The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-06
MOTOR TRAVEL IS
BEST CASH CROP
Harry Locke in Development Old Span
ish Trail Sees Great Future De-
veiopment for Country.


Old Spanish Trail Association arrived
in Pensacola yesterday driving from
Los Angeles on an inspection trip of
the Old Spanish Trail He expects
to leave today or tomorrow for Milton
and will go on into South Florida
stopping at Jacksonville, Miami and
Tampa. He is making the trip in such
a manner as to allow sufficient time
to study the road problem in every
county and state. While in Pensacola
Mr.. Locke will be in conference with
Fred w. Marsh, state e-president
of the Old Spanish Trail Association
and a member of the Escambia Coun-
ty Good Roads Association and other
good roads supporters. Mr.. Locke was
accompanied as far as New Orleans
by H. B. Ayers, general manager OF
the Old Spanish Trail Association. Mr..
Locke and Mr. Ayers have together
been devoting their time between San
Antonio and New Orleans lately work.
ing out some problems in connection
with securing bridges and crossings
over the Sabine and Neches rivers west
of New Orleans. Mr.. Ayers returned
from New Orleans to assist in working
out some problems of the Spanish
Trail there.
Mr.. Locke is publisher of Locke's
Good Roads Maps of local and trans
continental automobile routes, road
maps and guide books which are dis
tributed by automobile clubs and tour
ing bureaus throughout the country.
He has travelled over practically every
highway in the country good and bad
and spends most of every year on the
roads. He drew the map of the Old
Spanish Trail route which is the short
est line of travel between the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts. When completed
it will offer the greatest attraction and
give the best service and will be the
only trans continental highway that
may be advantageously used all seas
ons of the year. Fortunately situated
and geographically Mr..
Locke says that the trail is destined
to carry great traffic in the future.
There is no part of the United States
except portions along the Gulf Coast
that is not exerting every energy to
attract motor travel rs the best cash
crop that can be developed Mr. Locke
says But attractions along the Gulf
to less advantageous regions which
are receiving the most automobile
traffic bringing prosperity to their
county and state The motorists stop
overs are only limited by the enter
tainment and attraction offered and he
spends his money as he goes not car
rying it straight from one point to
another as he does travelling on the
railway.
Speaking of the growth and progress
made in the constructing of the Old
Spanish Trail Mr.. Locke says that in
travelling over it west of Los Angeles
it has grown to such proportions that
in places 1900 automobiles a day are
using the highway, the cause being
that all natural barriers to travel have
been eliminated and roads constructed
sufficiently that travel may be made
in comfort. Parties touring this way
may make the trip from the Pacific
Coast to New Orleans in 10 to II
days over coo miles of the Old Span
ish Trail west of Pensacola has been
concrete paved and hundreds of miles
of continuous stretches of perfectly |
surfaced state highways. Tens of
of cars travel interstate and
trans continental over the routes north
Of the Gulf Coast. Although barriers
still exist unbridged in a number OF
localities, road construction between
the river barriers is going forward at
such a pace that will force bridges
and causeways to be built Mr.. Locke |
SAYS and he predicts that within the
next five years the old Spanish Trail
will be a 100 per cent highway.
Speaking of the advantages to
country of highway development Mr..
Locke says that California as result /
Of the motor traffic on her splendid
highway system has realized money
returns that would enable the state If
it so desired to tear up and recon
struct its highways every five years.
Mr.. Locke says that the construction
of the Escambia bridge means every
thing to the development Of the high
way here and will bring a great in
crease of traffic to and through Pen
sacola. He says that it seems at the
present time that plans for the Mo-
bile. Baldwin County bridge have ad- !
vanced to such a stage that its con-
SearnS sllre at no great dis !