The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-01-28
SOUTHERN ROUTE |S APPROVED BY
 ROAD EXPERT
Federal Engineer Claims Highway Can Be Made Perfect at Small Expense.

neer of the federal department of | roads and engineering, on the South | ern National highway has been made public
 Burrell made the trip from San Diego to Washington November last in company with Dell M. Potter, of Clifton, President of the Southern Ma says:
 The total distance for the desig- mated route, San Diego to Washing ton, is 3247. s miles.
 The relocation of portions of this route would reduce the total distance by several hundred miles, but it should be understood that the route as travelled by your engineer had been designated by the Southern National Highway association as a feasible highway which could be travelled at the present time without undue hard ship or difficulty.
 It can be said with perfect confi- dence that there are not any difficult engineering problems eXtant over any part of the route as travelled. All the relocations suggested can be made by any competent highway engineer.
 Five hundred miles or more of the grading for the sixteen-foot surfaced highway should not cost over $500 per mile, and your engineer is of the opin- 1 ind over $6,0O0 for grading alone,and also that there is not more than seventy l five miles altogether that would cost over S50OO for grading alone
 It might be said that from the in formation gathered along the line, from practically every county through which we travelled, there is less than I20O miles of the entire distance for which money has not been appro- Ipriated or provided, or work actually under way,which will place the desig- mated Southern National highway in fine condition prior to the spring of 1917.
 When the projected work Is com Ipleted, which will be in about eighteen months hence, the entire route could be travelled by almost any car, with perfect comfort and security Excel 1i lent stopping places within easy dis tance of each other are found all alnog the route, and while automo- bile supplies and fuel are high at some points along the route, in gen. eral the prices averaged about the same as those found in any part of the country.
 We had absolutely no breakdowns or mechanical repairs during the trip, and we only stuck once in the entire Journey, and this was due to careless ness more than anything else, as we attempted to cross some newly grad ed sand clay road without chains. After lacking up and placing the chains, we came out on our own power.
 We used Cadillac, eight-cylinder, l1916 model.
 The last fourteen miles into wash Iington was made at an average speed of fifty-five miles per hour, with the speedometer reading sixty-three miles Iper hour several times.
 The trip was made between Nov. and Nov. 27, 1915 5,twenty-six and one |half days, on the journey, averaging Approximately ten hours a day travel (The average daily run was approxi. mately 143 miles, the longest being I259 miles, from Durham, N. C., to Fredericksburg, Va.
 Had the journey been made one month earlier,at least two days could easily have been gained over the run. ming time.
 The funds which made the trip pos sible were raised by the Cabrillo club and San Diego citizens. The expenses iof the journey were not paid from the Southern National Highway asso, ciation treasury, although the sanc- tion of the association was obtained flor the trip, and the journey was made nuder the auspices of the asso- ciation.
 The distance when all projected work is completed, San Diego to Yuma will be 179 miles The trip wee made, San Diego to Yuma in ten land cne-half hours.
 Contrary to general opinion, the so- lcalled deserts of western Texas, to land across the Imperial Valley, Cali fornia. are not deserts, but land which will some day be brought under the highest state of cultivation. Especial ly is this true of the Imperial valley lin California, the Gila river basin, and .the Staked Plains of Western Texas land eastern New Mexico.
 It is extremely interesting through