The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-01
TO DECORATE THE POLES
Some of Them Are as Long as the
Name of Pioneer Railroad,
and One or Two Of Them
Are Made Good Roads,


the country, and efforts TO enthuse
towns and cities about them
An automobile route in this section
IS some marks put on poles erected
by a telephone company, the mark
ings being placed IN a more or less
connected line between two points.
With the early spring man comes
to town, holds meeting and talks
rs though being on his automobile
route would make that town one OF
sthe famous cities of America, says
another town Is a competitor, and
that 1t is worth some dollars-for
i expenses in labelling the poies-to
get on the Purple Jaybird trail
The Regular Automobile Road.
There is another system which
hacks the springttme promoter and
1.-THE town meetings, and substitutes
instead action by the county super
visors in making the roads ana keep
/ ing them dragged before they get
dry after a rain, and installing big
markers at turns. The Blue Grass,
the White Way, the Jefferson high
way and a few others are examples
.Of this last kind known 10 all motor
lists in Iowa.
An example of this last kind of
tTeal automobile road is the Red Ball
route from ST. Paul TO ST. Louis.
which is one OF the best roads in the
west except between Wayland and
West Quincy, Missouri, in which
stretch it is the other kind
Hancock county, Illinois, probably
has more telephone poles decorated
than any other county in the middle
west. and some of them are on real
trails, excellently kept routes for
motorists.
A meeting is 10 be held in Bur
lington on February 10. which is
being loudly press ACCENTED as Good
Reads Now" day. It's business is
said to be TO organize" seven or
eight automobile routes through Bur
lngton. Two of them which will be
seen on the telegraph poles next
summer by Keokuk motorists, doubt
less, are described thus:
Two Trails Near keokuk
The Chicago, Burlington and Kan
gas City Short Line. George Boesch
Is the main promoter of this high
way and for several years has been
advocating an organized highway TO
connect Burlington. West Point,
Pennington and Kansas City. This
road viii come over the Cannon Ball
trail from Chicago TO Galegburg,
through Aurora and Kewanee and the
Blue Grass road from Galesburg to
Burlington From here to Farming
ton there will De Z spirited contest
20 see whether the road will 20
through Fort Madison and Donneil-
eon or West Point and Donnellson-
From DonnelsOn TO Pennington and
Cantril This trail will follow the
Waubonsie trail From Cautril 70
Lancaster. No, there will be q CON
test to zee whether the sau passes
through Bloomfield or Memphis. This
.erainder Of the route is selected
Through Lancaster, UnionviIIe. Mil;ln,
Trenton, ChilHcolhe, Excelsior
Springs and Kansas City. This trail
IS fifty miles shorter than the Chi
cage, Kansas City and Gulf highway
through Davenport and Otturawa, &C
cording 10 statement made By ".
ii. holsteen, who Is very much inter
ested in the possibilities OF this new
route and who has logged both
routes,
Another Trail Of sIgrs.
The Mississippi River Scenic
Highway. This route was organized
several Year, ago by A. (. Nlssen at
Clinton, ne being elected field secre-
tary, and the late W. 2 Ccau. one
of the greatest trail men in the
United States. president. The road
IS marked from Lacrosse. Wis. IN
Quincy, Ill, and follows the Missis
sippi river all the way except he
tween Dubuque and Clinton The
plans are to extend the trail north
TO st. Paul and south to Hannibal
and st. Louis. W H HoIsteen -
now president of the trail and is re-
sponsible for keeping the trail on the
map from Davenport to Quincy.
The Burlington Way. The parent
trail connecting Duluth with New
Orleans, through St. Paul, Rochester,
Cedar Rapids, Burlington, Jackson
vile, st. Louis and New Orleans
The trail may be changed from Bur
iington TO Columbus Junction to 20
Through Wapello instead of MORNING
Sun. Mr.. Holsteen is vice president
of the entire route and A. L. Nissor
Is vice president for Iowa, Both ar,
members OF the executive committee
PeTshine, Name to Conjure With.
Another trail is to be named tn,
Pershing trail, and it is to extend
through Keokuk.
1t starts far 10 the northward. il
Winnipeg, Canada. and stops to tn
southwark at ST. Louis
Is TO pass through MarengC
Fairfield, Fort Madison. and Keokuk
and its telephone poles are to b.
painted in the near future. but Jus
what Its coat Of arms will be is no
known here now. Its promoter saw
1t viii become one of the most inn