Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-01
BOOSTING WILLIAM
BENIN HIGHWAY

tContinucd From First Page.l
many good roads to-day. But the
State needs more and with the knowl-
edge OF this necessity in their minds
men OF Junlata county Will stand
shoulder to shoulder in their efforts
to secure road betterment.
Start of Movement
Back in 1908 when modern road
building in Pennsylvania was in its
infancy there was conceived an idea
to build a boulevard from Harrisburg
to Pittsburgh, by way OF Miff1intown,
Lewistown and Huntingdon. Meet
ings were held at various points and
early in 1909 a gathering of men from
all towns through which the proposed
road was to pass, met in Lewistown.
In that gathering were many men
from Mifflintown and all parts of
Juniata county and they pledged
themselves to do all they could to
help along the good roads move
ment. Finally the matter was pre-
sented to the Legislature during the
sessions of 1909 and a plan was on
foot to call the proposed road the
ed, but because of the greatness of
other appropriation measures, Gov
ernor Stuart took up his veto pen and
the road bill died. Juniata county
men, however, were not dismayed.
They continued to talk good roads
and during the sessions of 1911, the
results of their previous efforts again
came into evidence with the introduc-
ton of the Sproul good roads bill.
This measure was passed and signed
by Governor Tener. Regardless of
whether the efforts of the Juniata
county men were recognized or not,
it remains a fact that the first road
in Pennsylvania marked for improve
ment under that act, was in Juniata
with Lewistown. That road was
marked Road No. and all other fol-
lowed.
Want New Highway
Daily prominent residents of Mif-
1intown are discussing the William
Penn Highway plan and they are of
one accord that the road should pass
through this borough. They are de-
sirous, too, of having the road pass
over the route of the old Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh turnpike from Dun
cannon west and will do all they can
to help Newport residents in their eff
forts to have the road touch that town
instead of having it follow the Susque-
hanna river to Liverpool and then
turn off TO Millerstown. They say,
too, that by helping Newport, they
course can be changed so as to in
clude Newport then it will surely
reach Miffintown. However, they
fear that if Newport should fail in her
attempt to get the highway, then
there would be a possibility of the
road continuing along the Susquehan-
ma to Sunbury and from there to Sc
linsgrove and Lewistown.
To Name Representative
Within the next two weeks there
will likely be a meeting of the good
roads advocates of Miffintown and
at that time representatives will be
named to go to Harrisburg to take
part in the conference on March 27.
One of the men who is greatly in
terested in the movement is Burgess
A. Parker McMeen. Our plan for
the highway.an we want it, too" said
Mr.. McMeen, lis to have it pass
through the narrows at Millerstown,
leave the river a short distance be-
yond so as to take in Thompsontown
and then pass onto Mexico, meeting
the river again and continuing on to
Miff1intown. The road would enter
Mifflintown at the south end of Main
street and follow that thoroughfare
to the end of town where it is con-
nected to that excellent piece of road
between here and Lewistown. By
bringing tourists by way of Mifflin-
town they would have a better op-
portunity to see one of the best agri-
cultural districts in the State and also
pass through busy industrial town.
The scenery in this district is unsur-
passed and then, too, Mifhintown is
the county seat of Juniata county.
Mifflin, situated on the west bank of
the river is very busy town and the
shipping point for the neighboring
district. In busy seasons there is a
carload of livestock sent away from
there every day. Miffiintown is a
pretty little town. 1t has electric
lights and good water, pumped five
miles from the Macedonian noun