Florida Highways
San Antonio Man Wins Decoration
King of Spain Sends Medal for Work for Old Spanish Trail
HAURAL AYRES, managing director of the Old Spanish Trail development, will receive a distinguished honor from the King of Spain when he receives the Condccoration of Ihc Royal Order of Isabel la Catolica, with title of Knight Commander at a reception and ceremony of presentation Tuesday evening at the home of Mrs. Henry Drought, 1215 North St. Mary’s Street, for his work in connection with the Old Spanish Trail movement.
Officiating at the ceremony will be the Spanish Consul Rabin dc I'bnrri. Spanish consul for Texas and New Mexico.
In the official parly conferring the decoration besides (Tbarri and Mrs. Drought will be Ma.j. Gen. William Lassiter, commander of the Eighth Corps Area, and his personal staff; Enrique Sant ilia ilex, consul general of Mexico: Col. II. M. Dickinanii, president of the San Antonio Automobile League; Werner N. Beckmann, a representative of the Old Spanish Trail board; Dr. Frederick Combe, T. II. Etheridge, president of the Sail Antonio Real Estate Board ; Mayor C. M. Chambers, County .Judge Perry
S.	Robertson, State Senator W. A. Williamson, Arnold Shanklin, former United States consul to Mexico, and Walter Walthall, president of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
The jewel of the order is a double-sided Spanish sunburst, two inches in diameter, suspended from a laurel wreath. On one side is the name of the order, and on the other is “La Leallad Acrisolada,” expressive of loyalty and merit.
Ayres accepted the Old Spanish Trail leadership in 1919 when there was no regular route across the
Southern borderlands. Automobiles were forced to pick their own course through mud, cattle lands and deserts with undependable ferries assisting them in crossing the numerous rivers on route.
The leadership of San Antonio and constant efforts for 10 years was the thing that eventually made possible the Old Spanish Trail. Federal and State officials were slow in granting recognition to the route and failed to do so until 1922.
The old Spanish Trail movement was organized at Mobile, Ala., to build a highway from Florida to New Orleans. Western States became interested, and the plan was changed to an Atlantic to Pacific highway. No recognition was given the work Cor seven years because of the cost of construction and the slow progress.
There was no recognized route across South Texas until 1921. A conference in Houston in 1919 resulted in the routing of the road through Sail Antonio, though Dallas had been the prevailing choice until that time. San Antonio was chosen because of its missions and historical ruins of the Spaniards.
Ayres was selected as managing director in San Antonio shortly after the Houston conference. The first step of the San Antonio group was to hold a convention in this city. More than 100 West. Texans attended this meeting and pledged the completion of the route through West Texas.
Ayres went to Washington in June, 1922, and succeeded in having a declaration signed by Senators and Congressmen that the road was a basic National need. The United States Bureau of Education sided with the road builders as did the American Automo-
Florida RTMES-AI) VERTISEB, TRE
bile Association. This work in Washington took seven months, and resulted in liberal appropriations. Construction work followed within a short time.
Florida in 1929 bemme the first State to complete the paving of its Old Spanish Trail route.
A women’s department of beautification was started in 1922 under the leadership of Mrs. F. W. Sorell and Mrs. A. IT. Moos of San Antonio to remove
Royal Decoration For Harral Ayres
>7*
Former Trcntonian Honored for Work in Restor-
advertising signs and to beautify the road.
In 1925 the United States highways were designated. The Old Spanish Trail through West Texas was not recognized. Ayres again went to Washington after efforts to obtain recognition had failed because he was not present in the capital. On his arrival in Washington he opened the question and was successful in having the San Diego to St. Augustine route made wholly a United States highway.—San Antonio Express.
\ Silas:	“What’s	that	I	hear,	Hiram,	about	your
hired man falling off the roof when he was shingling the.barn last week?”
Hiram:	“Yell.	He	fell	into	a	barrel	of	turpen-
tine.”
Silas: “Did it hurt him much?”
Hiram:	“Don’t	know.	They	ain’t	caught	him
yet.”
ing Old Spanish Trail
Harral Ayres, who was born In Bor-dentown. and spent his early life there and in this city, and Is now living In San Antonio, Texas, has had conferred upon him the most distinguished royal order of Spain—the Condecoratlon of the Royal Order of Isabel La Catolica. This was conferred upon Mr. Ayres in the name of King Alfonso XIII, for notable work In having, the Old Spanish Trail restored and converted into a national highway that links Florida and California.	1	*
The decoration was presented to Mr. Ayres at a reception held at the home of Mrs. Henry Drought In San Antonio, by Don Pablo de Ubarri, who represen ted the Spanish King. The presentation was participated In by Spanish, American, Mexicar and Texas officials at a formal diplomatic reception. This Is a rare honor, and Is so Jealously guarded that the Condecoratlon Jewel, a double sided cross and sunburst in red and gold, the Spanish colors, suspended j from a laurel leaf, that upon the death of the recipient or his promotion to a i higher order, It must be returned to the Crown.
The Old Spanish Trail, used years before New England was settled, was cut by the Spanish princes, adventurers and Mission Fathers who explored and settled the Old Spanish country. Travel In those days was by sea and up rivers and over bays and overland by rambling , trails. On this route were established the ancient cities of St. Augustine, Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi, New Orleans, San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson and San Diego. With the advent of the automobile the road was practically closed to . travel because of the Insuperable bar- ;
1 riers offered by the bays and rivers.
| Everyone In the southland knew the
•	romantic history attached to the old trail and the cities along its route, but' practically nothing was done until Mr. Ayres wenttfo San Antonio to make his home. Fascinated by the history and
1 beauty of the borderland country, he , set about having the Old Spanish Trail ! made a national highway.	!
The task was a long and often times discouraging one. It required Interesting the United States Government:
' getting appropriations by Congress; ' traveling long distances and making speeches to Interest . people In the project; holding meetings in eight States through which the trail runs. Through Ills ceaseless devotion to the work, Mr.. Ayres overcame tremendous ! difficulties, and today the Old Trail Is a I National Highway of major Importance,
. built at a cost of more than 580,000.000.
I Great bridges span the waters of rivers \ and bays and the highway now forms l a continuous connecting link from !| Jacksonville and St. Augustine on the ;I Florlda East Coast through Tallahassee, i Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans. Beau-: mont, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson, Phoenix to San Diego on the j California coast.
! Clayton L. Traver, who of recent ?
: years has traveled extensively- through , the Southwest, met Mr. Ayres a few . Winters ago in San Antonio. He found j that the former Jcrseyman had not , ' only been born In Bordentown, but that , i he had graduated from Rider College in ; i the days when It was the Rider Mooro
*	j Stewart Business College. Last Winter I Mr. Ayres spent a brief time here with
Mr. Travc-. before the latter Joined him later In the season at San Antonio.