The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-16
Abilene, Kansas, Is Outpost of
Civilization Again.
Stands at Western Terminus of
Eeng Paved Road.
ONCE HEART OF wild WEST"
Has History Full of Interest in
Development of West.
Now It's Up to Abilene to Carry
on, Says Watson.

Abilene, Kansas. has a history as a
frontier town. In the days when Kan
sas was part of the great American
desert, and the west beyond it was
norman s-iand of adventure and mys-
terry, Abilene became Jumping OIL
place" the Place where CIVILIZATION
ended and the great unknown COM
Abilene was the point at which the
yirile men who laid the foundations
of a new nation in the west, collected
for their rough play, and preparea
themselves for their ventures into the
desert Abilene was the point toward
which vast trail herds of cattle from
the plains beyond-as far as Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona. were driven
to be entrained for their final markets
In the old rough days, Abilene was
one of the most widely known IRON
tier towns of the world.
It's Different Now.
There are no gun men, drunken
cowpunchers quick-on-the-trigger
marshals in Abilene now. Their places
have been taken by keen business men
and leaders in the professions NO
more trail herds are driven from the
far western plains, to Abilene to meet
the trains. The great American des-
ert'' on which Abilene was frontier
town, is now the "breadbasket OF a
nation" and Abilene is one of the
centers of a prosperous and up-to-oate
empire.
The COW ponies which used to stand
at the hitchracks along the streets or
Abilene while their riders took such
elemental pleasures as they might find
in the saloons and gambling houses OF
the town, have been replaced by the
parked automobiles OF the citizens or
Abilene in their offices, and the farm
ers from the surrounding rich terri
tory. who have driven into town on
business.
But Abilene is still a frontier town.
1t stands still at the western Jump
ing off place" of one phase of pro-
gress and advancement-an important
phase in the social and industrial life
of the entire nation-highway con-
struction.
BY the end of the construction sea-
son of 1923, Abilene will be the west
ern terminus of q paved highway
which will extend with but two, posi-
bly, but one break, from the Atlantic
sc board westward.
The motor tourist. westbound from
New York city. will be able at the
end of that season to drive from
Gotham to Abilene, without fear or
favor of the weather gods, on a road
hard surfaced all the distance. with
the exception of the one gap noted.
Much Depends ON Missouri.
Much OF this possibility depends up
on the speed with which the state
highway officials Of Missouri move.
There has been designated across that
state, and the money is on hand for
it's hard surfacing, primary. inter-
state highway which will connect st.
Louis and Kansas City. with a belt of
pavement across the entire state. At
the present time. from st. Louis to
New York city. the Victory Highway
is all paved. 1t is promised that by
the end of next year the Missouri
lirk will have been improved.
l. l. -, ~, ot,o t.
between st. Marys. Kansas, and the
military reservation at Fort Riley. Be
tween these two points, there is road
IMPROVEMENT contemplated, and much
has been done to improve the dirt
roads which succeeded the ancient
transcontinental trails over which the
OK wagons of the pioneers and the
chuckwagons of the trail herds passed.
Hard surfaced roads are bound to be
constructed across the gap also, sooner
or later.
One of the finest stretches of paved
highway in the state will extend be-
tween the military reservation at Fort
Riley and Abilene. thru Junction City,
by the end of present construction
season.
1t will be the terminal link in the
chain which will bind Abilene and
New York city together. 1t will be
the channel thru which the touring
public of New York city will find ac-
cess to the west thru Abilene. as the
transcontinental adventures of three
score years ago passed thru Abilene on
their trips of exploration and trade.
On Frontier Again.
Just as the frontiersmen of Abilene
in the middle of the last century,
pushed the frontier on westward and
conquered the desert which lay be-
yond it. so it is up to the Abilene
business men today to push the
frontier of highway construction west
ward. and conquer bad road conditions
to the west of them" NJ. W. Watson,
state highway engineer, declares
There is still highway construction
needed to the west of Abilene The
paving which has been built that far
should be extended toward Salina and
Solomon.
AT the present time there is not
much need of more paving on the Vic
tory Highway '. est of the county line
between Saline and Dickinson coun-
ties. The soil condition in the coun-
try west of Dickinson county is such
that a good road may be maintained
the year round, if the road is built
only Of earth. But in Dickinson coun-
ty. a good earth road is an impoEsl-
bility as a year round proposition
IF the paving can be pushed as far
west as the Dickinson-SaIine county
line. then the problem of an all year
desirable route for motor tourists
dCTOSS the state OF Kansas, Is solved.
Abilene is again a frontier, and
again has the opportunity and the re-
sponsibilty, of pushing that frontier
westward"
To prove the quality of the western
stretches of the Tictory Highway. Lyle
MinoE, a business man of Winne-
mucca, Nevada, recently made a run
which goes tO-show that roads are
good in that section of the country.
From WinnemL Ca to Lovelock, Ne
vada, is a distance of seventy-three
miles. Minor made the run between
the two cities in two hours and forty
five minutes, in Chevrolet car max
ing an average of more than thirty
miles an hour. A large part of the
run was made after dark.
Minor was accompanied by his wife
and two guests on the run. which was
made largely to demonstrate the ad-
vantages of the Victory Highway be-
tween the two points.
he