Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1919 — CALUMET REGION IS WITH US [ARTICLE]

CALUMET REGION IS WITH US

On Location of a State Highway Through Jasper County. The chairman and secretary of the Jasper County Roads committee accompanied by Committeeman C. G. Spitler and L. A. Bostwick, B. D. McColly, L. H. Hamilton, Wll>liam D. Bringle and George and D. J. Babcock, drove to Crown Point Saturday morning where they were Joined by Committeeman Marble of Wheatfield, and a fine meeting was held with the officers of the Lake county committee to discuss the location of an IndianapolisChicago State highway through Jasper and Lake counties, via Rensselaer, Crown Point and other cities in the Calumet district. C. P. Fate, formerly of Rensselaer, is chairman of the Lake county committee, and this committee is unqualifidely in favor of the location of this highway through Rensselaer, and the committees w«*re in perfect harmony in all matters that came uip. I'rown Point and other clt’es in th- .Calumet district through which it is hoped to have this road located have much in common wl.i Kenssclaei and Jasper county, and it is believed this road will be of great mutual benefit to the paop>e of both counties. Jasper county has an almost unlimited area < f splendid truck lands lying near the proposed line through this county, and the cities of Lake county will want the products of these lands, which can be easily transported there in a few hours timie if we are given a good hard-surfaced road connecting the two counties along the lines proposed. It will mean a near and profitable market for

all the garden truck and other produce, we can raise and its delivery to the consumer in its freshest and best condition and at a more reasonable ;price than it can be shipped in for by rail from distant points. The interests of the two districts in this respect alone are mutual. Besides, the proposed line is much the shortest, passes through the best section of the country and will serve the greatest number of people. The matter of distance ought

certainly to be given much consideration by the highway commission, as well as the matter of | productiveness of the country and the number of people ac com mo- * dated. If our route is, say 17 miles shorter than any other proposed route, it will mean a saving of one gallon, or more of gasoline in making the trip between the two terminals, and if there are an average of 500 cars making this trip each day—which !• not an extravagant estimate once the road is built and almost the entire tour-[ Ist, business and trucking traffic diverted this way—it would mean 500 gallons of gasoline saved every day by choosing this route —3500 gallons per week, 15,000 gallons per month, 170,000 gallons per year! At the present retail price of gasoline this would mean a saving of 132,500 in cash in one year! Who will say this is not an Item io be given great consideration by ♦he highway commlssio.i and Its engineer who have the designating of these highways’