White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-10-14
LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION
REFUSES VILLAGES REQUEST
TO ADOPT THE WENDOvER ROUTE

secretary allace mas maze Z re-
s1lnest of the Lincoln Highway asso-
sciation that it change It's route from
Salt Lake west, expressing strong
preference for the Wendover route
but suggesting as second choice
either the Delta of Milford routes,
to which request the association has
entered firm refusal.
1t is the desire of Mr. Wallace that
the whole route from Salt Lake to
Carson at least be abandoned, leav-
ing out Ely and the other towns and
communities served bv the Lincoln
highway, and as he puts it in direct
words, the route would be through
Wells, Elko, Winnemucca and Reno.
J This correspondence appears to
have been exchanged prior to the
publication OF the excess cost of the
Wendover subgrade through contrac
tors bids which will be rejected.
! The cost, instead of $500, 900. as rep
| resented by Utah officials to the sec,
retary, would amount to upwards of
100000.
Following is the correspondence
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Washington, June 2S, 1928.
Mr.. Henry B. JOY, Vice-President,
Lincoln Highway Association, 1890
Penobscot Building, Detroit, Mich,
Dear Mr.. joy: Your letter of June
S evidently crossed the letter from
this Office dated June 8. In my let
ter of June l explained my position
in respect to the question of the
Wendover route in Utah The only
matter supplementary 70 the cores
pondence accompanying the routine
business involved under the federal
aid act in connection with the ap-
Droval of the Wendover route in Utah
is a page summary which has been
given to the press and copy Of
which I inclose.
To make more clear TO you the in
tent of the suggestion in my letter
of June that your association could
be most helpful in bringing a salts
factory conclusion to the situation 7
had in mind the prompt acceptance
by your association of the necessary
consequences of the inevitable selec-
tion process by the state and federal
authorities under the federal aid act
in establishing through routes. Such
consequences seem now to suggest
clearly the high desirability of con-
sideration by the Lincoln Highway
association of the re.ruuting of that
viously designated west of Salt Lake
Lake City. Such rerouling might
for example. be over the Wendover
cutoff and by way of Wells, Winnie
mucca and Wadsworth to Reno and
thence either by way of Carson City
through PIacerville to Sacramento
and San Francisco, or by way oil
Auburn to the same point
firmly believe that should the
Lincoln Highway association imme.
diately adapt itself to the conse.
quences of the larger situation there
would be NO loss Of prestige. but or
the contrary a great respec. for the
organization throughout the west.
There are other possibilities for
connections from Salt Lake City west
ward by way of Delta or Newhouse.
thence to Baker, Nevada, and on to |
Ely, which connections probably have
merit.
In respect to your inquiry concern
ing my being out OF sympathy with
any movement committing the gov
ernment to unavoidable expenditures,
/ would not, if it were IN my power,
care to compel Utah to build Two
roads from Salt Lake City westward
through the desert if it We're possible
TO approximately achieve the same
service by considerably less total
construction by way of Wendover to |
Ely. Modern highway construction
involves commitments fer more ex-
tended period in the future than even
in the past. and experience has clear |
ly demonstrated that we pay bitterly |
for mistakes in the initial conception |
of the plan and design of our high
ways. The emphasis is. therefore,
not unnecessarily upon the question of
making a road passable for automo-
bile tourists, but rather one of con
structing highways for all time.
I should cal, Your attention 10 the
large federal contributions to high
way construction in Nevada which |
impose upon the federal government
a corresponding duty to be very care
sul in deciding to accept or reject
routes proposed by the state highway
department of that state. We have
had this fact in mind in making the
present decision.
trust that I have indicated above
The ways in which your association
can be most helpful in bringing a
conclusion to the situa-
lion. Sincerely,
HENRY C. WALLACE
Secretary
--
September 26, 1928.