Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-18

example, we'll kept dotted with monu-
ments and peanut stands. and presided
over by decrepit and reminiscent
veteran, Is perhaps the surest drawing
card. Such battlefield will produce
more In tourist traffic in one year than
1t would in corn in half a century.
Here is something large and obvious
IN the way Of an attraction, something
to look at and talk about, something
Enthusiastically genuine. But If there is
no battlefield available almost any
other good tangible antiquity, vouched
for by some historical society. prefer
ably having price of admission and
souvenir stand in connection, will
serve the purpose.
Almost any state in the union ought
to be able to produce some good point
of historical interest that will adver-
tise well. 1t may be said without ex-
aggeration that history has been going
on for long time almost everywhere.
furthermore, the educational POSSIBLE.
ties OF the idea are immense. Our auto
roads may In time become q sort of
complete illustrated history of Ameri-
ca. .-.-. .----a~.,-,..,-
d SSSASAy SoACS ucAJ " ulSIOIlCdl III
terest as a drawing card, and this, of
course, has been the making of the
west. 1t is the western type of seen.
cry that takes. The tourist wants
good, striking scenery with plenty of
distance, height and color. and fire.
quent changes. The modestly pictur.
esque does not hold him. He wants to
be thrilled and astonished. Building
roads over thrilling and astonishing
scenery Is a rather expensive business,
but almost always good investment,
and the enterprising west is doing IT
on large scale. The Columbia river
highway which runs from central Ore.
gon through Portland to the sea. and
has just been completed. is a good
example of what the west can do in
this line. The road pierces the hith.
erto almost impenetrable gorge of the
Columbia river. being supported upon
the side Of the canyon by solid mason
ry walls In many places 1t makes 1t
possible to roll through some Of the
widest scenery in the continent with
out any more hardship than Is involv-
ed In a ride through Central park. It
means opening the wilderness, that
was closed half century ago to all
but the hardest pioneers, thing OF
mystery and terror. to the inspection
of anyone who can raise the price of
ride In a car. There is something
vitality tynical OF modern America
about such a road And Incidentally
1t Is described by the people who built
1t as penetrating the land of Thana-
topsis." and as combining the scenic
beauties Of the Alps. the Rhine and
southern italy with those of tie
Rockies. while the stretch from Port.
land to the sea is declared to resemble
the diked bottom lands Of Holland
Thus the tourist is offered four Euro
pean countries in addition to his own
with Renteel literary flavor thrown
in. all for the single price Of admis
sion. ~, IT, ,'.s. .s- ii"
This system of roads which is grow
ing up to meet the needs of the auto.
list. is one of the most remarkable feats
of cor structive engineering that is 20.
ing forward in the country today. So
far, they ere incomplete and disjoint-
ed. There are abundant short trips
that offer practically perfect roads,
and few long trips that are not very
dificult But gradually these roads
are reaching out and touching ends
They are surely and certainly growing
and spreading into a great network
that will cover the :, country This
growth, together with the rapid cheap
ening Of the motor vehicle, must mean
the coming of an age when almost
everyone may travel and own his
~ - crnrf OF