The Coconino sun., 1924-02-29
Springerville, Arizona,
FEBRUARY Goth, 1924.

Springerville, Arizona,
February goth, 1924.
Mr.. Fred Breen,
Editor Coc0nino Sun,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
Dear Mr.. Breen; Recently a certain
article appeared in an issue of the
Coconino Sun entitled Gallup Cham
Der of Commerce is Ready to Co
operate in Giving true Dope on the
National Old Trails" We read that
article several times and we feel that
the object was TO leave the impression
with our neighbor towns of northern
Arizona that tourists are being rout-
ed south from Socorre, New Mexico,
through southern Arizona, and that
some tourists were also being routed
from Socorro west, via Magdalena,
Springerville and then south away
from northern Arizona towns.
We, of Springerville, wish to de-
fend Socorro, New Mexico, and we
can advise our friends of northern
Arizona that the National Old Trails
from Socorro west via the Petrified
Forest and Flagstaff has received
every cooperation from the business
men of Socorro in the matter Of
routing tourists.
From early spring of 1923 to about
November 18th, most all cars through
Socorro, with the exception, after
cooler weather, of those campers who
had many little children along, came
west by way Of Springerville and
Flagstaff. After November 18th
tourists we're warned from Albuquer-
que north to stay away from northern
Arizona, and especially away from the
high altitude of Flagstaff where they
might be snowbound at any time. The
writer personally overheard the gar
age men of Socorro giving the tourists
correct information regarding the
National Old Trails through northern
Arizona. Many of these tourists in
formed the garage men that they
would pay no attention to their adj
vice as they had been warned from
Albuquerque north to pay no attention
to any road information which they
might receive at Socorro.
If Socofro were fighting the Nat
ional Old Trails, then we peo-
pie at Springerville would suffer to
marked extent, as we, as well as all
the other towns Of northern Arizona,
would never get this tourist business.
If we, therefore, are satisfied with
the treatment that Soccrro gave US,
then the balance cf northern Arizona
can certainly find no fault with them.
The other charge can be easily ans
wered by giving the following facts:
In 1923 approximately 1900 tour
iSt cars passed through Springerville,
and over two-thirds Of these cars were
on their way west. The reliable citi-
zens of st. Johns, Concho and Hol-
brook can bear witness to the fact that
practically every one of these cars
travelled over the National Old Trails
from Springerville west via the Pet
rified Forest, which is located on the
MI in highway between Holbrook and
Springerville. This entire route Is
mostly all well graded and gravelled.
It was not necessary for Gallup to
maintain men at Los Lunas and AL
buquerque during 1923 to protect the
other towns in northern Arizona To-
Gated on the National Old Trails, as
these towns received the tourist traf-
fic regardless of whether it went by
way of Gallup or Springerville, there
fore, it locks very much as If these
men were placed at Los Lunas, ETC.,
TO divert traffic to Gallup and away
from Socorro, Magdalena, Quemado,
Springerville, st. Johns and Concho,
and also away from the Rainbow Pet
rified Forest, which is located on this
branch of the National Old Trails.
The people of Springerville know
great many of the very fine people of
Gallup, and they know that these men
would not stoop to malicious mud
singing or deliberate lying, there
fore it puzzles them why these rep
resentatives that Gallup had placed
at Los Lunas during 1928 would de-
liberately make misstatements to the
tourists On several occasions these
men were overheard advising the tour
lists that the road from Albuquerque
via Gallup was 85 miles or more short
er than the route via Springerville
and st. Johns to Holbrook, while In
reality the difference in distance is
about 81 miles in favor of Gallup.
On other occasions tourists were adj
vised that the roads via Socorro and
Springerville were absolutely impass-
able and that tourists could not pos
sibly get through. We admit that
there was some bad road in New Mex
leo east of Springerville during the
very heavy rainy season of 1928, but
nevertheless 1900 cars were able to
come over this road in 1928.
On other occasions tourists advised