| Show initial trip over monumental highway by dolph andrus driver ot the maxwell roadster that made the pioneer journey before starting on the reab report of the trip I 1 would like to give a brief sketch of the different situations that bi ought about the desire to make this anu across a hoodoo wildene wil deme and thus connect ap in a chain the best scenery of the west I 1 grew up in the southwestern corner of this state utah and early became finchar finnhar with ita many points of scenic interest two years aso I 1 accepted the offered me by the public of bluff san juan county I 1 thus became acquainted with the wonderful scenic stores held by the opposite corner of the state all thit lav between the two corners was a mystery from the vague reports that leaked through I 1 wag satisfied that it was a wonderland I 1 was soon to get a chance to view the little known in august of D D rust of kanab utah arrived in bluff with a party of new york tourists they had come by pack train from the grand canyon across the wonderland they loudly voiced their praises of what they had seen they went so far as to say that in all their travels in foreign lands they had seen nothing to equal it the tourists boarded an automobile for the railroad and rust prepared to return to kanab with empty saddles I 1 hinted for an invitation vi to return with him the hint fell in fertile soil and sprang into a warm mutation that ended in my returning with him the entire trip waa full of surprises and aa full of interest from start to finish bom the time we crossed the wasef west of bluff and started down the sin juan river until we halted under the vermillion cliffs of kanab there intervened not a single dull moment the eve had more than it could do to keep tab on the swiftly changing panorama that passed before as wo jog ged along the trail the of thit trip and the mystery of the wild wonderland went through me like chain lightening and burned out everything except one idea the solitary idea that stood out was that a car could be across there and alie wilderness be opened for the adventurous automobile tourist in the trail of the venturesome motorist moto fist would come federal aid and a great national highway would connect up the national parks of colorado utah and arizona from then on I 1 began to keep watch of the different situations and I 1 found that my little scheme amounted to nothing I 1 discovered that forces were at work that would bring the about sooner or latter in spite of what any individual could do or say tourists were coming to mesa verde park in southwestern colorado by alie thousands a few came to bluff and went to the natural bridges in white canyon cistern tourists were coming to john at kayetta kayenta to be taken by pack train to the great rainbow bridge the grand cannon was alie mecca for all western tourists and vvan being approached from both si des little zion was to be opened in the spring A glance could tell one that soon someone would dmn the gaps and then the thing would be on with a sweep in december of H stanley chief of the field division U S land office came down to the natural bridges in white cannon ho brought with him dr W II 11 copl ins and 0 C hanson of sak lake city I 1 found that th eyere als nals n squires about the sime proposition that I 1 was interested in after a brief consultation it was agreed that I 1 should take the party over the route on their return from their trip to the bridges on their return from the bridge trip letters were awaiting the chief which urged his early return to salt lake however he consented to BO doin as far as monument vaclev this we did in alie maxwell road ster that was to make the entire trip inter the trip was a and alie pirty was convinced that the scheme was feasible he assured me on leaving bluff that he would return in alie spring and make the trip clear through to zion canyon later tie wrote me that a larger party had been planned and that it would take a larger car than the maxwell roadster roid ster then war was declared and the whole plan fell through I 1 was up in the air and did biot know way to turn dr hopkins wrote me that he was baill game and wanted to know w hat I 1 vas going to do I 1 telegraphed him to come at once and we would tackle it ohp people of blanding and bluff came through liberally with the ex pense money also a good many of the post along the way we came through without a aich the trip is piet history now we have proved that it cin bp done it is up to everybody to push it is up to a few who like a little of the wild stuff to take our log and folly our trail |
