White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-15
SALT LAKE INTERESTS
APPARENTLY ON TOP IN
ROAD CONTROVERSY

California and Utah state highway
commissioners. held in San Francisco
last Thursday, decision was reached
whereby Nevada will fall into the lap
of Utah in the matter of the Lincoln
highway controversy, or rather in the
matter of pushing the Lincoln high
way through this district off the map,
which from recent developments ii
seems was decided upon By Salt Lake
many months ago. That is, the COM
missioners adopted the northern
route as the primary highway and
that cuts Ely out, carrying the busi-
ness through Wendover, Wells, Elko,
Winnemucca, Lovelock and Reno.
AS the mask of duplicity is torn
from the faces OF the men behind the
guns in Salt Lake piece by piece, 1t
appears that many months ago they
threw the mokey wrenches into the
machinery and have since been sit
ting back, laughing in their sleeves,
while they enjoyed a lucrative busi-
ness from this district and at the
same time have been stabbing in the
back the business men and others
who have poured their hard-earned
dollars into Salt Lake purses through
the channels of business which they
sent there and which they might
have placed Just as advantageously
elsewhere.
Several meetings have been held
by the directors of the Ely Chamber
of Commerce and kilograms sent TO
parties in power, but the replies have
been by no means of satisfactory
nature On the other hand, the de-
cision reached in California. If al
lowed to stand, can spell nothing else
but the requiem of the Lincoln high
way, long established through Tooele
Utah, on into White Pine and
to the coast by the best possible route
that engineers of unquestioned in
tegrity and ability could find after
many months of ardent labor and the
of large sums of money
From the replies to kilograms sent
out on the matter to parties in Salt
Lake nothing new seems to have been
learned and finally came the word,
You have made a splendid fight but
il looks like curtains. Can you sug
gest any further action We can take''
1t has been suggested here that re-
turn match might be good curtain
raiser, at least In 1916 IL looked
like curtains until a fight to a finish
was demanded and then II took diff
ferent turn. Salt Lake signed an ar
mistice. but IL they thereafter had
to do with disarmament
they certainly did not dis
arm. On that memorable occasion in
1916, when they were hit in the pock-
cts by the Withholding OF Ely busi-
ness from them, they didn't say eur
tans," but on the other hand called
for time" When they got their
second wind they said Let us bury
the hatchet," and this WAS agreed to
by contract as fully published in the
last issue of the News Ely buried
the hatchet on the level. but those
cute fellows from one long paved
street by the salten sea buried their
hatchet with the sharp side up.
While as above noted many wires
have been going and coming, but
roads are neither built nor designat-
ed by wires. Salt Lake seems TO
have the knack of designating i'm
portant highways by pulling wires,
and by which the money of the coun-
try may be sunk in a mudhole and
there held undor water about ten
months out of the year. such as has
been proven to be the case with the
w endONer route.
A committee was appointed by the
Ely Chamber of Commerce to so to
Salt Lake, and while what success
that committee might meet with Is
to say the least, so far
no action has been taken. The COM
mittee appointed was unable to leave
yesterday, as scheduled, but latest
advice is to the effect that a strong
day morning for Salt Lake.
The general meeting scheduled for
last Thursday night was likewise
but the outgoing COM
mlttee should be fortified with the
backing of every citizen OF this dis
trict and a determined stand made to
the effect that IL Salt Lake wants to
interfere with the Lincoln highway
after it leaves their great city and use
its influence to take such a valuable
asset away from this district, then
let all connections be severed and the
prosperous and contented IL its resi-
dents never hear of Salt Lake any
more
The plans laid in Salt Lake seem
to have quietly slipped down the
=
ington and are now about due al the
national capital. 1t may, perhaps. be
possible to there dig a grave 10 re-
ceive Salt Lakes pet, but IL such be
the case at least prompt and decisive
action must be taken. The latest
wire sent on the subject yesterday
was as follows:
Ely, New. Jan. 14.-Hon. TaskeI
l.. Oddie. United States Senator,
Washington, ID. c.: Please secure
and send as soon as possible copies
of reports of engineer on that part
of northern route and Lincoln high.
way in controversy. After receipt OF
copies of engineers reports Ely
Chamber OF Commerce and other
communities on Lincoln highway will
submit to roads bureau their views
on merits Of respective roads. Re-
quest Withholding action until views
are presented to board.
ELY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
"By Fred r. West. Secretary"