Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-11-24
DIXIE HIGHWAY GOOD
FOR SOUTHERN TRAVEL
Secretary Of Cincinnati Auto Club
Recommends This Branch
To Tourists

Highway can be used by auto tour
of the Cincinnati Automobile Club,
in a statement in the Enquirer. He
tells of the road conditions as follows:
In order to collect the latest in
formation regarding conditions on
the Eastern leg of the Dixie High
way, have just completed trip to
Livingston, KY, near which town is
located what is commonly regarded
as the chief barrier or obstacle to
through travel between Cincinnati
and the south.
That it is not only possible but adj
visable for tourists from the middle
west making their winter migration
to Florida to drive over the eastern
division of the Dixie Highway is my
belief, based on the actual conditions,
as found them. True it is that the
tourists will encounter some exceed
ingly rough stretches in going over
Gauley mountain, just beyond Liv
ingston, but dozens of automobile
parties are negotiating it daily.
I was reliably informed that rs
cars passed over the mountain in a
single day recently, among them sew
eral from North Dakota. To begin
with, what seems fixed in the public
mind as a terrible mountain is moth
ing more than a hill no higher nor
IN, ofe- r>c
our own hills which line the Ohio
river. Just after crossing the bridge
at Livigston for not more than one
mile the Gauley mountain road paral-
lels a creek and is one continuous
stretch of rocks and boulders. then
as it ascends and winds around the
mountain side becomes a fair dirt
road.
Only at one point is there what
might be considered any danger. That
is where the road begins its first de
scent down into a rather deep valley,
the grade being unusually steep. and
it is advisable that automobiles should
go over it minus their passengers. 1t
is more difficult making this point
coming from the south, and tourists
frequently find it necessary to be
be pulled out. Farmers living nearby
charge 81 for this service.
All told, the Gauley mountain road
is A 1-2 miles long and then connects
up with a new seven-mile grade
which has been under construction
for over a year. Some few cars have
passed over the new grade, although
the contractor is reported to have or
dered no regular travel for another
30 days. The road between Mt. Yer
non is graded, and five miles of it
metaled. Work is to be started soon
by Rockcastle county in eliminating
n sharp curve on the road as it ap-
rroaches Livingston.
A mile and one half of the Dixie
Highway through the town of Liv-
ingston is included in the general i'm
provement which is financed and ex-
pected to be started in the early
spring. This improvement also in
Guides a new steel bridge to span the
Roundstone creek from a point about
in the center of the town. This will
connect with the present new Dixie
grade. Between the new grade and
the beginning of the Gauley. noun
tain there is l ga miles of f4ad that
is not graded.
With but little effort and with the
addition sof &C ouple of wooden cul-
verts this 1 Sd mile stretch could be
converted into good temporary
roadway to serve tourists pending
the completion of the permanent i'm
provement. 1t would remove ? the
necessity of using the Gauley noun
tain road.
Our chief concern should be get
ting tourists routed south with the
least possible difficulty and loss of
time, and 1 am firmly of the opinion
the Cigeinnati-Knoxville route comes
nearest to it at the present time
This route should continue travelable
up to January l, and barring unusual
rains, perhaps for some time after
that date. Certain it is that there is
not enough rough road in that vicin-
ity to justify tourists avoiding it and
travelling hundred or more miles
over different and circuitous route
offering little or no better roads,
Frank Switalski,- Secretary Cincinna-
ii Automobile Club.
FOR SALE-One registered Short