Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-06-18
LINCOLN HIGHWAY
ROUTE CONDEMNED
DESCRIBED MUD FLATS, MARSHES HILLs-HIeHcLAss
CAR EXPERIENCES GREAT DIFFICULTIES
GREAT SALT LAKE

once lot the west. we urOVe all tnat
day and all night not stopping for
sleep. and did not reach Ely, New,
until 7.30 o'clock in the evening of
the second day out. The total dist
ance covered was about 328 miles
"One of the worst features of the
southern route is the scarcity of
ranches. In some places there are
stretches of fifty miles without ranch
house. Gasoline is sold from 40 TO
SIS cents per gallon. We found some
improvement in Nevada, the road be.
ing in better coriition there than in
Utah. In the distance from Salt Lake
to Ely the Lincoln Highwa- traverses
four or five ranges of hills that can
easily be classed as young mountains
The grades are steep in almost every
instance and 1t takes a good car TO
negotiate the climb. Also it would
be well for tourists contemplating the
southern route to equip with new
brakes before leaving Salt Lake.
ION this outgoing trip I found a
condition which obtains more or less
throughout both states of Utah and
Nevada and on nearly all routes. The
commissioners keep spending the
available money from year to year on
making good roads better and often
completely neglect the bad stretches.
1t seems to me that most of the avail
a hn tn hot
advantage on the bad stretches for
the good roads or fairly good roaods
will permit of good time but if the
tourist gets stuck in the bad stretch
he has made. II is hard to tell just
what is the really bad stretch of the
southern road but if they have money
to spend it should be spent in build.
ing road over the marshes and mud
flats.
Tells of Return Trip.
at was raining hard when we left
Ely. New, to make the return trip
ever the route north of the lake and
in spite of the fact that it rained
every inch of the way into Ogden. we
never dropped below an average of
twelve to fifteen miles per hour We
struck one or two small washouts in
the road but that is all. From Lucin
to Larson ranch just before you reach
Park Valley the road can be improved
but from Rosette to Ogden it is a
boulevard. The return trip by the
north route is about $40 miles or
forty miles longer than by the south.
ern route, yet we made it in about
thirty hours of actual driving.
The supply stations are more num-
erSus along the Overland Trail and
the general accommodations for tour
lists, both as for sleeping and eating
are much better than on the Lincoln
Highway. Ely boosts the southern
road so Ogden Overland enthusiasts
need not look in that direction for
| any support.
There are just one or two things
that can be done which will improve
| the northern route. In some districts
| the signs are not in the proper place
at the intersecting roads and the
cutoff between the old Kelton road
and the Park valley improved road
has not been properly marked. By
| missing the cutoff we went three
miles out of our way"
Mr.. Hundley believes that many
tourists, thinking the conditions OF
the different routes are being eXag
gerated because of the rivalry, de
cided to take their chances over the
Lincoln Highway and find ample
cause for regret. He believes that
the publication of few photographs
| comparing the actual road conditions
of the two routes would do much tc
\ convince tourists and others of the
! superiority of the Overland Trail.