The Holly chieftain., 1918-02-15
SANTA FE TRAIL ROUTE
NAY Be CHANGED
Old Trails Association Contsm-
plates Change in Route of
Santa 70 Trail


and La Junta were aroused, the
first of the week, by the announce
ment that the National Old Trails
Association contemplated changing
the route to run west from Great
Bend by way of Scott City and
Eads to Ordway. thus missing the
valley towns altogether. Communi-
cations were received here from
Dodge City and Garden City asking
the cooperation of all valley towns
in an attempt to dissuade the Old
Trails Association from changing
the route and urging the sending
of delegates to the meeting of the
Association to be held at Kansas
City the 23rd of this month.
The Holly Commercial Club call
ed mass meeting to be held in the
rooms of the club at o'clock on
Monday, the meeting being well. at
tended. 1t was the sense of this
meeting that Holly, as well as the
other valley towns derived a con-
siderable benefit in a business way
from the heavy trancient travel
which follows the Trail each year
and that steps should be taken to
prevent the changing of the route.
In this regard the meeting was
unit.
Frank w. Smith and County Com
missioner Knuckey, and possibly
Others, will attend q meeting to be
held at Lamar on Thursday of this
week at which time and place an
attempt will be made to agree upon
some course of action in behalf of
PrOwers county, and considerable
delegation is planning to attend
meeting of delegates from the valley
towns at Garden City next Mon
day. It is thought that these meet
ings will develop something in the
way of an effective working organi-
zatiOn and that from them there
will come solution to the pro-
blem. Holly and the other towns
on the trail west of Great Bend ex-
pect to send delegates to the Kansas
City meeting of the Old Trails AS
sociation and hope is entertained
that the present routing of the
trail may be preserved.
Considerable speculation has
been INDUCED in as to the reasons
for the attempt to change the route
and while no deffnate information
is available it is felt that specula-
tors along the line of the proposed
new routing are largely if not al
together to blame. However, there
has been some difficulty growing
out of the failure of certain coun-
ties to keep the trail in proper re-
pair and this condition may, have
figured more than would appear
In the desire to change the route.
Even at this time two or three
bridges are out in Hamilton county
and these have been out for several
months. Commissioner Crittenden
of Hamilton county, who was pre-
sent at the mass meeting Monday,
assured those present that new con-
crete bridges would be built at
these points this spring.
Chairman Knuckey of the Prov
ers county board, who was present
at the Monday meeting, said the
trail in this county was in excel
lent repair and that THE road be
tween Holly and the state line
would be resurfaced by April 1st
The commissioners of Prowers coun-
ty have given the trail careful at.
tention in season and out of sea-
son the result that it is in as good
condition as any portion of the
entire trail. Last year about $1s,-
0O0.00 was spent on the highway
and 1t is expected that an equal
amount will be expended this year.
A large part of the money thus
spent is provided by state appro-
priati0n.
The determination which domin.
ated the mass meeting on Monday
s was evidence sufficient to show that
nothing will Be left undone to pre-
vent the changing of the road and