Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-15
1904 West Military 31A- avenue M MAA''i'I'
Lincoln Highway in NebranIea.

Lincoln Highway tn Nebraska.
OMAHA. July 14-To the Editor of The
Bee; To arbitrarily designate a road as
a highway in the sense of a Kentucky
macadamized pike does not make il one
and is apt to fool the unwary.
So far as Nebraska Is concerned, there
is not much difference in the road, now
called the Lincoln highway, except that
part known as the Dodge street extern
sion, barring the bridges and a few
streets in a very few towns. than It
was thirty years ago.
Like the Union Pacific, II, too, follows
the level valley of the Platte and on q
sandy soil in great part.
1t is nothing other than a country road
and as nature made II. improved q bit
by modern methods OF dragging and It
also has the advantage OF no hills. There
are many places that are not sandy, but
are more or less gumbo and this spring
and summer these places have been quag-
Tnires on account of the rains.
The red, white and blue rings on the
telephone poles guide the tourist also
through the business streets of the towns
and cities ON the route and occasionally
through the residence districts also. In
some Of the counties these colors have
been practically eliminated as the paint
evidently did not have much white lead
in It.
One wonders why under the circum-
stances that now that II has been given
this high sounding title and must be a
help to the places that It passes. to sell
gasoline, to be fixed up in garages, to
stay in hotels for days at time on ac-
count Of the roads when impossible, that
the towns do not help out more.
One will have a hard time to find where
any sand, gravel or clay has been hauled
to the gumbo places. For instance. in
the town of Waterloo itself, Is one of
the worst places that a mule would get
mired.
The approaches from the east over the
bottoms to both Fremont and Columbus
are a disgrace to each. Last week there
were counted twelve automobiles mired
In the mud at one time i'm the silver
Creek, Ciarks. Central City and Grand
Island country. One, q six-cylinder Max
well. was towed to town and sold for
$3.50. and the owner was 80 disguised that
he took the train.
Rich people only can do that kind OF
thing and It Is said that there viii be
automobiles sold this fall in California
for u song. as many will not attempt to
come back that way.
A mixture OF automobile and mud Is an
ineompatibilny and a sorry sight as
WELL
1t must be confessed that the towns OF
Nebraska are very pretty now and while
few years ago they were OF frame now
they are OF brick and stone. but that
Lincoln highway Is Just about the way
II always was and all the way to Jules
burg and beyond.
II is a great compliment to be on an
oeean-tO-Ooean road and 1t would seem
that those along It ought to got busy and
make Il. farmers and all. worthy OF It's
name. GEORGE p. WILKINSON.
A Great scholar ana Statesman.
NORTH LoUP. Neb.. July Ito the
Editor Of The Bee: In a recent news
note the writer saw the following;
their wheat sh 70 DSsysn shS %s sSa SSs
harvest-time slump Is the opinion Of John
! w. Bookwalter, owner Of the B0olgwalter
lands Through his agent he has sent
| q letter to his Nebraska tenants advising
them TO hold their wheat and offering 70
do. The money VIII be loaned through
| local bankers At the rate OF ~ per cent,
PAYABLE In ten months OF when the wheat
| Il sold
In another news note Of the same date
appeared the following;
Probably the largest amount OF money
| ever taken In at any one time by the
| state treasurer OF Nebraska will come into
Treasurer Halls hands July when the
state OF Idaho pays over SSSo.6o with ae-
| crued interest on a part Of It's bonds
which we're purchased ton years ago as
fund Of Nebraska
This writer met Mr. Bookwaiter many
years ago and visited with him a day.
He has been In about every hamlet Of
Europe and in those parts where early