El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-14
SEEKS A SHORT
ROAD To BORDER
Col. Haryey's Purpose Here
Is to Link st. Louis With
81 Paso by Road.

A luncheon was gwen by the goou
roads committee OF the chamber of
commerce Thursday at Hotel Sheldon,
in honor Of Col ". H ("Coin") Har-
Tey, president Of the Ozark Trails as
ISOLATION, who came to FL Paso We'd
nesday evening in an automobile over
the Fort Worth-El Paso highway, on
inspection, accompanied by B. F. Ben
nett, secretary Of the proposed South
eru Highway association The selec-
ton of a short route from St Louis TO
the Mexican border is Col Harvey
purpose
Thirty Boosters Present.
Thirty Il PasO business men at
tended the meeting. which was pre-
sided over by o. c. Coles.
Judge Adrian Poole. after relating
briefly the road making career OF Col
Harvey, introduced him to the diners
Z c. Howard, secretary Of the com
mercial club Of Altus, Okla, spoke
on the opportunities for trade that
northern highway would open 10 h
Pzso. Mr.. Bennett talked briefly on
the advantages that such route
Two Highways Terminate Here.
- am here for the purpose OF selecting
enc OF three proposed routes from =
Louis TO the border" said Col. Harvey
Two Of TIE three proposed highways ter
inmate n FL Ezso, and the thlrd N La
redo, via san Antonio. Ny arrival IN Il
Paso marks the completion Of my tour
over the route known as the Soutnefh
highway, and when leave, Il Will be Tor
Roswell n N TO go over the proposed
Eorthern highway On the conplello.i
Of this tour. I viii inspect the proposed
ere southern route which I have just
covered. touches Wichita Falls. Seymour
Abilene. sweetwater. Colorado Cl5y,
n0rthern route proposed extends from
St. Louis TO FL Paso via Childress, pam
view Lubbock. and Roswell The selection
Of the route depends entirely on the enter
mis-. ard willingness TO cooperate, that is I
shown By the different counties through
which the routes pass san Antonio >
making a strong Pull for the road, ana II Z
b possible that the highway may De
routed through that city 70 Laredo
Mark Roads Plainly.
The method that we have used IN
been the selection Of the best route, and
The marking OF them plainly, so thar
the traveller always has one or two OF
Cur guides in sight Usually we put
solar on a pole, painted white al the I
rim with the letters o. T. painted IN /
the center. II the mountains We paint /
goose eggs On the rocks with. the o. T. 1
I'd the middle Where the road passes /
tArouzh cities we mark every pole along I
the route, as a town is the hardest OBJ
Government May Help
This was the method OF marking that i
ne used along the main road which the /
Ozark Trails association selected from 81 /
Louis 20 Las Vegas, n n Inis route
passes through Springfield, No., Tulsa. /
Oklahoma city and Amarillo. Before 1
finally deciding upon this route we in
Epected II thoroughly in company with an /
enRl-czr appointed to that duty BY the
department OF agriculture Last april, 4
senator Owens OF Oklahoma, introduced
a joint resolution in congress providing
for the taking over OF the route py lhe
government which would mean the main
tsuznce Of the road by government FUNDS
On account Of the vast amount Of war leg
islation which came Up At that time the I
niteiy, but we expect It TO 90 through I
Intimately. We expect TO ask for similar I
legislation with regard to the St louis
70 Mexico route once we have selected II ]
Il Paso Road Given Impetus
ssrhe idea OF ST. Louis 20 FL Easo /
Highway received great impetus last No
rernber. when a convention Of good roads
boosters was held at LAYTON, Okla Judge
Adrian Pool represented FL Paso at that
convention An indication OF the interest
taken in the movement by the government
vas shown BY the fact that on account
Of lack Of quarters the war department
ordered the commanding officers at Fort
sll and Camp Donlphan. both OF which
are At LAYTON. TO provide thousand cots
with necessary bedding. to accommodate
the delegates to the convention
Generals Advocate Road
"On the floor OF the convention. two
generals spoke on the necessity for mill
tzry highway from Fort Sill TO Fort Bliss,
and strongly advocated such a highway
One Of them stated as an Instance OF
the need for such a road. that II would
take 60 days TO mobilize 100000 men on
the southern border by rail, but that the
task could be accomplished in four days
By means Of autos and trucks, over proper
highways. That such 2 need might arise
he said. was possible presupposing that
a German army might violate Mexican
neutrality and attempt TO invade this
country from the south
Either Of the two routes to e. Paso
IS practicable, but much work Is neces-
sary on both For instance, not more than
a quarter CT the route have Just covered
= q made road. and at the Monahan
sands. On the other side or Pecos. 100
rniie detoUr Il necessary TO avoid a so
mile stretch OF sand
Holds Many Meetings
of course. the grip / have just made
over the southern route and ths trip an
about 10 make over the northern one are
both merely preliminary trips 1 have
held more than 20 meetings between here
and Oklahoma. AID much interest was
shown all along the line When plenty
routes to be put In good shape. the board
o. directors Of the Ozark Trails associa-
ton accompanied I expect. by a govern
Inent engineer. viii make trip Of inspec-
ton, and on their findings the selection
VII be made
Would Bring Many Tourists
That such q route would be profitable
% Il Paso there IS little doubt On our
route from St Louis 10 Las Vegas. I