The Winslow mail., 1921-03-04
OLD TRAILS ARGUES FOR
ROAD BUILDING

PnOenlX, Arizona.
Dear SIR
1t has come to my information that
there is an effort being made to
eliminate any appropriation in the
road omnibus bill before the Arizona
legislature for the building or i'm
proving of the so-designated Hol-
brook-Gallup section of the National
Old Trails Road. The Importance of
this section of the National Old Trails
road perhaps, does not appeal to all
people, but the National Old Trails
your attention to the history of it's
work and the necessity of the con-
tinued cooperation Of federal and
state governments pending the time
when the federal government will
assume the control of transcontinen-
tai highways.
In 1913 at the annual convention of
the National Old Trails Road Asso-
citation held in Kansas City, the per-
manent location of the National Old
Trails was made from Santa Fe to
the Pacific Coast. That location was
through Albuquerque along the line
of the Santa Fe across New Mexico,
Arizona and California This is still
the original of the National Old
Trails Road. At the time of the loca-
ton the road from Albuquerque west
via Gallup to Holbrook was inferior
to the road via Socorro, Magdalena
and Springerville, and at the annual
convention Of the Association held
at the Grand Canyon in 1915, the road
by way of SocorrO and Springerville
was designated as an alternate route,
because Of its greater FEASIBILITY at
| that time 1t was done in the inter-
ests of motor traffic then going over
the National Old Trails road and to
! assist the communities along that
route in properly looking after the
traffic. The people along the alter
nate route, however, made very
decided stand at the Grand Canyon
convention to eliminate the Gallup
Holbrook road from the original To-
cation Of the National Old Trails. 1t
was not done for the reason that 1t
was the original and permanent loca-
tion, and the location which is the
main line of that tranScont1nental
highway and will eventually be the
road carrying the greater traffic. 1t
is some eighty miles shorter than the
| Magdalena road. 1t crosses the
mountains at a much less elevation
and consequently is open to traffic
for greater periods. The topography
of the country offers the least resist
ence to the building of permanent
road. This is easily understandable
when we take into consideration the
fact that the engineers of the Allan
tic & Pacific Railroad made this line
it's permanent location. Highway en-
gineers have necessarily located
along the same route and for the
same reasons. 1t is the line of least
! resistance. In fact, the State High
I way Department Of New Mexico, as
sisted by Federal Aid have completed
their projects from Albuquerque to
the New Mexico-Arizona state line
near ,Lupton and the construction
work will undoubtedly be finished by
the close of this year or shortly
thereafter.
With all due respect to the forces
that are at work for the betterment
of roads and retention of traffic up
on the Magdalena-Springer-
Vile road, their evident opposition to
any improvements or the construction
of the section of the National High
way between the state line near Lup-
ton and Holbrook Is unfair and unjust
to the National Old Trails Associa-
ton and to the various communities
that are situated along the National
Old Trails road from Gallup west
through Arizona and California. and
which communities are entitled to
be considered in the matter OF road
appropriations from the State OF Ar1-
zona, particularly those communities
which are within that state. The
National Old Trails Road Association
| Ia a booster for good roads any
where and enters no objection to the
construction of good roads wherever
they are deserving and wherever
traffic demands them, but with the
same consideration, it reasonably
contends that the original locations
! of the National Old Trails road are
paramount to those Of other roads,
particularly so in the matter of trans
{ continental motor traffic which is one
of the most important considerations
in the construction of a highway sys-
tenn in any state, particularly in the
j west.
+ The time is not many years hence
when the national government will
assume control by purchase or
otherwise of several transcontinental
highways. The National Old Trails
by reason of it's location and climatic
conditions of the country through
which it is located, will be among the
first to receive consideration at the
hands of the national government.
Hence how important it is that 1t
receive recognition at this time from
the State of Arizona and that is be
given the same consideration in the
matter of Importance as is granted
to other roads.
The National Old Trails Road As