The Coconino sun., 1924-10-24

manufacturer, in 1916 married Count
Del Queir0z, who left her two ago
and is supposed since to have died in
Europe. The former Mrs. Stetson still
is addressed by the name QueirOz. Her
son is the intimate of U. S. Senator
Ralph Cameron and is reputed to be
his financial backer, as is well known
in this county.
The latest yarn, perhaps the most
ridiculous of them all, is that the
money paid for the trail will be used
to build a road from Gallup to Coco
nino Point.
The agreement drawn up by the
government specifically states:
"(6) Ir the wording of the appro-
priatiOn above mentioned, it will be
noted that no specific location for the
approach road to Grand Canyon ma
tiOnal park has been mentioned. In
other words, it does not state at what
point it shall leave the National Old
Trails highway. If title to the Bright
Angel trail passes to the United
States, thus making it possible to i'm
mediately commence construction of
an approach road the department of
the interior pledges itself to construct
this approach road from any point on
the National Old Trails highway most
suitable to the county"
Now, LITTLE history regarding this
proposed sale of Bright Angel trail.
The whole plan was originated by
Congressman Carl Hayden, democrat,
of Arizona, and Congressman Cram
ton, republican, of Michigan, when
they visited Grand Canyon few years
ago with several other members of a
congressional party. In fact, Hayden
first conceived the plan, feeling that
it's execution would mean great finan
cial gain to Coconino county and help
tremendously to solve it's highway
problems, especially with respect to
the financing of road to Grand Can
yon, the route of which must be large
ly through government owned land.
Congressman Hayden said in an, ar
ticle written especially for The Sun
and printed August 20, 1924:
1T is to the interest of Coconino
county to have the federal government
build an approach road from the Ma
tional Old Trails highway to the
Grand Canyon national park. 1t is in
the interest of the federal government
to acquire the Bright Angel trail from
Coconino county because it is the only |
trail within a national park not owned |
by the government and from which |
tolls are collected. The county and |
the United States can each do some
thing that will be helpful to the other.
''The question is whether it is more
advantageous to the people of Coco I
nino county to exchange the Bright |
Angel trail for the use Of well built |
road, constructed and main
tanned without expense to them, or to
do without such a road and keep the
trail. The law enacted at the last ses- |
sion of congress was designed to make t
possible this exchange. The federal
government wants the trail and if Co
conino wants the road the way is open
to get it.
"The law authorizes the secretary of
the interior to purchase the Bright
Angel trail for 100000. 1t also per-
mits the secretary to construct the ap-
any point on the Old Trails highway
that may be agreed upon by the board
Of supervisors of Coconino coltnty. The
cost of the approach road will be at
least $500,000. If the county will con-
tribute the 100000 received for the
trail, toward the construction of the
approach road the remainder of the
cost, whatever that may be, will be
paid out of the federal treasury. The
final result will be that the county will
nave exchanged the Bright Angel trail
or the construction of the approach
'oad.
CAS- a business proposition this ex-
change is in every way to the advant
age of Coconino county. The net
annual income from the Bright Angel
rail is not sufficient to maintain the
ipproach road and much less than
enough to properly build a mile of it :