Show j Le Lets Let's s Work for Highway Heighway 89 Improvements Improvements' From The Ephraim Enterprise i In a recorded inlet interview the editor had a few years ago I with Governor J. J Bracken Lee the matter of comparative f r r merits of Highway 89 and Highway 91 was discussed The Governor said in iri his opinion 89 is s i the more scenic of oJ the thee e two and should be traveled more But because more more people use 91 it is kept in better shape Th The e G Governor was as asked k pe d 1 if f per perhaps h aps 91 is s more use used d S because it is kept in much better shape than 89 He replied re replied rey re- re y p plied ed that it was possible that that is the reason But ut Highway 91 continues to get a major portion mf 4 f the improvements and the scenery along 89 b goes unseen by thousands who other otherwise would come this way I There has been a major improvement on 89 6 for fora I a few miles north of Thistle those few miles that were so sov v f torn up torn up and rough last summer and winter and which caused so much disgust by so many travelers for so long That stretch of road is now really tops but still we are told service service ser ser- vice attendants and others in the Richfield Richfield-Gunnison and the thes s Springville areas are urging travelers to take take Highway 91 Gunnison and or as the case may be Highway 28 between L Levan van to ho avoid that terrible strip of construction in Spanish Fork Canyon s We Ve hope that new road remains tops as it now is But we wonder if if it will roughen up as quickly as has as has that strip of highway north from the powder plant to Springville Remember how long that stretch of road was torn tom up a few years back It was then rebuilt but already it needs rebuilding rebuilding rebuild rebuild- S ing again in some places Either it must have been planned built too loaded coa coal trucks have or wi Wl ong ong wrong been permitted to travel over it it and individuals with ith influence with the J Persons some State Road Commission and with Governor Lee should contact contact con- con v tact them and urge more attention to 89 89 all the way from Kanab to Springville Too many complaints are being received received received re re- re- re about the condition of this highway with the exception of some stretches like that between Mt Pleasant and Fair- Fair view yiew But ut the use non-use of 89 by so many travelers both tourists and is not altogether the fault of the State Road folks and other State officials Much of the fault lies 5 with us who live here We go on year after year talking about signs tl to tto direct folks this way over over the Manti Mant Temple Route but we do nothing about it One of the first meetings attended and reported by the present editor after taking over this paper in January 1925 was one called by the Commercial Club of Manti ManU in February or March of that year Mayors Councilmen civic club members members mem mem- t bers and others were vere were present from mo most t Sanpete towns It was decided to put up large signs at Nephi Springville Thistle t Spanish Fork and Gunnison directing tourists this way At least a dozen such confabs have been held since but so far absolutely no effective signs have been erected A friend of ours from California wanted to come this g way especially to see the Manti ManU Temple while going to th the General Conference in Salt Lake City We saw him in I Salt Lake City and asked if he came this way His reply f i was No I couldn't find the road How do you get to Manti and Ephraim anyhow We gave him specific instructions on how to come this r way on his homeward trip A wee week or so later he wrote 1 from California th that t he missed the signs at Springville and was clear to Cove Fort before he her realized he had missed Sanpete again If a a person looking for 89 misses it how can we f expect tourists tourist to find the Manti Temple Route What is needed needed- is some good public relations men to 5 5 work with our friends in the Gunnison area in Sevier County and on south Explain to them that everything which comes on 89 will go on down that way while if persons start 1 south or north on Highway 91 they are very apt to continue and nd not off at Levan or Cove Fort It is to the advantage advantage tage taga of the Sevier-Gunnison Sevier folks almost as much as ours that we we get favorable publicity for 89 get it Signed properly at Thistle Springville Spanish Fork Nephi Gunnison Sevier Mt Carmel Carmol Junction and for miles beyond each of of those places Lets Let's ts t's have another meeting like that one held back in 1925 Let it be just as enthusiastic And then lets let's get some signs up Weve We've been caught with our signs down long enough Lets Let's start a campaign that will make Highway 89 The Manti ManU Temple Route known all over America Sure it will cost some money It costs a farmer to plant wheat too but he expects to get back baek at least 20 bushels for every bushel planted We freely predict that if the people people peo peo- people a along ong Highway 89 will do some effective signing using The Manti Temple Route as a slogan and a Temple picture on each sign at least twenty dollars will come to the area i for every dollar planted in that type of advertising And with the increased tourist traffic as we have 1 often s said id before the State Road Commission will be forced to to improve 89 r I f |