The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1915-01-21
CUTOFF
INSPECTED
BY STATE
(. HIGHWAY
OFFICIAL
Senator T. J. Ehrhrt Says the
Parkdale- -Cotopaxi Road Is
One of the Most Beau
tiful In the West

state highway commissioner, in com
pany with County Commissioner w.
H. Pigg and j. Victor McCandless,
on Thursday made an official inspec-
tion of the Parkdale- Cotopaxi cut-off
of the Rainbow route. The trip was
made by automobile as far as the con-
vict camp, a couple of miles be-
yond Spikebuck. thence on foot up the
river to the free labor camp, five miles
beyond.
The completed roadway was found
to be in excellent condition and the
party expressed surprise and gratifi-
cation at the progress Of the work
and the splendid manner in which it
was being done. The men at Camp
Get Further" where the convicts are
employed. are in charge Of Captain
G. H. Baldwin and are slowly. but
gradually, pushing their way west.
The free labor camp is In charge Of
Floyd Coleman and ths men working
there are building the road down the
river and are constantly narrowing
the gap between the two camps. A
joinure is expected to be made at
Echo early in July Of the coming
summer.
All Of the roadway between Park
dale and Cotopaxi, a distance of
twenty-three and a half miles, is
finished. except the fve-mile stretch
between the two camps. and will be
ready for public travel within the
next six months. Hundreds Of motor
lists making the trip from the east to
the Panama-PacIic Worlds Fair at
San Francisco next summer are ex-
pected to use It as r. link in the trans
continental journey. After going over
the road Senator Ehrhart said that it
was one Of the most beautiful high
ways In the west and would do more
people more good than any other road
now being. constructed in Colorado" I"
Fffty-five men are at present en-
Dloyed at the convict camp, but as
soon as a new drilling machine can
BE procured. which it is expected will
be received some time next week. tha
number will be increased to seventy
hve. Mr.. Coleman has thirty-nve
men working under his direction and
more will shortly be added.
OF the unfinished portion OF the
road about mile will be exception
ally heavy work; a considerable part
Of 1t In rock in which much blasting
will be necessary. The other four
miles will be lighter and more rapid
progress can be made in its construc-
tion. The heaviest work will be in
the vicinity of Echo. but it will be
about the first Of June before the roadc
making gangs get there.
Two routes were suggested by en-
gineers for the road at Echo; one OF
them high up along the cliffs and
the other on the water grade along
the river bank. The latter has been
decided upon by the county commits
sfoners as the more practical and viii
fe used. All Of the work between
Texas Creek and Cotopaxi has been
completed, except the building of the
concrete bridges and the surfacing
Of the highway. and has been used
for several months.
From the Parkdale bridge. where
the road begins. to Texas Creek is
fifteen and half miles and from Tex
~ Creek to Cotopaxi is eight miles;
making an aggregate length Of twen-
ty-three and half miles. When
npaIiy opened for travel it will be
one of the finest stretches of public
highway in the Rocky Mountain re-
siea and win annually attract thous-
an1s Of motorists to this state.
nss'ss wsst ASs are surs . brias