Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-07-17

Trail the Overland Trail any other historic
trail, to say nothing of modern roads like the
Lincoln Highway.
And the controversy has developed all sorts of
complications. States want to know what authori-
ty congress has to change the designation of roads
already named by them. City is fighting city for
place the Oregon Trail both from sentiment
and from desire for financial advantage. There
many disputes as to historical facts the
source books of western history seem to contra
dict another in many cases and the oldest of
the old-timers by the ears.
And, of course Trail is fighting Trail with all
the others more or less combined against the
Oregon Trail. Congress seems to have been a bit
Indifferent as to historical accuracy, so long as a
'federal-aid highway" selected. Naturally
this does not give universal satisfaction. Utah
for example, does not want to have it's Mormon
Trail wiped out. The Overland Trail has It's cham
pions among descendants of the Forty-niners
And the contributors of many millions to the
building and maintenance of the Lincoln Highway
as memorial to Abraham Lincoln strenuously
object to the loss of hundreds Of miles of improved
and marked roadway
The Santa Fe Trail, oldest of them ALL has a
place in the controversy because 1t is the Parent
Trail from Kansas City to Gardner Kan Incl
dentally, it comes to public attention on its own
account through the fact that Council Grove Kan
Is to celebrate its centennial August TO- hun
dred annual rings have swelled the girth of the
sturdy Council Oak, patriarch of Council Grove
since the council under its shade secured peaceful
passage from the Pawnees and the Osages-but
not the Comanches-for the pale face eager to
trade with the Spaniards at Santa Fe
The senate passed a bill Is. 2o53) designating
the Oregon Trail, after several cities in Idaho,
Oregon and Washington had been added by amend
ments in committee. 1t was introduced by Senator
McNary, has preamble and must have been
carelessy drawn, since Laramie" is designated
instead of Fort Laramie" evidently with the idea
that they the same place In the house Repre-
sentative Addison T. Smith of Idaho introduced
a bill (H. r. 6494). Later he introduced joint
resolution 232 and still later joint resolution 1928.
which contains additional cities. The full text of
joint resolution 1928 follows:
Whereas the Old oregon Trail which originated
at Missouri River points and traversed half
tinent and was the route over which the great
migration" of covered wagons and
States, and over which for many years the home
seekers and empire builders went in great numbers
and made great producing territory out of what
formerly wilderness; and
Whereas the oregon country at that time
sisted of ali that territory between the summit OF
the Rocky Mountains and the shores of the Pacific
Ocean and between the California and Canadian
England and the United States, and whose fate
for all time settled by the migration OF 1843
and women faced the perils of the desert and the
wilderness to out new homes in the Oregon
country and make 1t American territory; and
Whereas thousands persisted by the way and
buried in shallow graves by the old trail; and
whereas the united states mas set ASIDE as
tional monuments many battlefelds and other his
toric spots In this country; and
Whereas the old oregon Trail was than a
battlefield and offered greater challenge cour-
age. for along its dusty course of two thousand
miles American citizens daily faced death without
the panoply of the beating of drums the
flying of flags, and saved vast empire to the
United States; and
Whereas this service has long been neglected
and the youth of our land have not learned of the
heroic self sacrifice of those intrepid pioneers who
did so much for America; and
whereas in order that this the worlds most
historic highway" may be perpetuated in history
and its traditions be kept alive for all tiTne and
in order to show to the world that the American
people are not unmindful of the sacrifices of our
citizens and do recognize valorous deeds: There
fore be 1t