either ungraded or a
eonstan' battle with sand. l am
speaking from a personal and some
what experience with this
road. There Is no hearsay evidence
In II and I am talking on, Ia meeting
for the good OF some OF the people
ont In the Grants-Laguna district who
seem 10 feel that they have been get
ting the worst Of Il. They complain
that they have not had a due proper
ton Of state aid for this road. 1 do
not know as TO this: but do know
that local road work could very
quickly Tx the worst faults In the
highway. and that no automobile
traffic amounting to anything can be
sent over the road until this work is
done.
From Los Lunas To sandal. a
water tank on the Santa Fc. the VAL
encia county road board has done
excellent work, I should say hat
probably ten thousand dollars has
spent on this piece Of road. But
at Sandia the road jumps into sand
" hich continues eight miles 20 RIO
Puerco, where "a bridge has been
bdilt which materially helps the stu
alton. To get through the sand 20
the bridge. however. is a hard nght
for the best car made. II can 0c
negotiated. but Il Il a struggle. From
the Rio Puerco bridge west the road
Is broken by patches OF deep sand
and By stretches Of malpai rock
IL sven worse on a car than
the strain OF pulling through sand.
have said. the toad can be ne
gotiated but Il Is mighty hard on the
car and even harder on the
nerves and temper OF tho motorist.
II can be made into an excellent road.
is no question about that. And
the amour Of work necessary 10 re-
the worst stretches Is small. But
until that work g. done no one along
the Laguua-Grants highway VIII have
ans Just kick because we do not send
tourists Dy way Of their towns. II
would bc riskins an tourist business
through the state Ia do so; for "A tour
who had bee sent GU over tho
road ! have just rayeled would be
sure 20 write back home about IL and
Dee would have To sag would not
help New Mexico one Bit"