Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-11-25
FROM pEMlNG. N. M. OF
HIS cRosscounTRY
TRIP.
Bad Roads Throughout Illinois, But
Partly Excusable Because Of
Trolley Lines System.

cone of the most interesting and
entertaining trayel-writers is Charles
H. Lester, for many years a resident.
of this city, during a potion Of the
time being a prominent member Of.
the city council, where his ability was
recognized In a marked degree. The
following is the third of a series Of
contributions he has made to the
columns of The Saturday News while
making his way with an automobile
from Watertown to Ell Paso, Texas,
by way Of indianapolis and Chicago.)
Road Conditions Bad.
Deming, N. M. Nov. IL, 1915.
Friend Cory:
Having finished my visit at my old
home in central Illinois, started
southeast and in due time and with
out unusual incident found myself in
the city Of st. Louis.
After leaving Springfield / did not
follow the usual route which is via
Jacksonville and Alton, but instead
ran nearly south to Litchield, which
is in the coal mining district of
southern Illinois, then to Edwards
vile and on into the Missouri me-
tropolis.
Speaking generally, the roads are
not very good in the Sucker state
and at times much of the road is al
most impossible because of mud. A
better roads sentiment is now general
throughout the state and will undoubt-
eddy shortly produce results. How
ever, when one considers the great
network of railroad and trolley lines
that gridiron Illinois and afford rapid
intercommunication between its sew
eral parts, the need of good roads is
not so great as in a locality not SO
favored.
We we're glad, however, when we
reached the Mississippi and could
leave Egypt" behind, as W e hoped
and expected better going. although
L knew from past experience that
good roads in Missouri are always
to- be considered guilty until proven
innocent.
The Old Trail Blazers.
In our national history and develop
ment certain persons have achieved
.renown in the creation and moulding
of our national life and not least
among them is the pioneer frontiers
man, who, in want and hardship,
blazed a trail through the forests
marked a path cross the almost
boundless plains and found a way
across our mighty mountain ranges,
that civilization might follow and pos
.sess the land.
When / consider the difficulties
they had to meet and overcome, my
hat comes off for such men as Smith,
Boone, Carson, Crockett. Bent, Pike
and many others.
Boone! How many of II friends
know of his later years, when the in
.fux of settlers. into the dark and
bloody land" of Kentucky that he had
done so much to redeem from the saw
age, made that region uncongenial to
him and forced his migration far into
the wilderness beyond the Great
River!
Roone's Later Life.
On leaving st. Louis / decided to
follow the trail he blazed to the salt
ticks Of central Missouri and where
he spent his later years, not as the
dashing, pioneer and Indian fighter
that we knew in Kentucky, but as a
manufacturer of that precious from
tier commodity, salt, to be fioated
down the Missouri to st. Louis in
sealed hollow logs. What a contrast
with present day transportation!
Out Of the city to st. Charles
where the Missouri vas crossed, the
road was fine and then all kinds o.
iroad tmostly bad or Worse) a we
followed the Boone Lick Trail" oyel
hill, valley and swamp for many te
dious miles toward Old Franklin and
Bonneville. OF all the mountain roads
know, none are as bad and difficult
as the step rocks on this road neal
Minneola-and this is the principa
~cross-state road Of Missouri today.
Boone's Resting Place.
At and near Old Franklin may still
be seen the chinked log houses witt
their great freplaces and OUTSIDE
chimney. Of . century ago Neal
here on d gentle hillside $ an OLD
old graveyard, almost hidden in tn
grass and weeds. a great ornamental
r. GNE 49, - L.