Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-28


by DR.. j. B. Smitb.--DirectOr Se-
lected and Money Subscribed.
The Bryan County Jefferson High
way Association was formed here on
Thursday night and an enthusiastic
meeting Of good roads boosters from
this city and from Caddo and Calera
marked the occasion.
The meeting was held in the Dis
t,ict Court room and large number
nf live wire good readers were in
attendance. The meeting was called
to order by the president of the %.
Expansion Club, who acted as chair
man.
He stated the purpose of the meet
ing to be the organization Of the Bry-
an County Jefferson Highway Associ-
a,ion, to form a part and parcel of
the State Association, which is an in
tegral part of the National jefferson
Highway Association.
DR.. J. b. Smith. of this city, is
one of the directors of the State As
sociation, and he was called on to
tell those present Just what had been
done and what was needed. He ex-
planned how he, c. o. Johnson, w. f..
Dodd and Henry Chiles, of Caddo,
helped swing the route for Oklahoma
and Texas at the meeting at New Or
leans.
Dr. Smith also told of what was
done at McAlester two weeks ago.
or -he state Association was form
ed He explained that, while Arkan
sas lost out in the fight at New Or
leans, they we're now making siren
uous efforts to secure the route, and
to this end we're building a rock road
from Fort Smith to Joplin, Mo-
To keep for Oklahoma what she
has already secured, It will be neces-
sary for the proposed route through
the eight counties through which the
highway will pass, to be in first class
condition next summer, when the
pathfinder car goes over the route.
To this end, each county through
which it is proposed that the high
way shall pass, must be organized,
and their roads put in the best possi-
bic condition by summer. This, in
briei, was what the organization was
for.
W F. Dodd, of Caddo, who is one
OF the directors of the National JEFF
ferson Highway Association. was
then called on for talk, and he ex-
planned the benefit of the proposed
highway to Oklahoma, this county,
and the towns through which the
road would pass. In brief, these
benefits are that. as this will be a
national road from Winnipeg, Can
ada, to New Orleans, La, untold
numbers of tourists would pass
through here every year. The high
way would also bring the towns and
cities along it into closer touch with
each other and make for better bus
mess conditions.
Another thing that Mr.. Dodd ex-
planned was that this road would be
paved highway, and that it would
not cost any more than our present
mud-holes are costing.
A motion was made to form the
Bryan County Jefferson Highway AS
eociation, which was carried.
Next, a motion was made that the
chairman appoint a committee ic
nominate directors from each of the
towns Of Caddo, Armstrong, Duranl.
Calera. and Colbert. This commit
tee was appointed and after retiring
for a short time announced that they
had selectLG the following directors
and Officers:
Caddc. John Crutcbfield, Henry
Chiles, John Boland; Armstrong.
j. Morehead; Durant. DR.. J.B. Smith.
w 8. Head. S. A. Whale, w. F. PEN
dleton; Cale1a, DIR. j. A. Wells, j. c.
NentoI, DR.. McCarley; Colbert. Tom
Hamilton, were selected as directors
CT the Association. DR.. j. B. Smith
was named as president; w. j. Head.
of DGrant. ecretary-treasurer, and
John Crutchfield, of Caddo, vice pres
ident
A motion was then made to make
the county commissioners of Bryan
County directors of the Association,
and this carried unanimously. 1t
was felt that the commissioners
should be on the board of directors
for their knowledge of road building
and for the advice they could give
the Association.
The next business to come before
the meeting was the matter of rails
ing the $500 which was assessed Bry-
an County by the State Association.
Two hundred and forty dollars of
this amount was raised in few min
utes, and the balance will be raised
in the next few days. Prospects for
the National Highway through this
section of the country look mighty
....l ~ 49,