The diamond drill., 1919-05-17
NULLIFIEs EFFECTIVENESS.
OF Highway Trails 10 Suit
Local Pride Kills Interest.

Road Builders at Escanaba last weel
in zig-zagging the Roosevelt tral
out OF its regular course so as to lead
1t around BY way Of the 500 and Mar.
quette Is another evidence OF the
manner in which national marked
highways are being made farce OF
by the ambitions OF localities.
The Roosevelt Highway was orig
inally projected TO traverse route
from Portland, Maine. to Portland
Oregon, entering Michigan at Port
Huron and extending up the east side
OF the state to Mackinaw City where
il crosses the straits and then fol-
lowed the east and west trunk line
highway through Mackinaw county to
Manistique, Escanaba, Spaulding,
Iron Mountai Crystal Falls, Iron
River and Ironwood where it passes
into Wisconsin.
The convention adopted and recon-
mended to the Roosevelt Highway
Association a route passing first
northeast from ST. Ignaee to the 500,
thence west to Newberry, thence
north TO Grand Marias, thence west to
Munising then continuing on TO Mar
qaette through to Nestoria where IL
turns north through the copper coun-
try 20 Fort wilkins where the trav-
eler may jump off into Lake Super
Tor or 80 back to Houghton az which
point he may proceed through On
tonagon county to Bruce's Crossing
and then turn west finally reaching
lronwood That is, the tracing on
the map reaches Ironwood; just how
the tourist Is going to get there is q
question. A man IN an airship might
follow the trail and some time in the
dim future when Chippewa county
builds the fifty or more miles to con
meet up With Luce county and School
craft builds the eight or ten miles to
connect up through Seney with the
state roads 20 Grand Marias and AL
ger county builds the twenty or
more miles to connect Munising and
Grand Marias and ontonagon coun.
ty builds the many miles TO connect
the highway following the ID. S. S. g.
a. with the Wisconsin highway at
Ironwood, then one might get over
the line. For several years to come
the route will exist only in the imag-
ination.
AS compensation to the rest Of the
peninsula the association favors
secondary road-a projection from
the main line something akin to
wart on a toad, which is to turn west
and follow the original line through
and Iron Mountain and
Iron County to Ironwood.
We call attention to this action OF
the association not through any pique
over the changing of the route, but To
advocate practical common sense
view in the establishment OF roads
through the peninsula. II is but nat
larl for community to want to get
a marked highway. but every town
and hamlet can't be on the line. We
don't blame the 500 for wanting the
line bent back east II that city can
put II over, but we do think the tour
Ist Fastening from Maine to Oregon
along this trail would exercise nigh
~ poor Judgment by going out OF his
way and that the development bu-
reau and the road builders are fleec-
ng him in trying to route him that
way
The upper peninsula and the Roose-
'elt highway isn't the only trail
which has been juggled until the
curing public has come 10 look upon
hese marked trails as Jokes, traps
get up by ambitious localities 10
cmpt the unwary
As we view these upper peninsula
highways there are two excellent
courses 20 lay out, one to be part
II the Dixie Highway and the other
l part OF the Roosevelt highway
zach separate and distinct from the
'ther II such a program was laid
'ut the localities on each line would
De helped by having the other dis
rict rather than be injured thereby.
- we stated already, the line chos-
~ for the Roosevelt highway to the
lorth is in a very unfinished condl.
ion IL will take ~ ieact Ave voo -