Salt Lake Telegram | 1923-08-27 | Page 4 | Tells Why Victory Highway Was Selected

TelUWhy Victorr -Highway Wu Selected It has been brought to my s tentlon that a few persons in Utah ar very much wrought up aboflt the routing of the pony relay which will in a abort tlm atart from Bt. Joseph. Mo, and rslar 4 message to Sacramento. Cel.. thua duplicating, as nesr as possible, the work ef th hlstorlo pony express. ex-press. Th Idea. 1 believe In fact. I Know originated In California. A greater part of ths funds neces-eary neces-eary to operate thla modern pony express comes ' from ths ssme source California. It Is true they hare asked th different etatee through which It will paaa to cooperate co-operate with them and. as I understand un-derstand It. Utah has sgreed to do so. It Is also true th rout selected se-lected was named tr those who originated the Idea and sre putting up ths big part of the funds to carry on th work. Now It Is practically 4 physical impoesiouiiy w vetwi nw v. . . route of ths pony express. There la absolutely no signs of ven a mere trail for mllee and miles of the distance on the original route. V Cities and towne have grown up sine then and substitute highways X have been built to connect theee cities and towns Broad farms and 1 largs ranches are now. located where th original trail ran In many Inatancea. It would be lm-possible lm-possible to follow th original trail . without tearing down miles and miles of fences, moving building and perhaps tearing up railroad A gradea. None of th many trans- W . continental highways follows this M I route, whil perhaps several touch ' It In spots. - Th pro motors of th rare knew thee facta and did what any aana person would do adopt th short-sst short-sst possible route,, entailing the . leest possible expense In dupllcat- ; Ing aa near a possible th pony express of th early days After Investigation It was shown the Victory hlghwsy filled th hill and ta victory nignwey was ewtwcie". Utah people had nothing to do with th selection of this route. And U the people in Utsr who really ar fair and familiar with cross-country roads bad have been -asked for a selection, they would In all probability hav sslsctsd the . aunt route. , Then why thla bickering and back biting against ths rout of , the coming pony relay express T It , Is becsus some popl In ITtah ; ar now working against a high v way through the Uinta basin con- . nerting with Colorado, which Is the Victory highway. It la because , some people ar fighting th Wend-over Wend-over route weat of Bait take. . which te also th Victory highway. I dare say there would not have ., been any - objection to the route selsctrd for th pony relay express -If It had hav been any other root : than the Victory hlgheray. Tet tn Victory highway la th short set V rent, th safest routs, ths least , expensive rout to build through - this section. Who say ae? The got eminent -engineers sent from Washington I make Just such an Inveetigatlsa. r - W. IX KlfisiEXa'jJ