New-York tribune., 1918-10-27
Automobile News and Views
At Length, a Good
Road From Detroit
To oledo

Detroit's "million dollar highway
one of the most important military and
commercial roads in the United States,
is completed and open to traffic. The
new road, which is of concrete con-
struction, was dedicated jointly by the
Detroit Automobile Club and Monroe,
Mich, Chamber of Commerce on Oc-
tober Is.
number of communities in the
United States have built roads which
have been called million dollar high
ways, and this new route can be rightly
called by this term, for it's construction
cost exceeded this figure, and in mill
tary and commercial worth it can be
valued at many times this amount.
The new road, link of the Dixie High
way, is ola miles long, from the De-
troit City Hall to Toledo City Hall.
Every foot of it is paved.
Geographically Detroit is peculiarly
situated. Approach can be made to
the city by motor only from the north,
west and south. For this reason all
motor traffic to and from the east and
south must pass over the Detroit
Toledo road. Because of this paved
road has long been considered a ne
u.
This stretch of road has for years
been worse than bad, q disgrace to
the two main cities it connects. The
story of the road is we'll told by "The
Detroit Journal":
The cussedness of the main highway
between Detroit and Toledo, one of the
Oldest roads in the Middle West, would
delight the historian who specialzes
upon human misery. Through the mud
OF that road soldiers of multitudinous
uniforms drew their weary feet, trad
ers lashed their sweating oxen, tran
pers dragged their sledges, farmers
forced unwilling horse and mule.
Probably no manmade track on the
North American continent has had a
higher record for breakdowns. Prob
ably no other has SO exasperated tenn
pers or so inspired the gifts of profan-
lty or so broken the heart of beast of
burden. In recent years the highway
served as test for automobile axles and
enduring auto driving. The machine
that came through on a thawing winter
day was capable-one might swear-of
climbing the Washington monument
The driver who made the journey, say
in early April, might boast his prowess
or at least his foolhardiness.
But all things, even the worst, end
III tilHc lc clay Ol monroe county
has at last been conquered and tanned.
1t becomes every drivers privilege
when he passes along the stretch near
Newport to put his fingers to his nose
and defy one of the meanest combina.
tions of soil and subsoil on earth to
stay his speed. He is at last made free
by the artisanship of engineer and
road builder. The names of these great
citizens should be engraved in death
less stone, where all who pass might
read and express gratitude
"To William E. Metzger and John N.
WHY'S, W. &. Bryant and w. A. Brush.
Horatio S. Earle, w. S. Gilbreath and
Edward n. Hines, and others unnamed
debt is due. They have worked hard
to promote the road, to bind it's good
parts together and, in spite of war, to
obtain material and labor FOX its com
pletion. Money has been given freely,
time and energy and patience without
stint. 1t has all been fine citizenship
and the only regret that one might have
IS thn+ +he Fronch voyageur the musk
rat hunter from out of the marshes,
the founder of Brest and the adven-
turer who first left motor car in
the ditch at Erie-the only regret. we
say. is that these worthes were not
on hand at the dedication of the fin
ished good road. They would have
had tears and wonder in their eyes"