The Pulaskian., 1915-03-05

advantages of the plan, and many are studying the system as applied in other states
 Colorado has been using convict labor for the last seven years. So successful has it proved in this state that others have modelled their laws and plan of operation after those of Colorado and the governors during their annual conference at Colo rado Springs last August spent much time 1n studying at first hand the wonderful highways that Colorado has built by convict labor Twenty four governors made up party for trip of in speetion over the Colorado Springs-Canon City highway and the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean road in Ute Pass, two of the most perfect mountain roads In the United States and two of the best examples of tho results of convict labor.
 The Colorado Springs-Canon City highway is one of the best examples of scientific road building in the state; perhaps the country For distance of twenty miles or more south of Colorado Springs the road winds around the foothills and mountains, practically the entire roadbed having been cut out of the hillside and in many places blasted out of solid rock. For the remaining twenty-five miles to Canon City the way is over foothills and through undulating country. Besides being vel in engineering, the road is of the best scenic and picturesque in the West, passing as it does through Red Rock Canyon, Dead Mans Canyon and many other mountain beauty spots. It cul inmates in the far-famed highway to the top of the Royal Gorge and the unique and spectacular Sky Line Drive, at Canon City.
 
 is perfectly crowned and drained Although it of fers succession of climbs so skillfully was the engineering work done that heavy grades have been eliminated and the motorist is confronted with only one grade as high as six per cent.
 Ute Pass is of the historic gateways of the mountain country and down it's sides centuries before Columbus discovered America, the Ute In- dians had worn with soft mocassned tread plainly dstinguishable trail Tn building the first road across the range to freight supplies to Lead ville Aspen and the other mining camps the white man followed the trail of the Indian. few years ago the main portion of this road between Manitou and Cascade was entirely rebuilt by con vict labor. It has been pronounced a most splen- did example of road building. It has wide, well crowned roadbed surfaced with disintegrated granite from the mountain sides Grades have been reduced and although the road overcomes an elevation of 1,125 feet in distance of five miles the climb is gradual and is easily negotiated. It is the Ute Pass road that the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean highway enters the mountains after striking straight the plains of central Colorado to Colorado Springs and Manitou Thence it continues westward through South Park over Tennessee Pass down the valleys of the Eagle and the Grand rivers to Grand Junction and the Utah line.
 Pueblo county also has employed convicts to ad- vantage and notable piece of road is the stretch just north of Pueblo the road to Colorado Springs. Garfield county, on the western slope,
  years and they have just completed work on the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean highway west of Glen wood Springs and engaged in rebuilding the road through the Canyon of the Grand river Weld and Larimer counties in northern Colorado, also have many miles of splendid road to show for the work of convcts during the last two years
 Wherever tried the results have been satisfac- tory This applies especially to the benefits de- rived by the convicts themselves. Under the Colo rado system, the convict is allowed ten days off his sentence for each month of labor on the roads. This is in addition to the usual reduction for good behavior Besides, in Colorado the employment of convicts on the roads has been singularly suc- cessful because the cost of building many of it's mountain roads would be almost prohibitive if the state were compelled to construct them under dinary conditions The entire country has reaped the benefits of Coorado's pioneering because it has been able to open to travellers from all sec tions of the country some of it's most splendid mountain scenery it has furthermore set the ex- ample for many of the other states in the adoption