The Coconino Sun

DEVELOPING FLAGSTAFF AND ARIZONA

The little meeting of prominent people called by Father Vabre to meet with the Park-to-Park good roads men last Saturday, is bound to produce lasting results. The short talks at the dinner by these representatives of the government and good roads men, was indeed a revelation to local people, who thought they knew of the possibilities for the development of the country before they came. The plan advocated by these men took in a comprehensive plan for hard-surfacing of over 5,000 miles of road, roads that would take the vast automobile traffic to every great national park in the west; a national boulevard, which in length would cover every capital and every greatly advertised point of interest in Europe and then have miles left: the west offers more than all Europe to the visitor, aside from what it would bring in development of the west through the personal intermingling of the people of all sections of the United States. It was well said that "the tourist of today is the booster resident of tomorrow."

Ten years ago the idea would have been absurd, but today the people of the United States are aroused to the fact that money spent in development is the wisest money that can be spent: that good roads are just as essential to development as are the great transcontinental railroads: that it means just as much to the little rancher as it does to the men of large interests--a gain for one is a gain for all.

The one big thing the automobile has done for the west has been much different from that of the railroads. The auto has brought all classes through the country; they stopped along the way, visited the people, got acquainted with the country as they went through; their idea of the country was formed from an accurate knowledge gained first hand from the people and not from a guide book. Many located along the line in places that struck their fancy.

So far as Flagstaff is concerned in the way of development, the terms of the old prospector, "it hasn't been scratched yet."

We regret to say that for some reason or other, the development of Flagstaff has been forced upon it rather than having been invited. There isn't a city in the west that offers better opportunities or better surroundings in the way of climate, scenery and in a business way than does Flagstaff.

We need hundreds more houses.

We need a splendid big hotel.

We need some public spirit to go with them.

All the rest is here.

The Coconino Sun has spent many hundreds of dollars year in and year out in helping to bring about the spirit of enterprise and the development of Flagstaff. We will admit that progress has been resisted much by the "mail order" element, and through examples from those who should realize the error of their ways, but the rapid growth of the city in the past few years proves that there is a future for it. Even the old-time skeptics have come to that conclusion.