The Washington times., 1922-08-27
B Times Ucruss Me Continent
~. RAY McNAMARA'S
LIP Ups slr for Summer
@Hz:+E=3y5 q w. Trips
! COPYRIGHT 1922 BY THE cHRsTY WALSH SYNDICATE.

For dozen years or more, vol.
umes have been written of the chang
IS and improvements that are being
made along the trails across the Con-
tinent. The sponsors of certain
routes become so enthusiastic that
they refer to their particular favorite
route as a highway and word their
stories so that the average man sees
an Improved road clear across to the
salt water on the West Coast. How
ever, many a moon will pass before
We have graded natural roads
througout all the thinly settled des-
ert States.
Touring back from California a
Few years ago on the Lincoln trail /
drove into Fish Springs ranch, Utah,
Tor nights lodging. Fish Springs
Is approximately $50 miles south and
west Of Salt Lake City and situated
Just beyond the mud flats of the Salt
Lake Desert section. The natives in
Salt Lake City always advise the
tourists that If they get mired in the
mud on the flats, to build a fire Of
sage brush as a signal to the men at
the ranch to bring out the horses.
On this occasion three highly peeved
men came walking into the ranch
late in the evening from the east,
piastered with mud, claimed to have
got stuck in the mud at IL a. m. and
had fire going all day but no horses
came to the rescue. 1t being spring
time the rains were heavy and the
ranch horses were all out on stage
work or freighting supplies in from
the railroad, many miles to the north.
The car remained in the mud all
night. However, late in the evening,
some horses were rounded up on the
ranch for an early morning rescue.
In exchanging road information
that night with these gentlemen
from Connecticut 1 found that they
were not so much peeved about get.
ting stuck in the mud, but II they
could lay hands on the man that
wrote the story they read in one of
the trade papers it would be a three
TO one fight and perhaps murder.
They were led to believe that an
improved highway faced them all
the way. These men set a stiff
daily schedule in order to make the
trip in their limited vacation time
and were some days behind it at the
great American desert and with
snow on the Hamilton summit, a
lot of mud on the Fallam flats in
western Nevada and the Truckee
summit over Sierra impossible until
late in June, necessitating a detour
of several hundred miles to the
south facing them. 1 am inclined to
think the schedule suffered further.
Returning from the coast last
June over. the Lincoln highway I
found that roads are being graded
across the Fallaneflats and also sur
faced. When completed this will
eliminate one of the biggest wet
weather barriers on the Lincoln
highway. A gradedvsurfaced road
has been completed across the flats
at Sand Springs and Salt Well, New,
a little bit rough but q safe road In
wet weather. -" " ~,
Through Newpass range and one
or two others in Nevada and Deep
Creek range and Fishers pass in
Utah, the trail still follows the
washers or course of water draining
from the mountains for some dis
tance, very rough after storms, and
of course, impossible during heavy
rains. Except for making the grades
over the summit at Austin and Ham,
ilton, New. easier and the grading
of roads over the Salt Wells flats
and the work under way between
Fallan and Hazen, which will not
be finished for some months, little
change has taken place on the trail
through Nevada. However, aside
from the aforementioned points, I
found the trails fairly rough across
the valleys except through the Ely
and McGill mining districts and over
Shelbourne pass.
The new cutoff across Salt Lake
Desert from Gold Hill to Orrs
ranch saves a lot Of miles over the