The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-02-19
STRIVE TO SAVE
MIDLAND TRAIL
WOULD SUFFER FROM
NEW PROPOSAL

The Ely Record in a recent issue
exposed the organized effort being
made by Salt Lake City to elimi-
nate Ely from the transcontinental
auto road. The business men of
the Ely district recently met to act
upon the fight which the CONNER
citl club of Salt Lake City, backed
by the business men there, is max
ing against the Lincoln highway.
The meeting was a representative
gathering of the best business ele-
ment of the entire district. 1t was
attended by more than fifty bust
ness men, and a unanimous agree
ment vas reached that all business
in the future should be diverted to
other channels than Salt Lake,
which has heretofore had the bulk
of the trade of this district. The
meeting was called to order by
Mayor A. F.. Witcher, who stated its
object, and also the further fact
that Salt Lake City, through it's
commercial club and public pree
was not only against the Lincoln
highway, but also that it would do
all within its power to switch the
transcontinental travel via the
Wendover route to San Francisco
and via ST. Gearge and southern
Utah to Los Angeles and southern
California.
James M. Collins was then elect
ed secretary, after which speeches
were made by Gael s.. Hoag, secre-
tary of the NevaAa State Automo-
bile club, Commissioner d. C. Nc
Donald, Royal F. Matthias, j. H. Gal
lagher, B. l.. Quayle, Antony Zurich,
Ole Elliott, Fred West and several
others, who expressed themselves
unanimously in favor of boycotting
every business house in Salt Lake
City. They took the position that
the Lincoln highway was a national
affair and as such should receive
the unvidided support of every town
and city along it's entire length,
which in fact it does, with the sing
gle exception of Salt Lake City,
which alleges that It desires to be
the diverging point for the travel to
northern and southern California.
1t vas shown by the speakers that
if Ely and all the other towns along
the Lincoln highway were kept from
sharing in the benefit from the
travel that eventually this route
would be forever eliminated from
fare.
A. G. Thomstorft, representing the
q. c. M. l., perhaps the most extern
sive business institution in Salt
ing and stated that he did not be-
lieve the people of Salt Lake City
really understood the situation. He
attempted to explain matters, but
soon found that the people of this
district were not to be satisfied with
explanations which did not explain.
He could not deny that the action Of
Salt Lake City was detrimental to
the Lincoln highway, while local
speakers took the position that
they had aready temporiZed too
long, and that they would not in
the future patronize a town which
was doing all in it's power to kill
an interest which they consider of
paramount importance to the sue
cess and upbuilding of this COM
munity.
A number of business men pres
ent stated that during the week
they had cancelled man, orders
with Salt Lake merchants, and that
in the future they would divert all
business to other channels. The
success, of the Salt Lake movement
would put Goldfield and all south
ern Nevada points off the trans
continental route forever.