Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-06-25
KOOTENAI ROAD
IS NOW READY
6. W. Spoerry Tells Of First Trip Over
Beautiful New Glacier Park to
Spokane Auto Road
PARTY MAKE A QUICK TRIP
New Road Will Be a Big Benefit to
Boomers Ferry
(By G. w. Spoerry)

The Glacier Park division of the
National Parks Transcontinental
Highway is after a long series of
years a reality. 1t has been Off
cially inspected and accepted by a
representative body chosen from
the chambers of commerce of the
cities along the route-P. N. Be-
nard, secretary chamber of COM
merce, Kalispell; w. J. Wells,
president of the chamber of COM
merce, Libby, Mont, w. c. Ames,
secretary of the chamber of COM
merce of Standpoint, Mr.. Farmin,
ST., and G. w. Spoerry of Boomers
Ferry.
The start was made at Kalispell
at $50 o'clock Tuesday morning
and the journey to Libby, dis
lance of 81 miles, was as beautiful
as any section in the world. For
about 10 miles we followed the
shores of Lake McGreggor and
after crossing an unnoticeable di-
vide we came upon Lake Thomp-
son and followed it closely for IA
miles, when we passed along the
divide between it and Loon Lake
and for two miles were within a
hundred feet of the waters of each.
Thompson Lake flows into the
Clarks Fork and Loon into the
Kootenai. Libby was sighted and
the night was spent in this very
enthusiastic Montana town.
Starting at $50 the next morn
we entered the Kootenai canyon
and for ten miles we wound in and
out along a road cut from the solid
rock at distance of from three to
FIVE hundred feet above the river,
and at times so precipitous was the
outside bank that we could not see
the railroad which skirts the foot
of the cliff below. This bit of road
is a wonderful piece of engineering;
four miles of it cost $48, 900 and
Lincoln county has spent $120, 900
on this highway The river is
crossed at Troy and with the ex-
ception of possibly four miles near
the Montana line, the road is as
. perfect as any mountain highway
. can be made. Wonders have been
done in the last week toward grad
ing this road. The time made. one
l hour and sixteen minutes from the
line to Boomers Ferry, proves that
S the roads are not very bad.
e From Boomers Ferry to Spokane
: needs no mention. At Standpoint
the party was met by T. S. Lamb,
president of the Spokane Auto
OuOWs anu MI OlADCll, pi ColoCut
of the Good Roads Association
and escorted into Spokane in two
hours and thirty minutes. The
committee was rendered fine ban
, quet in the East Room of the
Davenport and the route widely
= advertised. The Spokane people
did not believe we could gel
through and indeed it was happy
surprise as it cuts off one days
ride in the Glacier Park journey.
The opening of the road is being
Ie advertised both east and west and
1t thousands of tourists will motor
Z. through here this season and from
n this hence.
y The road, some 200 miles long
ID is. with the exception of scattered
lie eight or ten miles, boulevard IL
e. the real sense, upon which one car
a. make from 20 to 40 miles an hou
and with ease. Through the can
yon one should not attempt owe
six miles because of the danger ant
g. again because of frequent stops t
ct look AFT the scenery