Semi-weekly herald., 1916-08-21

terence OF Twelve miles IN the as
tance the Durango people will have
to travel, and also make them take
one day more to return. If the rains
continue on the day Of the celebration
the going will be hard and it is pos
sible not many cars will go from this
side.
The following telegram from L. A.
Ruark, was received by the Durango
Motor club and Exchange.
Del Norte, Colorado, Aug. II, 1916
"Mr. r. P. Wilson,
Durango, Colo.
Has rained four days straight on
top of the divide. Impossible get
300 cars up from this side, If you
only have 100 cars come over at
mouth of box canon. We will help
you back up hill. saw conditions
personally yesterday.
l.. A. RUARK."
Mr. Ruark, on the 18th also wrote;
at has rained on the top Of the
divide every day beginning with last
Sunday. The roads have some mud
holes that are hub deep. There was
an hours rain yesterday afternoon
1t will be physical impossibility for
us to get 200 to 300 cars to the top
and back again. We are preparing
to meet you at the park at the mouth
of box canon, as talked when you were
here. If you only have 100 cars we
believe we can see that you get over
the hill without difficulty. You
could get down to the park on this
side easily enough and we will make
arrangements to take care OF you go
ing back with stout teams and plenty
of help, so that you will get back
very easily, hut it is impossible foi
us to take as many to the top as we
will have. We regret this very much
but it is situation entirely out of
the control Of any of us and we must
make the best of it. Our hotels are
already full Of people and more cars
are coming and we are opening our
homes to take care of everyone"
The situation may perhaps be as
Mr.. Ruark states as to the condi-
tion of the road if the rains con.
tinue, but on the 5th of this month
when the Durango committee met the
Del Norte committee on the summit
of the divide for consultation, it wa
clearly shown that two days of dry
weather would make the road pass.
able. |. j. Bradford drove his car
down the Del Norte slope on the aft.
ernoon of the 5th, when the rain was
falling steadily, and the mud was
very bad. He advised holding the
celebration at the box canon park up
on reaching Del Norte. But after
returning the following Monday over
that same road, with an uphill pull
Mr.. Bradford revised his opinion
and decided that unless it rained the
day prior to the celebration, the road
would be in good shape, for ascent
from the Del Norte side.
Corroborating this opinion, Harry
Ware Of this city and big car of the
United Film Co., of Denver, came
over the highway yesterday, and re-
port it is in good condition for trav-
ell. There are few mud holes but
the road crews are dragging the road
and filling these holes and ruts.
The Exchange and Motor club wish
to place the matter before the San
Juan basin people just as it is. The
| arrangements to take the smelter
Smelter band over have been cancel
, ed by the Motor club and If any cars
90 over from this side the owners
will do so in full possession of the
facts as above set forth. No partic
ular censure is attached to Del Norte
for refusing to celebrate on the sum
init, and certainly they cannot blame
our people for refusing to drive 112
miles if they cannot make 35 miles.
The weather conditions have been
against the road and against the cell
ebration for the past month or more.
The road is not finished nor accept.
ed by the state, but cars have been
and are getting over.
Our basin people will regret very
much not being present at the cele-
bration and will give cordial vel
come to every visitor who may come
over here after the event.