The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-01-13
THE JEFFERSON HIGHWAY.
Several Contests on Over Local
Routes and Hard Surfaced
,la Roads Promised, 4"


A meeting of the directors for
Iowa of the Jefferson Highway, the
new north and south traps-continen-
tai highway, which will pass through
Leon over the Interstate Trail, was
held at Des Moines on Monday and
Tuesday of this week. The follow
ing account Of the meetings are TAX
en- from the Register and Leader Of
Tuesday and Wednesday:
Considerable rivalry over the
route the Jefferson Highway shall
take out of Des Moines on the point
Of intersection with the Lincoln
Highway grown up between Nevada
and Ames, according to information
received by the Iowa directors OF the
highway who met yesterday at Harry
H. Folks Office in Des Moines.
The point of intersection of two
great national highways will be of
considerable value to the city within
the limits of which it shall fall.
The meeting of the Iowa directors
because Of the contest which has aris-
en- between Ames and Nevada, has
been continued until today in order
to give representatives of the two
cities chance to lay their cases be-
fore the directors. Farley Sheldon,
banker and mayor of Ames, and Ed
ward Alderman and w. o. Payne OF
Nevada will be in the city this morn
ing to appear before the directors.
If the Ames delegation gets its way
in the matter the road will go
straight north from Ankeny to Ames,
where it will follow the Lincoln
highway to Colo, branching north
again oyer the route of the old Inter-
State Trail If the Nevada delega-
ton wins, the route of the Inter-
State Trail from Ankeny north will
ne followed.
The directors yesterday made the
preliminary arrangements for the
formation OF county organizations
along the route of the highway,
whose object will be the improve
ment of the highway in their coun-
ties. These organizations, according
to the bylaws of the national Jeffer-
son Highway association, shall con-
sist of a chairman, vice chairman,
a secretary, treasurer and three ad-
visory members. The county chair
men agreed upon yesterday were J.
M. Slossom of Northwood for Worth
county; r. A. Morton of Mason City
err of Hampton for Hardin county;
Paul Beer of Des Moines for Polk
county; c. c. Schier of Indianola for
Warren county; H. w. Talbot Of Os-
ceola for Clarke county; Jas. F. Har-
vey of Leon for Decatur county.
No chairman for Story county will
be chosen until after settlement OF
the argument between Ames and
Nevada over the route of the high
way.
Also minor arguments as to the
route of the highway had arisen be-
tween residents along two rival roads
from Lamont to Eagleville, Mo. This
being an interstate contest, however
it has been referred to the general
| meeting of the directors of the ma
tional Jefferson Highway association
I which will be held at Kansas City
Mo-, Jan. 26.
If Polk county would do it's share
two hard surfaced roads from Des
| Moines to the Lincoln highway would
be built this summer.
Such was the understanding one
could gather from the results of the
| meeting of the Iowa directors of the
Jefferson highway which closed last
night after having been in session fol
two days at Harry H. Folks Office.
Representatives from towns along
the route of the two highways that
were proposed for the Jefferson high
way from Des Moines to the Lincoln
highway attended the meeting yes
terday and presented arguments fol-
their sides of the controversy.
Story City and Ames appeared for
a road extending north from Des
Moines to Ames and through to
Story City joining the Interstate
Trail six miles south of Hubbard
Farley Sheldon of Ames, seconded
by Dean Curtis of Iowa State College
led the fight for the Ames-Story City
road.
Against them appeared representa-
tives from Nevada and Cambridge
led by Ed Alderman of Nevada. They
argued for the used of the old Inter
State Trail from Des Moines to Hub
bard, which passes through Cam
bridgeGand Nevada and is about nine
miles shorter than the other route.
ii The matter, was turned over to a
committee composed Of p, c. Har-
Ian. of Indianola, lanes F, Harvey
of Leon and w. A. Hopkins Of Lamo-
nj, who chose the latter route. =
n making their, arguments both
SIDES promised a ltafd surfaced high
way across Story county IL given the
routeIi In making it's decision othe
committee inade9 the stipulation that
unless Bt|e the Ii blNevada-Canbridge
boosters carry out their promise the
other route will, be accepted at, the
next annual "A meetin.g1of the j jefferson
Bsfefe ;eaViSg lie mdssetiIntgHs2'. Tie
bo4sters for the aAmessstpryy - CITY
rotate idee,ared that they would. batld
ialhafd snffaced hi ehway across STORY
county connectingtFwithn 7 thee ;Des
Moifles aroad lat !the!, Polk county
limits, despite the action OF thezJef-
felson highway board. BY so doing,
they declare, they will draw consid-
cradle travel from the Jefferson
highway, and Will also erect i short
erl communicationb between ToDes
M0iies and the lincoln hikhWaYIthRn