The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-09-07
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
COMMERCIAL CLUBS

#. Inc COuN6utlOu VI SOAAMSA SAeSA
clubs that meets at Idaho Falls next
Tuesday and Wednesday to plan
things for the good of the country
lying thru the Snake river valley
and southwark to Salt Lake, might
give some thought to the 1928 OPP
portunity to give big boost to the
reputation of the road connecting
Salt Lake aud Yellowstone via the
Snake river valley. Here is what
we have in mind:
A few weeks ago, D. A. Jenkins
delivered a rush job, driving Nash
car from Salt Lake to Yellowstone
in a daytime hours and thirty
nine minutes to be exact. 1t was
done on the spur Of the occasion,
without any preparation Of the roads
or the traffic to give him fair
chance. When it was over, most Of
the people were surprised that it had
been done. At Ashton they received
a telephone message that he was
coming, and about 100 men of the
community got out at daylight in
the morning and very hurriedly
patched the worst places in the road.
As Jenkins and his companion came
over the line they had all kinds of
road and all kinds of traffic, and
often had to come down to low gear
and creep past vehicles whose driv-
ers gave no heed to their signal re-
questing right of way to pass.
For Next June
We Propose
That the drive shall be made
under careful arrangements made
all along the way to give the car a
clear fling, and have all roads in
tip-top condition. The way to &C.
complish this is to put an expert in
charge of publicity and have all
newspapers in the territory at
fected by it, to announce the under
taking about month ahead. All
commercial clubs, boards of COM
missioners and public spirited citi-
zens along the way should be called
upon thru the press to inspect their
roads and make concerted move
to get their section of he road into
good condition by dragging, lowering
high culverts, grading up to bridges,
fixing sharp curves or marking them
with signs, and figuring out the
schedule and having the road clear
of traffic for a reasonable time be-
fore the coming of the racer. He
should have right of way at any
speed thru all towns and villages
and officers should see to it that the
track is clear. At places where it
was desirable to take gas, oil and
coffee, those things should be ready
in hand, and every minute turned to
good account.
The result should be that the run
would be- covered in eight hours or
a little less, and the press of the
country would herald the news to all
tourists that it is just good days
drive between Salt Lake and yell
lowstone, (for the man in hurry
provided he goes via the Snake river
valley. 1t will give rise to the
slogan, breakfast at Salt Lake,
dinner at Yellowstone" for those
who go thru the Snake river valley,
and it will stir a sincere desire on
the Part of tourists to go by that
route.
1t is tourist trade and travel that
the commercial clubs are working
for in these valleys, and they are
also working for good roads. When
the people along the way for 400
miles take it into their heads to play
big game of smooth road to pull
tourist travel their way by making
every rod of the road smooth for one
day, they will find it lots of fun, and
they will find it lots Of satisfaction
for long time afterwards. Not
only will there be satisfaction in
putting one over the folks on the
other lines of travel, but they will
find out how good it is to have a per-
fectly fine road to ride on them
selves for good while afterwards
as long as they care to keep it in
good. condition-and that is the
vital lesson we should teach our
selves-the ease with which we can
have good roads If we only take an
interest and do the vital thing at the
right time.
The convention of commercial
clubs would do we'll to ponder on
this subject at their meeting next
week, and appoint the speedway
committee and the publicity man to
lay the preliminaries so that the
= right moves will be made in season,
and the thing made big success
worthy of space in newspapers in
many states both before and after
the event. t
Speaking for our own town, 1t
would be source of considerable
free advertising to us if all these
newspaper stories of next year
should mention that the drive was
made by D. A. Jenkins of Blackfoot,
Idaho. And Blackfoot would have a
chance to redeem itself for its singu-
lar action of the 1922 run, for on
that occasion the chief of police OBJ
served that car went thru town
exceeding the speed limit by wide
margin, and an order was hung on
to Jenkins the next day to report at
the police court. Or course the Of
ficer merely did his duty, but when
the mayor heard of it he "hot-
footed" to the police court to see
that cog slipped so that this bene-
factor pulling trade to our valley did
not get crucified for necessary part
Of the performance:
-.s-
"Henry vIll."
.Henry vIII' Is supposed to have
been drawn mainly from Cavendish's