Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-11
The Haskin Letter :, , ; 2:sz
nur n Ar1onnS snIrrHERN MAIN STREET

E5HM&# A1xLl 4NIA AOAs ~
Washington, D. c., Nov. 8.-Recent
action by q county in Oklahoma In vot,,
ing a BOND issue of several hundred
thousand dollars to construct a link IN
the Lee highway is concrete evidence
of the progress that is being made In
the enterprise which is to give the
country another transcontinental road:
1t is a demonstration Of the Kind OF
cooperation on the part of states and
counties that insures success TO the
project fostered by the organization
known as the Lee Highway association.
This great artery Of travel by motor
has been termed the Southern Main
Street of the United States. It's pro-
moters claim for it that it will be the
finest scenic route from coast to coast
as well as the shortest. From Wash
ington to San Diego, California, it will
measure 5000 miles, which is 300 miles
less than other route. Eventually, it
is said, the Lee highway will be ex-
tended from Washington to New York
City and from San Diego to San Fran
cisco, giving it a total length Of 300
miles.
1t is estimated that the road will
afford highway transportation to at
lease 15,000,0 900 people, approximately
one-seventh of our continental popu-
lation. This will contribute materially
to the development of a zone at least
100 miles wide throughout it's entire
length. This is regarded as Of far
more Importance than the facility it
will offer to tin-canners and other tour
lists to travel from the Atlantic to the
Pacific through much of the most beau
tlful scenery in the country as well as
over a comparatively easy roadway.
Experts say there is no measuring
the socially beneficent influences of
good roads and one authority recently
asserted that they really constituted
a counter agent against dangerous rad
icalism. The happy homes induced
by automobiles and good roads" he
said. ARE incompatible with radicalism
and unrest"
Whether or not that theory will be
generally accepted, those who are be-
hind the Lee Highway association are
convinced that they are engaged IN q
great public service n they are graf
flied with the cooperation their prof.
ect is receiving. Moreover, they can
point with pride to the progress that
has been made.
Every Mile May Now Be Used
Every mile of the road is now a con-
nected up highway, they announce. and
can be travelled any day in the year
in fact. it is all in daily use. It is
estimated that approximately so per
cent of it is graded and that all the
necessary bridges and culverts have
been constructed. Some of this road
way is of the type known as water
bound macadam, but this will be replac-
ed ultimately with scientifically built
pavement.
From almost every county seat along
the line there is a stretch of this mod
ern pavement extending in either di-
%reCtion, and in some instances this
permanent roadway is continuous for
200 miles. There are Of course breaks
I in its continuity. but the association is
now negotiating, a construction pro-
gram under which the road authorities
of the various states and counties will
cooperate to close all the gaps. 1t is
hoped that this can be accomplished
! whiting the next two years. assuming
that conditions continue favorable.
The Lee highway runs southwest
) from Washington, traversing the val
ley Of Virginia, thence west to cross
the Mississippi river at Memphis
From Memphis it runs to Little Rock
! Arkansas. and follows the magnificent
Red River valley of southern Oklaho.
ma then on through western Texas
southern New Mexico, Arizona ale
{ California TO San Diego.
, The route from the Mississippi or
, is practically one of the five trans
continental lines surveyed BY order 81
congress during the period immediate
~ preceding the Civil war when it wa!
: realized that tibet territory gained as /
result Of the Mexican wal and by til.
acquisition of California could onl,
be consolidated through lines of trans
q 6ortation linking the Pacific coast tt
i the Mississippi valley and thence will
the Atlantic seaboard. Old records
indicate that this route was regarded
: as the most feasible as well as til,
| most desirable. but when the war be
tween the states came on the lin
: from Omaha to San Francisco wa
e adopted for the first railway to b
built across the continent.
Follows Many Streams and Rivers
The Lee highway follows beautiful
rivers and streams for more mile
c than any other road in the world, i
is claimed, and offers a combination
0 of montain and valley scenery of un
l. usual beauty and variety. From tn
Potomac river southwestward TO tn
" Mississippi the way lies through
great ~intermountain valley which j
" marked by the Blue Itldge ana Inak
mountain range on the east and b
{ the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. range o
the west. This valley is crossed trans
y~ersely by a series of ridges which ar
not high enough to form mountain bar
J. ries, but constitute watersheds TO
d streams flowing in a northwestern
or southwesterly direction.
{ The valley Of Virginia has been
great tho%roughfare since the earl
n settlement Of that region, Along
passed the pioneers from the older SEE
tons of Virginia and other states VIII
settled the mountainous parts of Yves
Virginia, northern Tennessee and part
y Of Kentucky. 1t was the shortes
route from Charlotte, North Carolini
to New York, and before the days {
the railroad was generally used b
II southerns who had occasion to Journe
north.
Thus this valley presents n wealth {
= historical interest dating back to ear
4 colonial days. it includes battle fleio
that were the arenas for some OF th
f~iercest fighting of the Civil war, an
il has also it's monuments to peacefl
pursuits and achievements. Notab
among the latter is an accent structui