Evening star., 1915-07-11


winning Of the west is the opening up
Roads In the parks h o u
n.4:., these ma t n
National Parks. beauty spots have
been visited for years by thousands Of
sightseers. officials of the Interior De-
partment who are in charge OF the
parks have long realized that In some
OF them it has been possible to gain
only the most superficial idea Of the
wealth of beauty and grandeur that
they hold.
The solution of the problem of max
ing the scenery more accessible has all
along been recognized to be roads
properly planned and constructed roads
that will develop the latent scenic
values OF the west in something like
the efficient way in which little Switzer-
land has developed her scenery. 1t has
SO far been seemingly impossible, how
ever, to secure appropriations from
Congress for building needed roads in
some of the parks.
In spite of lack of federal funds, how
ever correction of what is perhaps the
greatest of all the park road deficien-
cies is being brought about this month
in the placing in commission of the
through Yosemite National Park.
The highway is being supplied, Incl
dentally. at the very time when it will
be of most use. In addition to opening
average American has hardly known
the existence of, it will cut off several
hundred miles from the motor route
between the eastern part of the coun-
try and San Francisco, and will be ready
for use in midsummer when the Pan
anna Pacific exposition is bringing
about what will probably be the most
extensive transcontinental automobile
travel that America has ever witnessed.
The opening of the road is the result
of rather complicated cooperation. 1t
was privately built before Yosemite be-
came a park, to exploit a mine which
dedicated to public use the owners of the
road refused to sell it at a figure the
government thought reasonable. 1t was
neglected and gradually deteriorated.
Seeing the great need for the opening
of the road, Stephen T. Mather, Assist
ant to the Secretary of the Interior, set to
work on both ends of the problem and
succeeded in finding public spirited citi-
zens willing to present the road to the
nation and in obtaining Congress spe-
cially enacted acceptance of the gift. The
Interior Departments share in the CO.
operation is in the work Of resurfacing
the road that is now going on with funds
available for the purpose.
Something of the importance of the
new road to the park can be realized when
it is recalled that while the far-famed
Yosemite valley has an area of less than
ten square miles the Yosemite National
Park. in which it lies, covers more than
1,124 square miles. All roads have here
tofore led to the wonderful valley and
out again. The grandeur of the great
towering cliffs that wall in the valley has
hidden the existence of the vast scenic ex-
panse that lies beyond, and only the sea-
soned mountain climber and the explorer
have known that there exists some of the
most beautiful scenery on the continent
The Tioga road lies to the north of the
valley and from 1000 to 5000 feet above
its floor. 1t will open up in itself a con-
siderable part of the hitherto hidden
beauties of the Yosemite, and will serve
In addition as a base road from which
otners may IN the future be pushed far
ther and farther into the wonderland to
the north.