Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-08-06

which $4,000 was expended last winter. PROD
ably there's nothing finer Of its kind in the coun-
try. Yet Rocky Mountain makes gap; you can
get in by motor on the east, south and west, out
you can't get through the park until the Fall River
road across the continental divide Is hnlsneu'
possibly this fall.
From Rocky Mountain it's easy travelling straight
north to Cheyenne, Wye, the Lincoln highway.
Here you go northwest on the Yellowstone hign-
way via Casper Thermopolis and Cody to the east
entrance of Yellowstone.
There are 300 miles of automobile highway IN
Yellowstone, with exits on all four sides OF the
square. Mr. Westgard will go in at the east and
go out at the north. From Gardner he will head
north for Glacier in the northwest corner OF Mon
tana up against the Canadian line.
And so 1t goes all around the 4OOO-mile circle
easy travelling here hard going there and every
now and then a gap. There's one Of these gaps
In Mount Rainier and another in Crater Lake
that is, Mr.. Westgard drive into both, but
can't drive through until projected roads are built
He will be lucky if he gets into Lassen Volcanic
at all Congress established this park in 1915,
but with it's usual hapzard national park policy has
appropriated no money for 1t yet. The roads into
the other three California parks excellent
and more are being built.
From California the Santa Fe trail will take
the pathfinder back to Denver. via Zion, Grand
Canon and Mesa Verde.
Director Mather Of the national park service
is an enthusiast. He gets salary Of $4,000
year and has already spent more than $lOO,OOO
on the parks out of his own pocket. And one OF
his particular national park enthusiasms Is this
National Park-to-Park highway Last summer he
did over 1000 miles Of pathhnding in his own car.
In his 1919 report he has considerable to say on
the question Of interpark tourist travel by auto
mobile. Here are some Of the things he says:
aThe prospects for the establishment Of the Ma
tional Park-to-Park highway a great system of
interstate routes in the West have grown brighter
civ, "A tho
season There is now wide demand for the
highway, where prior to this year its Importance
was seen by relatively few communities, most OF
which were on direct routes to the national parks
and had unusual opportunities to observe Its
growing volume of motor travel.
"Many of the sections of any interpark highway
system are, of course, so situated as to naturally
require no special designation, and in such cases
the roads are either being repaired or plans for
their improvement are under way. On the other
hand in several states there numerous routes
that might be selected as sections of the system
and it is necessary to choose one or two routes
for special attention If the funds available are
not to be spread thnly and ineffectfvely over all
such roads.
81 should point out again the fact that some
links of any complete park-topark system of high
ways may have to be constructed by the federal
government without state cooperation. In GER
tain states through which the highway would run
most OF Tie lduu UeIOnSS 10 tAl0 lCuCA0l 6OSCAh
ment In such cases, particularly where the road
would be used principally by motorists en- route
to the national parks from all parts of the United
States, it would seem that the federal government
would be under the obligation of defraying the
cost Of such sections of the interpark system.
Last spring long before his noDaination at Chi
cago, Senator Harding was in Denver and in an
address at Mile High club luncheon, March TO-
he said in part:
81 like the slogan See America First We
ought to link our national parks with the best OF
motor highways / shall never be content until
/ can motor from this beckoning gateway to gior-
ious America, as portrayed in her national parks
over a circuit Of our national parks. We are so
vast so varied, physically beyond compare, that
it is good to think of America first and know
America first and do the practical things which
prosper America first"