Gunnison news-champion., 1921-08-26
very Truly your
CHAS. 4. ". GORDON,
Prs Montroc Chamber Commerce,

After consulting our business meu.
our county commissioners, segeTai
prominent citizens Of M0utrose and
various motorists recently over the
Blue Mesa route News-C Champion is
convinced that Mr.. Gordon is singular
Is lacking in facts on which TO base
his appeal
In the fir.; place. the Blue Mesa IL,
by nearly all motorists, proclaimed 20
be In the best condition Of its history.
Besides the cleaning and grading of
the early spring, Rufus Berry has
been kept busy on il all summer and
usually two men are at work there.
Road Superintendent Toupain was u
the office Of Commi-si Sullivan
the day the complaining letter was re-
ceivcd, and after reading II, congi atu
lated Gunnison county on the excel
lent condition Of the highway which
he had just trayersed. II. {. Getty.
irrigation engineer of Moutrose, has
been here since and states that il is in
the finest condition that he has ever
seen il and to use his name as saving
so.
We understand that Mr.. Gordon
later rctracts his complaint as cover
ing the whole road, and applies 1t in
particular to the stretch near Sap.
nero. 1t is true this is in bad shape.
1t Is Il road that cost over $4,000 to
build and will cost much more 10 re
bgild. The state has made three sur
veys and the government two during
the last year, and our Sapinero CORES
pondent states that one is going on
right now. This road must be made
right and carried above the water
grade to the Lake Fork junction lit
was under four feet of water fo-
many days during the foods, and
then brought around on an entire new
grade to Pine Creek. State and gov
ernment funds approximating one
hundred thousand, have been appropri-
ated twice for this whole Blue Mesa
road, including this bad stretch, and
were supposed to be set aside for
construction; but haggling over the
survey, delay in selling the road bond
issue and tremendous demand from
other regions to repair flood damage
have prevented any money from ap-
pearing from outside for this work.
Road Superintendent Thomas would
have been foolish to try to rebuild this
expensive piece of road out of meagre
county funds. His plan was to keep
it in passible condition, and even this
was difficult owing to torrential rains
which washed the dirt off the rocks
as fast as it was put on. 1t has been
passable and that is all that could be
expected this season. Twice this
summer it has been surfaced with dirt,
but under present condition most of it
works off in the next cloudburst.
The stretch three miles this side OF
Sapinero is being made into q modern
road at cost of $32 900. Hansen &
Girardet began work Saturday. The
other piece should have been contract
ed first. But the change is not the
fault of Gunnison people, being en-
tirely a state matter.
We are unable to locate any garage
men or any business men who are
routing tourists over Black mesa.
When asked, we sometimes give their
their choice of the two roads, and
why not? Both are in Gunn;sonI
county. Both are. state and county
highways, and If one wants a short
cut to Crawford and Hotchkiss, the
wonderful scene route by Rlack mesa
is worth taking. 1t is often desirable
as an alternative road, to go one way
and return another. Blue mesa is
recognized as the main Rainbow Route
thorofare, because it is shorter and
in better condition. There is also a
third road now to the lower valleys,
namely by way of Crested Butte.
Somerset and Paonia. 1t is we'll
worth taking, and there is no disloy-
atty in our friendship for Montrose to
say so. Gunnison people are glad to
call attention of tourists to these Dos
sibilities in auto travel. Some indi-
vidual might have his preference and
speak Of it, but we are sure the busi.
ness men and garage men of Gunni-
son are fair and aboveboard in de-
scribing the advantages Of Blue mesa.
The writer plans to make trip west
in early September to write up the
roads, and will go via the North Fork