New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-11-16
JOURNEY FROM NEW TRERrA
TO MISSOURI.
November 9Th. 1918.
Mr.. M. w. Fisher. Editor New

November 9Th, 1918.
Mr.. NJ. w. Fisher. Editor New
Iberia Enterprise:
Dear Sir-At your request.
am furnishing you with an outline
OF the recent automobile Journey
made to Excelsior Springs
Missouri. stating various condi
tons existing en- route, as observed
by me.
regret, as a citizen of Louisi
ana. to state that the worst roads
a encountered on the twelve hun.
dred mile tour, were those Of
Louisiana. From New liberia to
Opelousas, and short distance
beyond, parts of the roads were
good, and parts were anything
but good. From the vicinity of
Washington, to LeCompte the
roads were indeed poor. From
Lecompte to Alexandria, l found
the finest graveled highway / have
ever driven over.
From Alexandria, or more &C.
curately, from the Base Hospital
a few miles beyond Alexandria
to Natchitoches, and thence 10
Shreveport the roads were bad,
very bad. When it is remembered
that the weather was dry, and no
rains had occurred for some time
previous, it almost seems inexcus-
able that such road conditions
should exist, even with dirt roads.
Right here l may say that in the
entire tour, | never found roads
built of dirt, and not surfaced
with gravel, Stag, of shell, or
macadam, that could be consid-
cred good.
From Shreveport north for thir-
ty miles. there is a splendid road
lit would be better if kept in re-
pair of gravel, oiled with crude
oil. thereby eliminating dust, and
rendering it impervious to rain
fall. But north of that thirty
mile stretch. l cannot find words
to express the conditions. All
dirt, with native stones, and hilly
and rough.
From Texarkana north for
eighteen miles, roads are bad and
heavy with sand.
I considered it advisable to de-
tour one hundred and five miles
west from Ashdown, Arkansas, in
order to avoid twenty mile
sttetch Of road through the Ozark
Mountains, which my information
convinced me. was practically i'm
passable for long low car. The
road west TO Caddo, Oklahoma,
was very hilly. crossing the foot
hills of the Ozarks, but aside from
the hilly conditions, the road wasI
smooth and hard.
From Caddo north. there is
about one hundred miles of the
most beautiful road that ever de-
lighted an autoist 1t is laid
along the old. abandoned roadbed
Of the M. X. & T. Railroad. and
is level, and straight for miles
and miles: The old roadbed is
covered and surfaced with the
native blush rock, pounded to
! powder. which makes a most
perfect road surface. 1t appears,
n measure, similar Except in
.olor) to the material on Avery
and / believe that the ma
erial on this Island. would be as
rood, il not better land a much
nore economically road surface
han the rolled surface of the
aforementioned road.
Inquiry brought forth the fact
hat the roads through that Sec
ion, were very expensive to
mild, in that the surface mater
al had to be brought from a dis
ance. and then broken and pull
erized. and rolled. /,
The best roads | encountered
vere in Kansas. In fact after ell
ering Kansas. at Baxter Springs,
he road to Kansas City was de-
ght. /,
After crossing the Ozark Noun ,
aims through Limestone Gap, on