The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-10-29
CAPE MAY WIN
PLACE ON LAKE
TO GULF ROAD
Supposed Highway to Run
From St. Paul MINI. to
New Orleans
ROUTE TO BE FIXED
AT SOUTHERN CAUCUS
Cape Must Join Eastern Missouri
In Fight on Western
Interests.

Tentative plans to enlist Cape Cir
ardeau business men in a campaign to
secure the routing of a proposed Lake
Superior-to-the-Gulf highway running
from st. Paul, Minn., to New Orleans
through the eastern section of Mis-
souri, yesterday were discussed by
State Highway Engineer Frank w.
Buffum with President J. H. McPher-
son of the Commercial Club.
The road, a continental-bisecting
trade artery, if routed through East
ern Missouri will pass through the
Cape and become Of vast commercial
importance to the city.
1t would link the Cape with both the
North and the South, and the volume
of traffic that would be directed along
the proposed road would accelerate
virtually every business in the Cape.
The proposed routing of the high
way will be the subject for discussion
al conference of business men at
New Orleans during the latter part of
November.
The route through Missouri has
presented some difficulty to the men
who are to settle that question finally.
Business men in the western part of
the State are planning to make cam
paign to secure the road for their half
of the State.
The matter will result in CONNER
cial contest between East and West
Missourians.
The route that is asked by Eastern
Missourians would have the road cross
from the eastern bank of the Missis-
sippi probably at Cairo or perhaps
further south, follow a course to
Sikeston, from Sikeston into the
Cape, from the Cape north to Ste
Genevieve, thence west to Pennington
and on into st. Louis.
From ST. Louis the roadway would
go through St. Charles County and
north along the river through Louis
lana and Hannibal to Keokuk. 1t then
would make connections with segmentS
in States north of Missouri.
The Western Missourians ask that
the road be routed b yway of st. JO-
seph, Kansas City, Joplin and also
passing through several other cities
in that half of the State.
Mr.. Buffum urges that if the high
way follows the eastern course in Mis-
souri,, the road is graveled already vir-
tually all the way and the expense of
putting it into the first class shape
essential for such tremendous trade
artery would be diminished to a great
extent.
South of the Cape, the road would
enter the city over the Rock Levee
road. The work upon the highway
from Cairo into Sikeston and thence
north into the Cape could be accom-
plished at a reasonable cost, he de-
clared.
The most important piece of road
building that would be necessary be-
tween the Cape and St. Louis would
be in that segment from Ste. Gene
We've to Pennington, he declared. He
said that the aid of State trucks prob
ably could be obtained in making that
part of the road perfect. From Farm
ington into St. Louis there is a first
class rocked road.
The roads north of St. Louis along
the eastern tier of counties are in ex-
cellent shape to handle the highway
routing through there, Buffum stated
Business interests along the eastern
side of the State are preparing tc
make a strong representation to the
conference at New Orleans in order
to overcome any arguments that ma!
be advanced by the men from Kansas
City and st. Joseph.
Business men in every town along
the proposed eastern routing are being
asked to organize delegations to at
tend the conference next month in al
effort to win the road routing. Man!
towns are chartering two and three
Pullman coaches to carry their group!
of men. St. Louis and the countie!
north of there are planning on large
delegations. 1t will be necessary TO,