Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1920 — STATE HIGHWAY TO GO NORTH [ARTICLE]

STATE HIGHWAY TO GO NORTH

OPPOSITION PLAY TRUMP CARD BUT WE HOLD THE JOKER. A number of influential citizens of Lake county had filed a .petition with Governor 'Goodrich asking that the proposed state . highway he changed and run west from here to Mt. Ayr and from that point to Crown Point. The petition .was filed upon the letter head of Banker Brown of Crown Point and containing among others the signature of the commissioners of Lake county. ' • _ Our senator, Will Brown, _ of Hebron, who had been watching this matter, learned of the petition and called a number of the friends of the proposition to run the highway directly north from here to Indianapolis to take the matter up with Governor Goodrich and the commission. _ _ . The call from here was responded to by Representative W. L. Wood, Attorneys E. P. Honan and Cope J. Hanley and Editor F. E. Babcock. These men with othete appeared before the governor Wednesday and with the assistance of Senator Will Brown and Representative Fifield, succeeded in having the route north from here designated and all proper records and orders in relation thereto signed and sealed. This is a matter of the most vital interest to the people of this county. Representative Wood and others have done a great deal of work that the road might be established. They have been to a considerable expense and this should the shared by the people of the county. Splendid as has been their work, the one person to whom Jasper county owes the most and the one who did more than any one else that the road might be designated to run north fr6*ftthis city, was Senator Wiil Brown, of Hebron. But for his vigilence and his tireless effort Senator Grant and others of Lake county would have persuaded the governor and the commission to have established the road running west instead of north from here. Back of the whole proposition is the just and undisputable fact that the route from this city north is the one that should be designated. It is a strictly Indiana route and does not border within a few miles of the Illinois 'line. It is more direct and will serve a large agricultural region. Thousands of dollars worth of vegetables and other farm produce which Jasper county will he able to offer to the people of Gary, Chicago and the other large Lake Cities is in itself 4 sufficient reason for selecting the route north from here.