The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1922-08-25
MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY
GETS BIG BOOST At.
TOLL GATE MEETING

The Weston -Elgin road meeting
held Sunday at Toll Gate was large
ly attended by people from Elgin,
Walla Walla, Pendleton, Weston,
Weston Mountain and other points,
and was marked by an earnestness
and enthusiasm which augurs well
for the success Of the road project.
This calls for a highway forty-four
miles in length, crossing the Blue
mountains from Weston to Elgin,
traversing part Of the Umatilla Ma
tional forest and to cost approximate
ly nine thousand dollar mile. 1t
will be twelve feet wide, cleared to a
width of forty feet and grubbed to a
width of twenty-five feet, if the re-
port made by B. F. Beezley, govern
ment engineer embodying his find
ings from the preliminary investiga-
tion, is followed. It will open up
wonderfully fertile mountain farming
district, make the national forest
more accessible and provide recre-
ational route through region of rare
scenic beauty.
The meeting was held in the shade
of the trees on lovely woodland
spot made historic by the first boost
er road meeting seven years ago.
Col. Paul H. Weyrauch, president Of
the Blue Mountain Highway asso-
citation, presided. Secretary Smiths
minutes Of the Weston meeting were
read, as was also Engineer Beezley's
report. Deeply interesting addresses
were made by John W. Langdon,
Walla Walla orchardist and man Of
affairs; DR.. Stephen B. L. Penrose,
president Of Whitman college; John
G. Kelly, editor and publisher Of the
Walla Walla Bulletin: Roy W. Rit-
ner Of Pendleton, president Of the Or
egon senate; Lee B. Tuttle Of Elgin,
first vice president Of the association;
A. F. Alexander of Walla Walla,
originator of the movement for bet
ter roads across the Blues, and DR..
John w. Summers, representative in
congress from the fourth Washing
ton district. The address of Con-
gresham Summers was highly infor-
NATIVE and related to road and other
development in the nations 149 for
ests embracing 156,000,000 acres. DR..
Summers is the only member of the
public roads committee hailing from
west of the Mississippi. He showed
where getting so large an appropria-
tion from the forestry service would
be difficult matter, entailing earn
est and persistent effort, but pledged
his hearty support. A letter from
Congressman N. J. Sinnott of Ore
gon was read, expressing his regret
at not being able to attend, because
of duties that keep him in Washing
ton.
At the close Of the public meeting
President Weyrauch called the exec
utive committee together, and plan
of action was adopted which calls
for furnishing a large amount of
statistical and other information to
congressman and the forestry service
concerning the Weston -Elgin project
County agents Of Union and Una
tilla counties will be enlisted to as
semble data with relation to agri-
cultural resources and possibilities in
the region served. John W. Langdon
was appointed official road photogra-
pher to present the recreational value
Of the road by picturing the magni-
ficent scenery along its route. Mr..
Kelly Of the Bulletin agreed to take
care of the descriptive matter ac-
companying the photographs.
Toll Gate visitors were much inter-
ested in the plans to convert this
picturesque spot into one of the fin
est mountain resorts in the United
States. The principal feature will be
a lake covering fifty acres and occu-
pying the bed Of what the geological
formation indicates was once a pre-
historic lake. Construction Of the
dam has been begun. There will be
boating, fishing, hunting, dancing
and other pastimes for the recrea-
tionists who camp along the lakes
shores or put up at the charming
hotel embraced in the plans.