South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-14
Great American Desert
Long Barrier to Continental
Traffic viii Be Bndged

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah.-For
nearly three years the Lincoln
Highway association has studied
with particular care the trans-state
route situation in Utah wherein is
encountered the greatest natural
barrier TO all west bound traffic.
The Lincoln Highway association
has spent a great deal OF money
and the officials Of the organization
a very large part of their time and
effort during the three years in in
vestlgating this great American
desert situation and last year a
complete survey and profile of the
situation was engineered at the ex-
pense Of the association.
So many misleading stories hasYe
appeared in the western press rel
lative TO this work that the facts
of the case as given the newspapers
by r. A. soldering, president Of
the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co..
Akron, O., and director of the
Lincoln Highway association. will
be welcomed.
Mr.. Seiberling. who has from the
T
rectorate of the association chiefly
interested in the construction of
this highly important link, met A.
+. Bement, secretary, and II. c.
7 Ostermann. field secretary of the
association, in salt Lake City on
the tenth and gave two days to an
4 inspection of the situation, driving
from salt Lake by way of Rush
valley and Johnson's pass 20 Orr
ranch and thence via the north
point of the Granite mountain TO
/ Redding springs and Ioapah. In
Z discussing the results of his trip,
+ Mr.. Seiberling stated that a per-
sonal inspection of the ground had
borne out the reports previously
made by Mr.. Ostermann, Mr.. Be
ment and Mr. COlwell of Ely, who
surveyed the work, and that he was
I convinced of its feasibility and that
the only thing which prevented the
association from at once undertake
ing it was the securing of COM
petent contractor who could handle
the work at a price within the
amount Of money which the asso-
citation has available.
In a conference with Gov. BAN
berger, Mr.. Soldering stated that
the association had now $125,C0O
pledged by responsible parties to-
wards this work, $4,000 of which
has been already given TO the as
| ISOLATION by Carl @. Fisher of
indianapolis. vice president of the
association. This money Of Mr..
! Fishers is adequate to build a prop
er road through Johnson's pass
the only question remaining is
whether that Il miles of necessary
road across the desert from the
north point of Granite mountain TO
the mouth of overland canyon can
be built for 100000. Mr.. Seiber-
ling has left for Los Angeles where
he Will interview contractors rel
ative TO the work
The governor assured Mr.. Seiber-
ling and Sec'y Bement that the
state was in thorough sympathy with
the project and that whatever state
assistance might be necessary could
be relied upon, particularly Offering
the loan of state equipment. and
stated that the road from the end
OF the present state highway al
Glover. through JohnsOn's pass 20
the north point of Granite noun
tain would be constituted a state
highway. as would the road from
the western end Of the association
private right-o f-way 10 the state
line. A bill is now in congress be
ing fathered by Sen. Smoot of
Utah. providing for 500-foot
right of-way across the desert as a
grant from the United states gov
eminent.
lone who has never experienced
the drive across this desert sec
ton" said Mr.. Soldering, cannot
appreciate to any extent the wild
and desolate beauty of the pros
pect. This trip was my first ex-
perience on the desert and IL is one
which 1 shall never forget. 1 feel
that if the association can bring
about the construction of this link
that the road viii become one OF
the most noted sections in the
United States, and one which peO-
pie will travel thousands Of miles
TO drive, for there is no place in
the world, 70 my knowledge, where
like natural conditions exist"
The strategy of the construction
of this desert link is unique, mas
much as its improvement, opening
as Il does a good hard road from
salt Lake City TO Ely New, elm
mates the worst section of highway
both between New York and San
| Francisco, and New York and Los
II Angeles. BY bringing the traveller
to Ely. New, it allows him the op-
tion OF the following: The Midland
trail TO Los Angeles or the Lincoln
highway proper 10 the Pacihc