Technical World Magazine

\ ii:\v oi- c:.\.\^"()\' c\r\ from skvlixe drive of T[^K new sax'I'a fk tk.ml.
^^-^•^s^K
and in a few monlhs the road practicall}'
was completed from Garden City to the
C\)lorado state line. Colorado took ii])
the Speedway with enthusiasm and the
counties along- the. old trail pushed the
new road through to Puehlo. There it
was connected with the fine road that led
westward up the valley of the Arkansas
River to Canyon City, ending at the Skyline
drive, one of the most magnificent
mountain roads in the world, skirting the
ci\ge of the Royal Gorge, through which
the river flows a thousand feet below.
I'>om Editor Scott's end the work took
a little longer, the agitation for the
Si)eedway finallx resulting in a big conference
at llutchinson, January 31, last.
There a regular organization was formed
witli Mr. Scott as president and Mr.
I'"a.\(in- as secretary. The name oi the
road was changed to tlie Xew Santa l'\'
Trail. A vice-i)residcnt was appointed
for each county through whicli the road
passed and subordinate organizations to
do the local work were formed in each
county. The state engineer was called
into the conference, and j^lans were made
for carrying the new trail through from
Hutchinson to Garden City. Work was
begun almost immediately on several
stretches of the road and by spring the
whole length of it was com])leted.
In some places the old Santa Fe Trail
had been abandoned for newer roads.
Connections were built between thes'e
new roads ; concrete bridges were put in
wherever new bridges were necessary
concrete culverts re])laced old wooden
troughs which carried drain water across
the roads, and, wherever mileage could
be saved, cut-off roads were built.
At frequent intervals in that i)art of
Kansas patches of sand are encountered
along the roads. These sand patches
form an excellent road in rainy weather
but in dry weather they are almost im-
])assable. The government formula was
used in treating these ])atches of sand.
They were first graded over and then
covered with a thick layer of gumbo, clay
or gypsum, whichever was most convenient.
This covering was then plowed
into the sand and the road rounded up
again and rolled with a high crown in
the center. This sand mixture makes
a natural ro.nd which cannot be excelled
anywhere.
The gumbo clay or gypsum—the latter
being considered the best—forms a natural
binder which sheds water like a
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