Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-17
TOTOURLST CAMP GROUND
AND GUIDES FOR DUKE CITY
URGED BY MINNIE C. DIEF1L

shade and a shelter from rain in sum
mer but as a wind break in winter.
4-Prime necessities are plenty of
substantial tables and seats; also COW
cred garbage cans.
5-Shower baths should be installed,
The tourist certainly appreciates this,
for his bathing facilities are limited,
indeed In,the same building the toilets
may be placed and connected with the
sewer.
6-One or more fireplaces built of
stone, brick or adobe about four and
one half feet long by three feet wide,
with a. boiler plate top and good
chimney Mill slabs or mountain
wood ready to cut should be pro-
vided
Our highways should be plainly
marked with a simple symbol. OF
course Albuquerque alone could not
mark the long southern route but she
could start the ball rolling"
Sat each entrance to the city
should be placed a sign Of welcome
and farewell, also a sign giving the
location OF the camp ground, and one
at each turn leading to it.
But why should we do all this for
strangers who pass through our city
and whom we may never see again?
Let me assure you that this is by no
means simply an altruisuc program.
why do the large department stores
have their beautifully furnished par
lors rest rooms and all conveniences
for the comfort of all who wish TO
use them? They have learned that
| it pays. Just so 1t pays to cast your
bread upon the waters in civic life.
When 1 think of Salt Lake City ] re-
| member the wretched lot of dead trees
| standing and no privacy or conven"
| fences which was the tourists camp
ground and how we planned to re-
, turn to ogden until We found private
grounds where we gladly paid to
camp. When ] think of little Springer
vile, it is the hospitality l remem-
berthe call from the merchant to
see If. we were comfortable When |
| think of wallace, Ida. there comes to
my mind the interest with which the
grocer and others inquired if we had
seen the camp ground and the camp
| fire girl who sprang into our car and
! directed us there; the pretty grounds,
the young reporter who interviewed
and wrote us up" and the members
of the council and their wives and
other citizens who came to call, And
so it is with every city through which
we passed. And as these places are
mentioned in conversation, ! tell peo-
pie as I'm telling you, my impressions
of the cities and towns ] have visited.
| The advertising for the good or EVIL
name of town is spread far ana
wide There is a free masonry among
! tourists like that among tramps. A
lcamping outfit is a letter of introduce
| ton to any other tourist. The code
of the road is to help each other. so 1t
| is quite proper for one tourist 70
wave another down" and exchange
information in regard to roads ana
towns. In this way the merits OF a
city from the tourists viewpoint tray
els hundreds and even thousands of
miles.
| We had been to the Grand Canyon
Los Angeles, yosemite, San Francisco
| Crater Lake, Portland, Seattle, Van
couver, B. c. and Spokane. At st, Re-
gis, Mont, we were delayed two days
Zone evening two sedan cars drove into
camp. OF course we went over to wei
come the party. In conversation we
learned that they had come from Wis
consin and followed our route. They
had bad opinion of Albuquerque
based upon their experience of poor
/ camp ground and poor hotel. Or
Inquiry it developed that they had in
auired for a good hotel and had beer
directed to one of our family roomhf
houses They had been giving Albu
Ioueraue this kind of advertising al
the way around
! If we want to put Albuquerque OF
the map as live. progressive toWi
4 and a good place in which to live, ont
way to do it is to please the tourists.
Another advantage to be gained
fr6in a properly equipped CAM
ground by our merchants and tn
community would be the increased
number who would remain here 70
a few days for rest and repairs. II
this, as in I'LL things in life. we haV
the law of compensation: If we pu
little into it we shall get little out of il
In addition to what we as a cit
! shall reap from this in financial re
turns and civic glory. we shall hav
the happy consciousness that we hav
smoothed life's highways a little an
made it little more pleasant for
multitude of men. women and chlldre
who pass in through out gatFc and ou
again each year .-l-.~
|