CENTRAL AND WEST TEXAS
SECTIONS MARKED
On to San Antonio federal standard roads prevail. Two years ago people traveled all sorts of ways between Houston and San Antonio.
Two years ago, also, any old road was used from San Antonio to El Paso—roads such as they were. Now that GOO ms. is made in three and four days. All those sections are marked and the people are putting: road-building projects thru. Texas is delivering her thousand miles of main hne roads.
“ Over the Divide between Kerrville and Junction, heretofore avoided, today Kimble County stands completed with a splendid federal standard road and Kerr County is under construction.
THE MEXICAN EXTENSION
Out of San Antonio east an^vest on the Main Line paving is being extended, also southward toward Brownsville and Mexico.
November 1st was that meeting at Alice, Texas, where the plans were formulated for carrying the OST 300 ms. south from San Antonio to Brownsville, thence to continue to Tampico and Mexico City. To-day SO per cent of that trunkline is financed or assured for paving. Again the people have caught the spirit of the Old Spanish Trail. It is a wonderful record, that a new trunkline could be laid 300 ms. thru a pioneer country, and the word go out for a .paved road and in three months show such a record of county election calls, campaigns and votes. .
This extension of an OST trunkline to Mexico is the beginning of the Texas part of that other dr earn of the Old Spanish Trail of a trunkline around the Gulf from Tampa to Tampico. Responsibility in the East falls to Florida.
1G00 ms. of trunklines, tributaries and tourist loops are marked. The people should go the limit to get tiio marking done, for it means a lot to them and to the traveler even if the road is still unimproved. A car and crew also are far less expensive if kept in service and men cannot be employed on this sort of work on part time.
ROADSI I)E BEAUTIFYING
From different sections comes word the women are beginning to think and work for roadside beautification. In the Rio Grande Valley a woman’s club is urging an Avenue of Palms. The Old Spanish Trail can be made an avenue of flowers, shrubs and palms; the highway thru a Flowery Kingdom. This is the remedy for so much way-side defacement. The women, too, can go to their county commissioners and demand the removal of the horrible signs that are put on trees and fences. Those officials control the roadway to the fence line.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
WEST TO THE PACIFIC
Vice-President A. 1-1. Gardner, rombstone, Arizona, reports the highway practically complete as a federal standard road from El Paso to Buckeye, 32 ms west of Pheonix.
The road from Pheoijix^to Yuma, about 200 ms., is planned to be complete in 2 years. Those South Arizona counties voted something VM\0 $12,000,000. total to carry the highway across Arizona. The work they are doing is making Arizona famous.
There are a few unfinished sections but those Arizonians are road builders, and travelers will revel in the joy of fine driving. It is the only winter road into California. The celebrated Tombstone Divide is an easy grade and never closed. Travel going west should see Mr. Gardner at Tombstone, for on westward are points not yet constructed and travel should choose routes as the season suits.
The emblem for members should he ready • this month,write for the CAM-PSiTB circular— ; your town should have a good jCamp for the i traveler. Help distribute the History Booklets—Jwhy yiot advertise your own jCity by issuing 5000 of these
Next month the year book should be ready.
CALIFORNIA
Ed. Fletcher, OST Councilor. San Diego, reports on the A;o route from Tucson. This cuts across the south of Phoenix, thru the cactus forest. GO ms. are built westward from Tucson and the financing of tbe remaining distance to Yuma, tbe California gateway, is fing.
From Yuma to San Diego, 132 ms., over 100 ms. of concrete ip bu*lt or under contract, and the or tiro distance .-ftfoin Yuma to San Diego is financed and under order not to stop until completed.
A HIGHWAY OF ACHIEVEMENT
It has been said the Old Spanish Trail would be the first paved read across the continent—paving is coming fast.
It has been said tbe Old Spanish Trail lias greater construction activity than any transcontinental highway —that is probably true for immense works are financed or under way.
The Old Spanish Trail is the one great highway that is driving its way thru as future travelers would have it in spite of fearful physical barriers.
It is no longer a single highway, but a sY'stem of highways, for the people are seeking to open tire way to every
THE KIND WE DON’T WANT;
alluring or historical spot along the Southern Borderlands.
MOBILE
LAKE CHARLES. LA.

Mobile is another city of great possibilities, shut in and cramped because the channels of service have been insufficient. Widen her highway program is completed she will rise likejgiant unshackl'd. Her people are alive and ready to do things. Mobile Bay is now the only great waterway (except tbe Mississippi River) between the Atlantic and the Pacific on the Old Spanish Trail that is not bridged or financed. S. F-I. Peck, OST Director at Mobile, is a leader in the work to bridge Mobile Bay.
THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
From Pensacola thru Mobile and to the Mississippi-Louis'ana line tbe OST passes thru a country of many attractions. Its bays and coves invite the hunter or fisherman, summer or winter. Pensacola and Mobile have harbors of importance. The highest coast country between the Navesink Highlands of New Jersey and Corpus Chris-li, Texas, are in this section.
In Mississippi the OST skirts the Gulf and great live oaks and pecan trees are close to the water’s edge. Summer and winter the people make these shores their resting and sporting retreat—the Riviera of America they call it. When the day comes that Pensacola, Mobile and New Orleans are hound together by a completed Old Spanish Trail the North will find winter pleasures here beyond its dreams.
The eastern county in Mississippi is Jackson, with Pascagoula and Ocean Springs its towns. It is financed for a paved road. The paving too will go thru Biloxi, Gulfport and Pass Christian. Then in the westward county comes Bay St. Louis waiting for Louisiana to bring the .highway from New Orleans to the line, then she too will ’pave. Bay St. Louis is another spot to lure the traveler or the sportsman.
At the other side of Louisiana, near the Texas line, is the good city of Lake Charles, for years a leader and exponent of good roads. Her clean, prosperous appearance reflects the wisdom of her policy.
Louisiana and Texas are separated by the Sabine River. Lake Charles (Calcasieu Parish) has most of her road paved, hut at the river approach is another section of grief. The Sabine River, when at flood, is three or more miles wide. That is another of those serious drainage areas because the OST keeps close to the Gulf and intends to open to the people sections that will always be their playgrounds.	»v-✓
f At Orange, on the Texas side SEPT. 2Sth, a eonfe-j fence was held of the people from Lake Charles to Houston. This, under the leadership of Mayor \V. E. Lea. Vico President of the OST for that section, and those people went home thrilled with the spirit and vision of the Old Spanish Trail.
Lake Charles acted first. She voted $350,000 to build . to the bridge with a paved road, and now westward thru j Texas past Houston, paved roads are being financed.
The bridge over the Sabine is financed by joint effort.
HAST TEXAS AND RAVING
Texas is drawing dividends because she put a large | membership support behind the OST and a more lr tensive i service lias been possible in that state.
Orange, the Texas side of the Sabine River, is paving with concrete. She is short about five miles and pledges ■ herself to complete that.
Beaumont is the center of the next county. In De-, comber that county answered the call for paving and vot-j

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Fort ‘Davis, West TTexas. On the Old Spanish Trail, here are 600 miles of highlands in Texes fiomSan jdn-tenio to El Paso. EUvaticn ranges jum /CO feet at Sen Antonio to 53CO feet at Fort Davis cr.d 3900 feet at (?/ Paso.
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I Near the Louisiana line is I-I. S. Weston. Mississippi (Vice-President of the OST, facing the great problem of opening the way to New Orleans. Now tbe funds are doming, for Louisiana has a new state highway law and state funds, and that Pearl River jungle will give way to the demand of traffic.
LOUISIANA
The Old Spanish Trail across Louisiana is a part of the program of the State. A new law provides abundant funds, and Louisiana promises now to cross her territory. For miles on either side of the Mississippi rive” lie the delta lands of that great river.
in the next bulletin the Louisiana story will be told.
In passing, however, a word about tbe people of Slidell. near tbe Mississippi line. They have construction of extreme difficulty. They too have fought thru obstacles. a year ago they voted $500,000 with but one dissenting vote. The managing director will soon be in there, if only to carry to them words of cheer for the things they have done.
ed $2,000,0u0 overwhelmingly. H. A. McDonald, the OST Director, was the leader there.
Next westward is Liberty, a farming county with problems that at times seemed insurmountable. But they too answered the call and in January they carried a $2.-000,000 issue for paving—and that was wonderful work for Liberty County.
Next is Houston and that great city will put her part thru.
Next is Ft. Bend County. OST men have been studying conditions there and the OST engineer is reporting on the engineering problems. Those people now will vote to pave.
The next and last county in this roll call, Wharton, is building two concrete bridges and has contract for a paved surface on the grade that has now had a year of seasoning.
Another GO days, a total of six months from that Orange conference, will see essentially 215 ms. westward from Lake Charles financed for paving, and all bridges built or financed, and this paving won’t stop there.

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