The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-04-29
WILL COMPLETE
T. R." TO PARK
Organization Action in East to Com
plete Great Road From Coast
to Coast.

Malone, N. Y, April 23.-The Roose-
welt Highway, designed to connect
Portland, Me-, with Portland Ore, by
mean of a modern automobile road,
is practically complete, and from coast
to coast a nearly perfect route for the
tourists runs through some of the most
beautiful scenery-in Canada, Maine,
New Hampshire. The only link in
complete is the trans-mountain high
way through the Glacier National
park. The work on this section is
about to begin if the plans of the Ma
tional authorities developed before the
present administration assumed con-
troll are carried out.
For this and other national high
way purposes the bureau of public
roads of the department of agriculture
has set aside nearly $65,000, 900, a
considerable portion of which is to be
spent on the Roosevelt Highway,
marked along the route and commonly
called the "T. r." This road has re
ceived the approval Of the federal au-
thorities and is not in the position Of
some Of the others, which may have
to make changes in their routes to
receive governmental aid. In all there
are about 500 Of these trails, consti-
tuting a mileage of nearly 10000.
Its Great Importance.
In the last report of the interior
department the secretary said Of the
contemplated completion of the noun
tain Of the trail:
From a transportation standpoint
undoubtedly the most important pro-
ject is the construction of he trans
mountain road cross the continental
divide. At present the east and west
sides Of the park are divided as if a
high board fence separated the two
sides, with only loopholes for trails
perceptible.
Motorists to the park are not in
clined to visit both sides, since the
only mean of transporting automo-
biles is to ship them by railroad from
one side to the other unless a long
detour is made. Of all the new road
construction projects in all the parks
this is probably the most important;
it is the great lacking link in the park
to-park highway"
At present it is necessary for tour
lists to have their cars freighted from
Glacier to Belden, Montana, a distance
Of fifty-tWo miles, while the tourists
themselves make the short trip on
horseback.
Along the Route.
With the near completion of the
highway, preparations are making all
along its route for exceptionally heavy
traffic. From Portland to Portland
villages are refurnishing themselves
and hotel men are charging their
.conveniences for motoring guests. Gen
eral Secretary A. w. Tracy of the
Roosevelt Information Highway a~socia-
ton, whose home is in Duluth, has
been travelling through the eastern
sections, holding conferences with
state division officials of the associa-
ton. The plans adopted include meas
ures Of material help for the autoists,
such as provision of r~oad-logs, maps,
information as to hotels, resorts,
camping places, etc. A similar trip
will be made necessary by Secretary
Tracy over the western sections of
the trail.
Locally great interest is taken in
the Roosevelt route, which is bring
ing to the Adirondack resorts great
prosperity, and through the efforts
of local motorists and othes steps
have been taken to make night travel
over the highway as safe as it is by
day. This is accomplished by sys-
tematic lighting of the route wher-
ever practical by including villages
along the highway to extend their
street lights beyond the village boun-
diaries to connect with those adjoin-
ing communities. This has already
been done in several instances.