The Winslow mail., 1921-07-29

d1tlOnS were suitable The topO-
graphy, the geological formations,
and the rain fall absolutely prevent
the existence of any great amounts
OF underflow within reasonable
depths in this territory. The CON
servation at great expense of the
run-off waters might eventually
provide water for the irrigating CT
limited areas in widely separated
localities, but this is a far future
consideration.
AS to the mineral along this route
it is obvious that it must be small
The country is sedimentary nearly
the entire distance, and the intru-
sions such as the Carrizo mountains
have been much prospected without
profitable results. There has been
some copper found in the Navajo
mountain country but there is little
opportunity for the forming of any
ore bodies of size in a sedimentary
country where the formations from
cretaceous to the underlying gran
ties are of such thickness and depth
as known to be in this area
That trip through this section
OF the country is Scenic and educa-
tionaP' we will admit, but that it
feasible and practical" at the pre-
sent time we are sincerely doubt
full AS to Mr. Smiths eloquent ar
gument about the proposed road
relieving the Navajo Indian from
his present pitiful state,'' whatever
that may be, and that it would have
tendency to raise the standard
| of the Navajo of the future are
questions of which | am dubious.
Now, for q moment let me refer
to the addition which you person
| ally made to the report of Mr. Smith
and which you refer to in its head
ing as the "Petrified Forest Monu-
ment." This monument lies on the
National Old Trails road and on the
National Park to Park highway and
is not within $50 miles of the pro-
posed highway of Mr. Smiths report
| referred to in your letter
Now, my dear Mr.. Hayt, assuming
that you will take the foregoing
criticisms in the same spirit of fair
ness in which they are presented.
let us further discuss the argument
for the construction of such a road
as is proposed In 1913 the Nation
III Old Trails road made it's location
west from Santa Fe, New Mexico
via Albuquerque approximately par
alleling the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railway to the Pacific
coast. Last year the National Park
to Park association made it's loca-
tion and that section of the wonder
circle" lying to the south travels
over the line of the National Old
Trails road from Los Angeles to
Gallup. New Mexico. The National
Old Trails road has carried and is
now carrying over 60 per cent of
the transcontinental motor traffic
into the state of California while
it is the most travelled of a. the
transcontinental highways it is not
a completed highway and will not
be for some years but it offers the
best, shortest and best equipped
highway now open to traffic.
Denver has its line of connection
over the National Park to Park
highway south on the Mesa Verde
read to Gallup New Mexico, where
or, rather, where the two national
highways are identical I'M location
from that point to the Pacific coast.
In the opinion of all those long
acquainted with the northern Nav
ajo country, and particularly my
judgment, the attempted ccnstruc-
ton of road as proposed in your
letter and Mr.. Smiths report, would
be unwarranted by either the condi-
tons Of travel or of the country
through which the road is proposed
It would further be a division of
strength and effort on the part of
sincere road boosters and would
naturally result in a lessened ac-
complishment This we cannot af-
| ford
AS to the position taken by the
Automobile Club of Southern Cali
fornia, 1 will make little comment
have known the organization since
it first started and am personally
acquainted with it's officials. Their
engineer has not yet been over the
proposed route and the report of
that engineer will control the ac-
tions of that strenuous body of road
advertisers.
AS to enlisting the services of our
representatives in congress to your
efforts for the locating and cOnstruc
ton Of the proposed road. I can on
iy say that I cannot so advise them
ad the situation does not warrant
such advice.
Personally l have been boosting
good roads for many years and have
been attended with some success.
I have been vice-pr esident of the
National Old Trails road association
since 1913, and, as you are aware,
am now director of the National
Park to Park Highway association.
| have found that you must be rea
sonable in your demands of our
government or of the people if you
would even expect their coopera
ton. Possibly ten years hence, per
~ L.