Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
PRESIDENT 10y NSPECTS
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY
Drive Over the Road Is Somewhat
Of Sporting PROPOSE
ton Yet.
Ten Thousand Men. at Work Improv-
ing the Pike at Points Across
the Continent.

Henry 3. Joy. president of the Lincoln
Highway Association, the famous CON
tinuous connecting improved highway
from the Atlantic to the Pacific" wanted
to see for himself just what progress had
been made on the transcontinental trail
In its two years of existence. Being a real
executive. he took his auto and, accom-
panied by A. F. Bement, assistant sec
rotary Of the Lincoln Highway Associa-
ton, he drove over the highway from
Detroit to San Francisco, arriving there
twenty-three days later with a complete
knowledge Of the condition of the great
ocean-to-"cean thoroughfare from Chi
cago west.
The drive over the Lincoln highway
Is yet somewhat of sporting PROPOSE
ton. but it is a drive which every mo-
torist should experience-it is an edu-
cation says Mr.. Joy. Perhaps he spoke
feelingly because of his experience on
the trip, which was made exciting be-
cause OF the most unusual weather con-
ditions which he encountered
Constant Mud Fight.
AT points in western Nebraska, for
instance where almost no rainfall had
oeen experienced in the course Of years.
IL mad been raining steadily for eleven
or twelve days in late May and early
June when he passed through Crops
were ruined, fields, and, in many cases.
ioaos were under water; bridges had
Deen washed out and rivers were over
flowing.
Chicago to Cheyenne a constant fieht
with the mud. To add to Us strenuous
ness 1t Is estimated that at least 1000
mlies OF the trip through the mud of
'a1e, central western states was made on
without mechanical mishap Of any sort.
Now. with summer here and settled
weather, the trip over the great trail
fs no hardship. Even the wet weather
OF early June failed to shake Presi-
dent joys faith in the national thor
oughfare, for he noted en- route that
half day of sunshine was suficient
to call out hundreds of good workers
IN the course Of a days drive he would
encounter gang after gang of men grad.
ing and dragging the roads
10000 Men Work on Road.
1T is not too much to say that afte,
every rain there are at least 10000 mer
at work on the Lincoln highway between
tne Two coasts" observes the association'l
leader THE tourist Is SURPASSED to en-.
counter gangs dragging and grading thu
Lincoln highway far out on the Wyomine
plains, miles from the nearest habitation
Improvement on the Lincoln Highwa,
In Nebraska and Wyoming in the past two
years has been inconceivable in it's ex.
tent. when l drove over this route two
years ago l remembered that what Is now
tne Lincoln highway was at that time
a 10
prairie for miles and miles. Now 8
broad, graded, smooth dirt road exists
where for miles 1t Is possible to maintain
high rate Of speed.
There are in reality at the present tim,
only two bad spots on the Lincoln high
way-bad spots as We call them in thi,
country. meaning sections where. after .
heavy rain. the road is impa ssabIe anf
road work IL Of little or no avail. Thes,
two spots do not total much over twent,
miles in length.
"One is at Fish Springs, Utah, soutl
Of the Great Salt Lake, and extends fo
about twelve miles,
The other is at Salt Wells, New. a
what is known locally as the Fallon sink
Ihls sink is not more thaneight mile.
across. The rest Of the Lincoln high
way across Utah and Nevada, under or
binary weather conditions, is in Root
shape for tourist travel
CAuIofn1a ROADS Fine.
The Lincoln highway across the
state of California Is in wonderful con.
dition. The drive from Reno through
Carson City and around Lake Tahoe il
ono of the most beautiful in the United
States and is even superior, from q
scenic standpoint, TO many drives In
tho Swiss Alps. Much of the Lincoln
highway in California is solid concrete
road.
'The highway enthusiasm noted al
along the line was revelation
Every community was enthusiastic
and working toward the improvement
of the route, the Identification of their
section. the completion of the mark
ings, etc. From Elkhart. Ind. where
we hit the Lincoln highway the first
day out, to the Pacific coast, we fol-
lowed the red, white and blue markers
At times in Nebraska and Iowa every
telegraph pole for miles was marked