The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-01-08
ELKO GOES STRONG
FOR OVERLAND TRAIL

Ing young newspaper man, Louis
Klopsch, appeared In the Elko Free
Press of last Wednesday. II has to
do with the meeting of the Overland
Trai, Club. which is meeting In Win
nemucca today, and 1t fairly Illus
trates possibilities of activity which
might be emulated in Humboldt coun-
ty with no little profit and credit to
citizens here. Read the article:
With the meeting of the Overland
Trail Club set for January at Win
nemucca. and the campaign about to
be launched in California and Nevada
to acquaint tourists with the superb
ority of the northern route as COM
pared with the Lincoln Highway. the
have prepared some data on the Over
land Trail in comparison with the
southern route which they will use in
their campaign to have the trans
continental road through Elko recon-
mended to tourists and put into shape
to be used by them as the main ar
terry Of travel between Salt Lake City
and San Francisco, says the Elko
Free Press.
Between Fallon and the west boun-
dary of Ely there are approximately
5000 people now served by the Lin
coin Highway. Between Wells and
Lovelock there are 1900. There can
be no question but that the popula-
ton living within a measurable dis
tance of one of the transcontinental
highways is much greater in the
northern part of the state than II Is
| in the southern.
With the possible exception of the
town of Ely, accommodations afforded
| tourists In the way OF stores. hotels
and garages. the northern route is far
superior to the southern. Medical
| aid. water. and food, can be secured
at any time along the Overland Trail
while there are miles and miles o
road that threaten the life of the
tourist on the Lincoln Highway
should anything happen to the en-
| gine Of his machine. Excepting the
small stretch of country between
| wendovsr and Grantsville, in Utah
travel along the northern route is
close to the railroad, and there are
stations every ten miles. Even II
the Lincoln Highway were to be sub
stantially improved. there is not a
chance OF lessening TO any great de-
gree the danger to the tourist unused
to desert travel
About seventy per cent OF the land
area OF Nevada Is In the hands OF
| the government or the state, and Is
used only for grazing. The greater
part of this lies in the center portion
| of the state, and is either mountain
range or heavily alkalied fats. The
Lincoln Highway passes over at least
nine mountain ranges with maxi
| mum of $500 feet and a minimum OF
$500 feet. and from heights averag-
| ing about $500. as against route
| where there is only one height al
6750 feet. with an easy grade OF thirty
miles on either side. Hence the cost
per ton mile must be less on the
Overland Trail than 1t is on the Lin
coin Highway.
III this Is true. II stands to reason
| that the first cost of construction
and thereafter the maintenance OF
| the road would be cheaper on the
Overland Trail than on the Lincoln
Highway. The proximity of the route
to the railroad is another factor thai
enables road work to be performed
more quickly and cheaply than Is
possible on the Lincoln Highway.
i Austin, Eureka. and Ely. all excel
| mt mining camps. are on brancf
railroads because in constructing the
lines of steel across the state. engi'
neers knew that they could not hope
% maintain a road and pay the ex
essive costs of crossing mountain
ranges even though the tonnage IRON
the mining camps was enormous
This would seem to be conclusive
rgument in favor of the Overland
Trail as compared with the bettei
advertised Lincoln Highway.
1t Is interesting to note that thu
$3.50, 900 to be raised in California II
on an assessed valuation of $2,o26,
900 900, while the counties of north
ern Nevada will raise an equa
amount on an assessed valuation o
little more than $100.000,000.
The benefit to northern Nevada will
be great, and the district served b,
the Overland Trail will feel immedi
ately the increase in tourist travel
Figures compiled show that from
Montello to Carlin, along the line o
the Overland Trail. If tourist trave
is diverted to the northern route
tourists should spend next summer
in excess of 81 900 900 more than wal
spent last summer.
Passing through this section o
Elko County. continues the Fre'
Press. the tourist will carry with hin
an excellent picture of the real Elk
county. He will see grain fields, OF
chards. the prosperous ranches of tn,