Evening star., 1927-04-23
D. A. R. WILL MARK
PIONEER TRAILS
Monuments Proposed as Re-
minders of 'Covered-Wagon'
Days in Far West.

The dream of the d. A. r. to mark
the trails of the covered wagons
with suitable monuments as reminders
Of the heroic pioneers who extended
| civilization to the Far West. is about
to be realized, Mrs. John Trigg Moss,
| chairman of the national old trails
road committee. reported to the Thirty
sixth Continental Congress yesterday
afternoon.
| Before another Congress convenes
| the d. A r. will have erected in each
of the u States through which this
| old national trail road passes a gran
| ite monument depicting the Madonna
of the Trail" symboliZing the sacri-
| ficing spirit Of the pioneer mothers.
See Dream Fulfilled.
Delegates to the Congress received
with enthusiasm the report of Mrs.
Moss, which showed that this dream
Of many years is near fulfillment and
that practically all of the funds neces.
sary for this patriotic work have been
collected. One of the first acts of the
national board of management during
the present Congress was to approve
the model for these memorials, which
are to be placed at historic points
along the pioneer road in the States
Of Maryland. Pennsylvania, West Vir.
ginia, Ohio. Indiana. Illinois, Missouri,
Kansas, Colorado. New Mexico, Ari-
zona and California.
The amount Of the national old
trails road marker fund to date is
$12.414, with an unpaid pledge Of
$493. Mrs Moss reported. This is
more than sufficient to meet the cost
Of the monuments, but is still little
short of defraying the expenses Of
transportation and erection.
Wax Model as Exhibit.
Delegates displayed great interest
in the small wax model which Mrs.
Moss exhibited to the Congress, the
figure of a stout-hearted pioneer
mother with babe in arms and
youth clutching at her homespun
skirts. 1--WE hope that every State
in the Union will point to these fnonu-
ments with pride as their citizens
pass along the highway, as great
national and universal tribute OF
greater love, as a nation, to our
mothers and our fathers of the COW
ered-wagon days" the chairman said.
Down the old trails, unscathed by worldly
The man seeing visions, the women dreaming
dreams
For these pioneer women. who knew not
the word fail,
What could be more fitting than The
Madonna of the Trail"
The first National Old Trails Road
committee was a State organization
formed by Mrs. r. B. Oliver, State
regent of Missouri, in 1911. This was
followed by Mrs. Matthew r. Scott,
the president general, in appointing a
national committee the following year
and gradually this work of studying
and preserving the historic landmarks
of the pioneer territory eliminated
in the vision of a national highway.
an ocean-to-ocean highway, covering
the trails followed westward by the
earliest pioneers.
Roadway Nearly Completed.
with the exception of very few
miles" Mrs. Moss said, 'the National
Old Trails Road has been built and
is a hard.surfaced road from ocean
to ocean. Whereas the pioneer of the
early day travelled months to reach
the Western coast, it is now only a
matter of few days pleasant travel
During the past year the sum OF
S1,752 was paid into the fund, and
the States paid their 10 cents per
capita contributions follows: Califor-
MIA, Hawaii. Kentucky, Minnesota,
Nebraska, New Hampshire and Wis.
consin. The complete honor roll con.
Stitutes 81 States