Evening Star Newspaper, September 9, 1928, Page 57

D.A.R.TOPLACE TO MARK NATIONAL OLD TRAILS 12 MONUMENTS Glorified Motor Highway Crossing Dozen States Will Commemorate Road of “Forty-Niners.” The pathway blazed across the Amer- [ fcan Continent by sturdy pioneers of covered wagon days, and before them |a point in California yet to be de-| by migrating Indians, is being convert- | ed into a glorified motor highway ded- | fcated to the memory of those who | cdared to open up the Far West. | Under the direction of the Rational Old Trails Road Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution. a modern automobile route from coast to coast has been mapped out over trails redolent of the glamorous days of America’s romantic past. Present-day tourists. comfortable in their fast. powerful motor cars, thus may follow in the wake of the forty- niners and contrast today's luxurious mode of travel with that used by the early settlers. Over broad. smooth highways of con- crete. or asphalt or macadam the ad- venturers of today may cover in a day or even less distances which their fore- fathers required weeks or months to negotiate by horseback, wagon or ox team. To the modern tourist mountains rivers and plains have only scenic in- terest. To the pioneers these natural wonders were formidable barriers mock- ing them in their efforts to penetrate the wilderness and find the Utopias beckoning them toward the setting sun. Safe, graded pavements carry the motor car easily over hills and moun- tainsides that once spelled despair or disaster to tourists of the old trails. | Broad. artistic bridges span water | courses which loomed as disheartening chasms before the early migrators, challenging them to risk the hazards of | fording or swimming the treacherous currents Scientifically constructed | roads marked by convenient oases for man or motor stretch over waste land once baptized by the blood of mas- sacred palefaces and marked by veri- table milestones of bleaching bones of those “gone West.” Lay Out Historic Route. It is over such hallowed territory that the National Old Trails Road As-| sociation and the Daughters of the American Revolution have joined in| laying out a unique, historic route to| the West. The highway has been dedi- | cated to the memory of the pioneer mothers, whose fortitude in the face| of adversity was the guiding inspira- tion for hardy manfolk who ventured into the badlands. The road is stretched across 12 Btates. These are Pennsylvania, Mary- land, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Il- linois, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California. In each of these States will be erected at some approptiately historical spot a heroic statue of the pioneer mother, the gift of the Daughters of the Ameri- | can Revolution. Washington motorists will be inter- ested in the report that the Maryland monument may be erected at Bethesda. The Pennsylvania marker will be lo- cated at Washington, home of Wash- ington and Jefferson College. Others will be placed at Wheeling, W. Va.,, where the old National road crosses the Ohio River by mean: of a large sus- pension bridge: Springfield, Ohio, on the Mad River; probably Richmond. Ind.; Vandalia, Ill, on the Kaskaskia River, the former capital of the State; Lexington, Mo.. on the south bank of the Missouri River, taken by the Con- federates September 20, 1861; Council Grove, Kans., on the Neosho River, 24 miles northvhl;n‘ | ters, will be the words, Lamar, and at famous during gold rush d Colo., another frontier town, termined. The first monument was erected this Spring in Springfieid, Ohio. Another was erected a short time later at Wheeling. The monuments perpetuate in granite the virtues of the frontier wives and mothers. The figure is that of a pioneer mother. gun in hand, with her children clustered about her skirts for protection. On her countenance is written the fortitude, perseverance and cnergy of brave womanhood. The face is one of beauty and of vigorous character. A foundation nine square is required to support the mas- sive sculpture. The foundation rises 2 feet above ground level. The base proper is 6 feet high and weighs 12 tons. The figure is 10 feet high and weighs 5 tons. The whole ensemble will rise 18 feet above the ground. The work is done in Missouri native granite of warm pink shade. “Madonna of the Trail.” On the front of the base. in small let- “The Madonna of the Trail.” The insignia of the Na- tional Society. Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution. will come directly be- neath this inseriptinn, and belaw the in- signia_will be written, “National So- ciety, Daughters of the American Revo- lution Memorial to the Pioneer Mothers of the Covered Wazon Davs " “The National Old Trails Road.” Fach of the monuments will be in- scribed on the sides with historical data of the Revolutionary period, or as early history as mav be recorded for the re- spective localities. ‘The Nationel Old Trails Road Asso- ciation, of which Judge Harry Truman is president and Frank A. Davis secre- tary, is assisting the Daughters of the American Revolution in erecting the monuments. Mrs. John Trigg Moss of St. Louis, Mo., is chairman of the com- mittee in charge for the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mrs. Moss, in reply to queries as to| why the D. A. R. became interested in the highway project. states: “This road was built not by road en- gineers, but marked out by the Indians and the buffalo, their choice always be- ing the quickest and best line of travel. “In olden times, day after day. year | after year. was heard the music of the creaking wagon and lowing ox. The mighty host of pioneers who crossed this highway were armed. not alone with the rifle. but with the ax and spade. They took with them not the ammunition wagon and artillery, but herds of live stock and bales of house- hold goods, implements of husbandry, their women and their children—evi- dences and guaranties of a future state, the earnest of permanent scttlement and the basis of an American home. “The Daughters oi tne American Revolution long have interested them- selves in preserving all of the State and National highways. They are as sacred to us as battlefields. They record the steady triumph of peace. They were built in order that the torch of Ameri-~ can civilization might be carried into the wilderness. The trails have not come about by accident. They are the true index of the Nation's progress, the life_ history of a people. “That they are linked in a complete chain from ocean to ocean is not a mat- ter of chance, and each link represents an epoch in the growth of this republic. They are the tograph of a nation feet |- On the | back of the base will be cut the words, | T | HE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, I DOWN THE ROAD—Unknown Heroes. D. C. SEPTEMBER 9. ST N =D . 1928—PART 4. —By BECK. written across the face of a continent.” “Mrs, Moss' committee was organized in 1911. Three years later the annual | congress of the national society unani- mously resolved that: through which the National Old Trails Road passes one marker of dignifiec and pretentious proportions, these mark- ers to be as near alike in size and de- sigr as will be consistent with the lo- cation and surroundings. and each marker to definitely mark an historical spot or commemorate some great act of historical importance of the tionary period.” ROAD IS CLOSED. Special Dispatch to The Star. LURAY, Va. September 8.—Acting on instructions from the State High- way Department urging rapid comple- tion of the link. authorities in charge of the Lee Highway section from this county line into Sperryville, Rappa- hannock County, between the Valley and Washington, have closed the road to all traffic with the exception of one bus daily between the Capital and this city, which carries the mail through to the Rappahannock village. The road, according to authorities. will be complete within a month and will afford a splendid hard-surface road to the Capital and the North over a 93-mile route. . Six months’ sales of Graham- Paige sixes and eights exceeded those of any twelve months in eighteen years. August— too, established a new all-time ‘monthly sales record. We will continue to so manufacture each motor car that Graham- Paige may retain and increase this public approval.- A car is at your disposal. GRAHAM-PAIGE COMPANY OF WASHINGTON, D. C. E. B. Frazier Motor Co. 518 10th St. N.E. Five chassis—sixes and eights— prices ranging from $860 to is Model 614, 4-passen- ger Coupe, with 4-speed transmis- sion (standard gear shift), $1275. All prices f. 0. b. Detroit. lustra Factory Branch—1522 14th Street N.W. Logan’s 1812 E St. N.W. Garage %Neglecting Roads Is Costly Practice, “We erect in each of the 12 States | | Revolu- | ERARAM] | eyea ! QP Motor Sales & Service, Inc. 33 N. Y. Ave. NE. Missouri’s Experience Brings Out P The high cost of neglecting to build | had been neglected for these three | roads is forcibly pointed out in Mis- years the extra travel cost would have souri's annual highway commission re- | amounted to that enormous figure. This port, according to E. E. Duffy, highway educational writer. In I aeight of the bad roads era in that state, | the average driver. and others. may still recall those days | the limited mileage of improved high- is difficult to realize, since motor opera- 920, during the | ting expenses are taken for granted by Yet Missourians. | ways saved the motorist only 97 cents | when sturdily built flivvers, etc., racked yearly on the average. In 1927, after the themsclves to death in one or two sea- completion of a goodly portion of Mis- | sons, and gasoline had but a dozen or | souri’s sensible road plan, the saving per’, o miles a vehicle owner through lowered auto- | mobile operating costs was $74.59, or | more than $50,000,000 to all motorists. But the story gets more interesting when it is related that in 1920 the Show- Me motorist was paying $7.11 in motor vehicle taxes, with a very small com- parative return, while in 1927, with gas and vehicle taxes averaging $21.29, the return, because of improved highways was 3 1-2 times. By spending more money on a really comprehensive and all-embracive road system Missouri ac- complished a tangible road saving. The motor-car-owning public in Mis- souri through the passage of a $60,000.- | 000 bond issue, which speeded up the highway program three years, has been saved $100,000,000 in that period, states the report. That is to say, if the roads - GAARAM-PAIGE gallon in it at best. | Consequently Missouri is possessed of | an appreciable mileage of improved roads, including 1,500 miles of concrele, and at the same time has increased the actual wealth of the State by an enor- mous but unknown degree, for it is ln possible to place an accurate value or travel comfort, trade stimulation, an the increased well being brought abot v such highways. Interest payments on the bond issn n that state have been met easily bj license fees and the gas tax without re course to tax levy. Already ten million dollars of the bonds have been retired \'1tr7| the remainder to be taken up b 1947, Missouri 15 facing an odd situation | sources, through the bond issue me-| | right now. At the fall election the citi- zenry will vote on an additional highway | high-cost roads with high-type roads. | a national movement to combat high- | way accidents. | allied religious meetings. | teristics of discourtesy and selfishness | year in highway accidents. | urging the practice of the simple prin- | ciples of courtesy and caution among the | propriate divisions of the church to 5 ASKS CHURCHES TO JOIN MOVE TO COMBAT ROAD ACCIDENTS ganizations Are Urged to Educate Members in Safety Campaign. ‘The American Road Builders’ Asso- ciation has appealed to all churches, | Sunday schools and religious organiza- tions of the United States to join in| Religious societies were | asked to emphasize the need for| courtesy and caution among motorists and pedestrians of ‘he country. | Last Fall the association, in co-op- | eration with the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, ap- pealed directly to 25,000 ministers to| assist in the highway safety movement. Thousands of the ministers responded either by preaching sermons from the pulpit or by broaching the highway | safety problem in Sunday schools or | “Ministers and Sunday school of-| ficials are not asked to replace re-| ligious programs with highway safety | programs,” the American Road Build- | ers’” Association explained. “The prob- lem of highway safety is in a large measure a moral problem, however, since the elimination of the charac- on the part of motorists and pedestrians is of great importance, and such prob- lems may be indirectly introduced into the church. “The study of highway safety in Sunday schools is particularly appro- | priate, since approximately 7.400 chil-| dren of school age were killed last These ac- cidents may be greatly reduced by children who attend Sunday school.” The Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America recently adopted a resolution condemning the loss of life in highway accidents and urging ap- take action which might tend to re- Guce the number of these accidents. A copy of this resolution was furnished the American Road Builders' Associa- tion for distribution among the -hurches and religious organizations. he resolution as adcpted is as follows: | - “The administrative committee of the ~deral Council of Churches of Christ nd issue of $75,000,000 for the further «tension of good roads and good roads profits. The odd part about it is that the adoptioni of the bond issue will not ncrease the motor license fees, gas tax . or personal property taxes one whit, | while if the bond issue is rejected the (taxes will remain the same—and the extended mileage of improved roads will be_considerably lessened. Taking advantage of present re- dium has enabled Missouri to replace in America would call the earnest a. tention of the churches, pastors and Christian people to the appalling results of the disregard of human safety in the constantly increasing loss of human life caused by recklessness and selfishness in travel on the highways of the coun- try and in the streets of our cities. “Especially does a constant toll of th lives of little children daily bring un- happiness in multitudes of homes. “We urge that the laws be of com- mensurate severity and that their en- forcement be strict. “We would suggest as more impor- tant, however, that pastors take appro- priate opportunity to urge upon the peo- ple of their cdmmunities a unified effort to secure voluntary restraint and con- siderateness both upon the part of pe- destrians and drivers. and we wish heartily to commend all such efforts. “The Commission on the Church and Social Service is requested to take meas- ures to make this action as effective as possible.” In commenting upon the resolution of the church council. the American Road Builders’ Association stated that highway accidents are fundamentally a problem of the church as well as non- religious institutions. “The underlying causes of highway accidents are moral causes,” the organi- zation pointed out. “Selfishness, dis- courtesy, deliberate carelessness and recklessness, drunkenness and simuar manners of conduct have been the con- tributing factors in virtually all high- way accidents. Last year 26,618 per- sons were killed in these accidents. and only a few more than 3.000 could be charged, even in part, to physical condi- tions, such as slippery roads. narrow bridges and other similar conditions.” The association asked that highway safety be brought into the Sunday schools and churches in every possible way. “Where such action wil not con- flict with religious policies it is desirs able for the ministry to approach the problem from the pulpit. Where this does conflict indirect methods may be SEE M For YOUR (s MoBERN DOWNIOWN STAT: STAR SERYICE STATION Rl 12th and © Sis. MW, HESE ARE THE NEW MARMON &5 The New Series 68 and 78, the outstanding values in two great price fields . . . . HIS has been a big year. Never before has development been so rapid, so far-reaching. Never before has the public been offered so much automobile for its dollar . .. It takes real in- genuity to keep abreast of this rapid pace . . . But Marmon, it seems, has met this requirement, and again produced the unusual. In its product: s are now incor- porated such unusual advantages that the public can hardly fail to place the New Series ‘68" and *78" 'way ahead of anything yet presented Marmon price fields. 1—They are wonderful looking cars. New low and even more Used Cars 1733 14th St. N.W. North 7155 STAUNTON MARMON SALES CO. STAUNTON, VA. McKEE MOTOR CAR -CO. HAGERSTOWN, MD. in the two great impressive body 8CIRING IN LINE lines. New, more massive front-end appearance. Allexposed metal partsdoublechromium plated. 2—Each is powered by a Marmon-built straight-eight motor, rather than a six. Larger motor—more power in the ‘‘68’’; even smoother operation in both cars. Top speed—65 to 75 miles per hour in the ““68"’; 75 to 80 in the “‘78.” Dependability and Low Upkeep Costs—Ask any of the present 30,000 Marmon.8 owners. Conveniences such as you have pre- viously associated only with the most expensive. Many new features such as the ingenious coincidental lock on the instrument board which locks both transmission and ignition in a simple turn of the key. Prices—New ‘‘68,” $1465. New *'78,” MARMON MOTORS, Inc. A. C. MOSES, Pres. 1727 Conn. Ave., Potomac 861 Open daily until 10 p.m., all day Sunday J. T. CAMPBELL LURAY. VA. LUPTON ORCHARD SERVICE CO. WINCHESTER, VA. WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUGERS OF STRAIGHT-EIGHTS $1965, f.o.b. factory. De luxe equip- ment at moderate additional cost. Convenient time-payment plan. Maintenance and Repairs (AN Makes) 1227 R St. N.W. North 4457 MARMON MOTOR SALES FREDERICK CITY, MD. ANDERSON MOTOR CoO. ‘WARRENTON, VA.