CENTRAL AND WEST TEXAS
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 60Q ms. is made in three and four days. All those sections aro marked and the people are putting road-building projects thru. Texas is delivering her thousand miles of main line 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 -west 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 dream of the Old Spanish Trail of a trunkline around the Gulf from Tampa to Tampico. Responsibility in the East falls to Florida.
WEST TO THE PACIFIC
Vice-President A. H. Gardner, Tombstone, Arizona, reports the highway practically complete as a federal standard road from El Paso to Buckeye, 32 ms west of Pheonix.
The road from Pheonix to Yuma, about 200 ms., is planned to be complete in 2 years. Those South Arizona counties voted something like $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.
CALIFORNIA
Ed. Fletcher, OST Councilor, San Diego, reports on the Ajo route from Tucson. This cuts across the bend south of Phoenix, thru the cactus forest. 60 ms. are built westward from Tucson and the financing of the remaining distance to Yuma, the California gateway, is progressing.
From Yuma to San Diego. 182 ms., over 100 ms. of concrete is built or under contract, and the entire distance from 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 bo the first paved road across the continent—paving is coming fast.
It has been said the Old Spanish Trail has greater construction activity than any transcontinental highway —that is probably true for immense works arc 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 spstem of highways, for the people aro seeking to open the way to every alluring or historical spot along the Southern Borderlands.
SECTIONS MARKED
1600 ms. of trunklines, tributaries and tourist loops aro marked. The people should go the limit to get the 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.
ROADSIDE 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.
The emblem for members should he ready this month writefor the CAMPSITE circular— your town should have a good Camp for the traveler. Help distribute the History Book-- lets—Why Not advertise your own City by issuing 5000 of these
Next month ihe year book should be ready.
THE KIND WE DON’T WANT.
MOBILE
Mobile Is another city of great possibilities, shut in and cramped because the channels of service have been insufficient. When her highway program is completed she will rise like giant unshackled. Her people are alive and ready to do things. Mobile Bay is now the only great waterway (except the Mississippi River) between the Atlantic and the Pacific on the Old Spanish Trail that is not bridged or financed. S. H. Peck, OST Director at Mobile, is a leader in the work to bridge Mobile Bay.
TnE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
From Pensacola thru Mobile and to the Mississippi-Louisiana line the 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-ti, 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 Now Orleans are bound 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.
LAKE CHARLES, LA.
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, but 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.
At Orange, on the Texas side SEPT. 28th, a conference was held of the people from Lake Charles to Houston. This, under the leadership of Mayor W. E. Lea, Vice 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 Texas past Houston, paved roads are being financed.
The bridge over the Sabine is financed by joint effort.
EAST TEXAS AND PAVING
Texas is drawing dividends because she put a large membership support behind the OST and a more Irtensive service has 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-

Fort ‘Davis, West	exas.	On the Old Spanish Trail
cTjhere are 600 miles of highlands in Texas from San Jin-tonio to El Paso. Elevation ranges from 700 feel at San Antonio to 5300 feet at Fort Davis and 3900 feet at (?/ Paso.
Near the Louisiana line is II. S. Weston, Mississippi Vice-President of the OST, facing tho great problem of opening the way to New Orleans. Now the funds are coming, for Louisiana has a now state highway law and state funds, and that Pearl River jungle will cive 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.
Tn tho next bulletin the Louisiana story will be told.
In passing, however, a word about the people of Slidell. near the Mississippi line. They have construction of extremo 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 $2,000,000 overwhelmingly. I-I. 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 60 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.