Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1922-07-21

sally used by travellers. The desert water bottle and the way to hitch it to car was one of their inventions iron spikes for tent pegs was another thing they started and handed down.
 I still believe that Ellis, Kas., on the far. edge of that state deserves the honor of introducing one of the earliest motor camp sites. They had little park in that hamlet. They took down the fence and rails and asked us to park our cars in the in. closure make camp, and make it our hotel. ...
 Through Colorado, where motor camping has reached its height, we stopped in cities to hold road meet ings and interest the people in our plan-the trancontinental Lincoln highway. Though we did not camp, we saw scores of motorists who were enjoying that sort of travel and vaca- tion. They were largely to be found in national forests. When you cansid- ed that the national forests of the country, scattered in twenty-nine states have total area of 156,032,- 900 acres, and that all of them now welcome tourists the thing begins to take size. In the first place, 156,000,- 900 acres is about the size of all the New England states with: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Deleware added for good measure. It is easy to comprehend that many millions more could camp in, those places without crowding.
 Last year there were about 50,000 motorists who went through the Utah Nevada, California section of the transcontinental trails in the center of the land. Those who used the Nation al Old Trails or Santa Fe, that is trav- eled all year, with those who went the Northern route doubtless made anoth- CT 50,000. All this travel, most of it of the motor camping variety, has devel- oped since 1913, when the June records for Ely, Nevada, showed fourteen cross country tourists.
 The local communities and trail as sociations, that are laying out and opening up motor camps, are not the only one helping the movement might fly. The state highway departments of the land are now moving very swiftly toward universal road mark ing plan. Wisconsin, Michigan, India na and Ohio all now use system that is nearly identical. The marking in Wisconsin, Michigan and as the state highways and trunk lines go. The numbered trails, with markings every five poles, or every 500 feet, is the general plan. Such markings in con- junction with state highway maps that give the trail numbers and symbols make the old style road guides obso- lete. Indiana will soon issue such map, and Wisconsin and Michigan al- ready have them in circulation, in one instance with peridical issues showing all detours on the state highway sys- tems.
 The New England states highway men recently agreed to adoupt com mon marking system, and it is under stood that this simple plan of giving each highway number instead of a name and painting those on poles will soon be followed. In time we shall have sectional maps printed, giving the numbers and symbols of each state system. Then we can forget all about tour books and troublesome asking of, information from one source or an- other. All of this is great help to the movement. It is the recognition by highways departments that road marking is but part of highway build ing-a motor transportation service for which the taxpayer settles. Not many years hence all but the official highway department signs will disap- pear. There will be less confusion. If directions are wrong the blame can be laid to responsible parties. As far the advertising signs are concerned. they never should have been permitt- ed in the highways. Their days are doomed, whatever they advertise