Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-11-05
PREDICTS UNCLE
WILL TAKE OVER
THE RED TRAIL
President Of Automobile Road
Blazing Association Boost
National Highway
WILL ASK CHARTER TO
BRIDGE MISSOURI HERE

That the Red Trail will be taken
over by the United States war depart
ment and made a federal defense high
way is the confident opinion expressed
yesterday by A. L: Meigs Of Minneapo-
lis, presidential the A,rtol4obilsr1 Pratt
Blazing association, and the man who
blazed the original National Parks
highway several years ago and who
has pioneered other great transconti.
mental routes.
"There is no question in my mind
that the Red Trail will be taken over
by the government for National de.
tense" said Mr.. Meigs. "The Wonder
land Trail people, paralleling the
Great Northern, want the national do.
Tense highway, but they are too near
the Canadian border. We do not an.
ticipate trouble with Canada, but we
cannot be positive that some foreign
power will not invade Canada and
blow our national defense highway to
blaZes If 1t is located too near tho
border. The same thing has come up
on the Pacific coast. where an effort
was made to establish national high.
way on the coast line. 1t was reject
ed on the grounds that highway so
exposed could be shelled out of exist
ence by an enemy fleet standing 20
miles off shore.
Most Travelled Trail. TO-.
There was more tourist travel over
the Red Trail last season than over
any other transcontinental highway"
Mr.. Meigs continued. "The Red Trail
undoubtedly Is one of our greatest ma
tional highways. It served a fifth OF
all the people of the United States
some 22,OOO,OOO. II as much work is
done on the trail in the next two years
as has been done during the last two,
there will not be q better transconti-
mental trail in the country.
Wants to Build Bridge.
"What we need now is bridge over
the Missouri" said the trail blazer.
T will build bridge if l can get a
charter had the matter up with
Gov. Hanna this morning. We both
agreed that it is a matter in which
state aid should be forthcoming, but
that it would be a difficult thing to
procure. The governor does think.
however, that it should be possible
for me to get a charter, and if the leg.
islature gives me one next winter, l
will start work in the spring."
Re-bIazing Red Trail.
The Red Trail is being re-blazed
throughout its length. Hereafter 4
trail.blazing car will be permanently
stationed at Bismarck, and its time
will be devoted to painting the various
trails over the state. Running from
Bismarck, there will be blazed the
trail to Aberdeen, the Black Hills trail,
connecting Bismarck and Denver. the
Killdeer-Williston trail; the Minot
trail, which is a section of the Great
Plains National highway. and the Dew
lis Lake trail. Each will have sep
arate and distinct color and will be
SO designated on the official map.
North and south liberals will also be
blazed from the Red Trail at Dickin-
son, extending from Hettinger to Will
liston, via Killdeer,~ from Glen Ullin
and from Hebron.
Has Picture Show.
Mr.. Meigs is on his way cast with
several hundred colored slides pictur-
ing the Columbia highway and beauty
spots of the west. 1t is probable that
some of these views will be shown
Tuesday night in connection with the
Tribune's election returns.