Show MUCH NEEDED PROJECTS after a close up inspection of conditions prevailing at cedar point and arado in the eastern portion of san juan county we are convinced that there is no more necessary undertaking in this county than the completion of the road commenced some time ago from highway near lockerby south to cedar point and on to arado at cedar point we find approximately fifty to sixty families living on their farms in this county raising large crops of grain corn beans potatoes garden truck for their own tables and some of them a fine variety of fruits including berries apricots plums choice apples of many kinds etc despite the hardships that invariably accompany pioneer efforts in agriculture these stalwart families are steadily forging ahead and getting into comfortable circumstances and instead of their number diminishing it is being augmented by new recruits some of these homesteaders now represent a worthwhile purchasing power a fact that our colorado friends have been quick to recognize and the road from that district into colorado has been improved and is kept in good condition but while they are only seven or eight miles from highway with the road completed over the greater part of this distance they are still obliged to detour approximately 30 miles in order to reach the county seat and practically all other portions of this county A part of the intervening distance is across a canyon which requires some dugway and will cost a few thousand dollars possibly ten thousand but suppose it should cost with the assistance the federal government is giving in such projects what does this amount to in comparison with the benefits that would be derived from the construction of the lockerby cedar point road the plight of the people of arado is still worse here there are approximately 45 families and some excellent farms yet to visit their nearest settlement which is cedar point and only 3 miles away as the crow flies they must make a detour of 50 miles out through colorado and back again via highway to northdale Nort hdale and then back to within three miles of their starting point between arado and cedar point there is another canyon to cross that will perhaps require a mile or two of dugway dug way again we say what does this amount to in comparison with the benefits to be derived not only by the people who reside in these districts but also by the people in all parts of san juan county who have occasion occasion to visit them and the merchants and other business concerns who would derive an important increase in in their business as a result of shortening the distance that separates us good roads and highways are one of the greatest blessings of modern civilization and the time has arrived when a country cannot amount to much without modern highways and one of the best ways to get the people back onto the farms is to help them to get better roads to and from these farms unquestionably there is a great future for the agriculture of san juan county last tuesday we talked to men who have farmed all their lives not only this whose fa and grandfathers had also been farmers and they unhesitatingly stated that the district about cedar point held any states or foreign countries in which they had resided we can no longer kid ourselves that we can discourage agricultural pursuits in this county and return the country to its wild state to be used for livestock only agriculture is not only a possibility it is a patent reality and is vastly important and necessary to our development A more friendly cooperative spirit manifested toward these dry nesters desters Ne who have placed themselves in the path of our livestock and destroyed some of the sagebrush we have used for browse would speed the development of this part of the state and make it more livable and inviting for all of us why not get behind a movement for not only these very sections of highway but also some good cooperative cream eries and cheese factories one of each would be sufficient for the time being until the dairy business has been developed to a point where additional units may be required 41 A house divided against itself cannot stand let us all ge get t together and work to make san juan county the envy of all the other counties of this state we can do it if we wake up and show the proper determination |