The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-08-05
BRIDES AUTOTRIP
Travelled Over a thousand
Miles All Alone.
STAYED IN FARMHoUsEs AT NIGHT

Mrs. John Roberts Ran Her Machine
From Battle Creek, Mich, to Min
neaDolis and Return and Had
Fine JouFney-She Enthusiastically
Recommends Rural Auto Rides.
II can imagine nothing more SUI
premely delightful than an automobile
trip through the country at this sea-
son Of the year. If / might only give
to every n in the world but a small
part of the pleasures 1 enjoy with that
machine / think my cup would be full,
and I am sure the world would be bet
ter" And as the little woman, who
had recently returned from a 1900
mile automobile journey alone, dubbed
over with IN enthusiastic description
of her trip she kept busy wiping, oil
ing and testing various parts Of the
machine which had served her as
faithfully as If it were some living
thing.
1t was thus that Mrs. John Rob-
erts, bride of a few months Of one Of
Battle Creeks leading capitalists, an
swered the New York World corre-
spondent's query about her trip from
Battle Creek, Mich. to Minneapolis AMI
return, which had ended but a few
moments before.
Mrs. Roberts is a viyacious little
woman Of twenty-five, thoroughly
American, though she is a native Of
Italy and has lived the greater part
Of her life in Europe. She is a grad
uate Of the Boston Conservatory Of
Music and for four seasons sang lead
ing parts with the Castle Square OPP
era company, with which she was en-
gagged when she became acquainted
with her husband.
afraid? l was never afraid in my
life. Did you ever know it was fear
that costs thousands. Of people their
lives?" she continued. Il went alone
because my husband could not spare
the time to accompany me and ]
wanted to visit my mother.
II left here BATTLE Creek and made
the run to Grand Haven by way Of
Kalamazoo without incident. I stayed
all night at a farmhouse, and at 8
o'clock, ending my first day out, ! was
fast asleep near an open window over
looking a beautiful field of corn, where
every breath of that delightful air was
new life to me.
"The following day, Tuesday, l made
little progress SO far as distance was
concerned. l was compelled to wait
for the boat which was to carry me
across the lake to Milwaukee, and,
aside from a pleasant sail over Lake
Michigan, there was nothing of interest
to mention. From Milwaukee, where l
was delayed a few minutes for repairs.
l made the trip direct to Minneapolis,
staying only a few hours at Madison
and Lacrosse, Wis. l made it an OBJ
ject to stay all night at farmhouses,
and with Cut n or two exceptions !
was treated in the most cordial man.
ner. At one place. however, I drove up
to the gate and asked the farmer If /
might stay there all night, and he an
swered: Nope. l hain't got no use for
them things round here. They're
takin' people through tn world too all
fired fast fer me to have anything to
do with 'em, and you'd better go on
to tn next place." l, of course, acted
upon his advice, and found an intelli-
gent and prosperous family who made
it as pleasant Is possible for me.
II could not begin to describe the
beauties of the trip up the Mississippi
river. 1t was gorgeous. Every urn Of
the road brought some new and beau
tiful view"
When asked If she had had any ac-
cidents to the machine IN the trip, she
said:
"Oh, of course l had. That, you know,
is more than half the pleasure of tour
ing. l stopped to oil up every twenty
five or thirty miles and inspected all
the bearings each time. More than
once l got down under the machine and
went carefully over the engine. Ger
tainly I soiled my hands. and my face
too. But what Of that? l rather en-
Joy greasy hands once in awhile.
Eyes, there was a disagreeable fea-
ture to my trip, but next time / will
overcome that. I was lonesome. l felt
selfish. l wished that every one might
see what l was seeing. However, l
made the best of it, and for company l
kept the mufler open, and to its ex-
hausts l hummed little tunes for my
own amusement.
"Next to my husband I love the oun
try, and there is something about the
automobile which f~ascinates me as
nothing else in the world has ever done.
I believe every one else who owns one
has the same feeling. Its response to
fhe guide wheel, the control of the
speed-in fact, the very living machin-
ery-give one life and vigor which moth
ing else can do. and if there is anything
in the theory of fresh air cures the
auto is performing one Of Gods mis-
Sions fO tho wOrldO