Show r Official Given Credit fo for of Highways to Utah National Parks 0 it t f f a STEPHEN T. T MATHER 1 I IS f 1 PRAISED FOR FOIt OPENING OF ON ZION CANYON FOR TOURISTS TOURISTS FIRST FIRST TO fO SUGGEST SUGGEST SUGGEST SUG SUG- GEST TUNNEL THROUGH ZION TO SHORTEN DISTANCE DISTANCE DIS DIS- TANCE TO GRAND CAN CAN- I TON YON lt f I t k kS II S By Cy Charles IL BIgelow I It IL is ill related elated that one of the anc ancients an an- c enLa when appointed to a minor of office ot- ot lice fice so TO far beneath his hla ability that the proposition was wu an insult ac accepted accepted accepted ac- ac it with the remark that the theman man made nade a the office not the office the man On in Jot July 1867 Stephen T. T Mather Mather Mather Ma Ma- ther was wall born in San Stan Francisco In Indue Indue Indue due time be he attended the university of Ie California served on the tho staff ataU of the New York Sun for six lx years yean ean was Chicago Chiago manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Boraz Co and became assistant to 10 the tho secretary of the interior in 1315 15 Among the jobs joba floating around the department of interior was that of Gl director of the national park ser ser- v vice It is ia not much mach of a Job fob from froma a a tat standpoint of financial tion Ax As a matter of fact quite the i reverse and until Stephen T. T Mather was appointed to this position it had been more maN or less lees casually filled We moderns are witnessing a case of the theman theman theman man dignifying the tho office In 1910 1916 a handful of ot Los Loll Angeles citizens operating co with a like small number of cf Utah residents headed beaded by Governor William Spry decided that it was wall high time a motor highway should be opened connecting Los Angelea Angeles Angeles An An- geles and Salt Satt Lake City On March I 17 1917 Mr Mather ather was appointed director of national parks parka About the I l same time a travelable road was opened opened opi op op- i ened connecting the City of the tho Saints Witt lie fid city of the Angels After Aner a tour of Ins Inspection over this line lino Mr l Mather became an ac active active active ac- ac tive partisan of scenic Utah and gave I assistance to tie the e designation of Zion canyon tanyon first fint as a monument and i later as a national park The next to receive the by which it became be- be I tame lame a member of the national park family was Bryce Hryce canyon In the meantime the forest service was wall dil- dil In improving a north and swath south road through th th forest forest- Thus Thu was the eroded wonderland wonder wonder- f land of southern Utah and northern Arizona started on Oft its career of re re- creative Inspiration to toil toU worn hu hu- inanity manity The need of a short bort line tine highway connecting Zion Bryce ryce and Grand GrandI I canyons was so 80 Ably libl presented by Air Mr Mater Mather last year ear that a special measure was passed paned making possible e the construction now w under way a tU tunnel lel through the east t wall of Zion canyon to the upper r levels of ot the park At the eastern boundary it will connect with a link linkIn linkIn linkIn In the Utah State highway system making contact with the main highway highway high high- way between Salt Lake City and Kanab Kanab Kanab Ka- Ka nab ne near near r Mt tit Carmel It is safe sate to say that Mr Mather has expended many times more than his salary Blary in the popularizing and opening of the national parks lie He has always kept in the foreground the thought that the parks belong to the people and should be preserved for them Under his regime many corporations among them the Union Pacific Railway company is outstandIng outstanding outstanding out out- standing have assisted very largely in this work When the Zion canyon- canyon Mt Carmel road is completed which it will be next year it is safe late to say that the travel from southern California into Utah will be quadrupled In preparation preparation tion for this Influx the bureau of public roads and the state of Utah are completing a 1 mile link from the Indian reservation to at a cost cost of A Alike Alike like amount or more ore will be expended expend expend- ed this winter between the Arizona state line tine through to Mesquite Nevada Nevada has built an nn excellent road from Mesquite to Jean From this latter place to the California line near Nipton the road is well maIntained maintained maintained main maIn- but not surfaced The California California Cali Cali- fornia end from Los Angeles to Daggett is paved but from Daggett to Nipton Dry Lake CalifornIans have right to be heartily ashamed of their own own state This miles will unless v vastly improved during the ensuing winter be the poorest piece of road between Los Angeles and Glacier national park in another eight months The opening of the Arrowhead trail thus making th v Intermountain tain national parks easily accessible to the tho motorist was brought about almost entirely by private Interests and individuals Especially is this true of the advertising angle Time and again the motor car dealers of Los Angeles have gallantly responded respond respond- ed in exploitation of our neighbor states their resources and Among the distributors who have b been n consistently active in this work is the W W. P. P Herbert company For the past six years it has been the practice of ot Mr Herbert to send one of his Chandler automobiles on ona ona ona a tour of southwestern Utah at least twice each year and he has made It Ita Ita Ita a point of honor that concise and truthful reports on road conditions touring touting and commercial advantages be released by his representatives The last trip sponsored by Mr Herbert Herbert Herbert Her Her- bert was over the line of the Zion Park Carmel highway |