The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-12
ONE BY ONE AUTOS WANDER BACK HOME Birmingham Motor Club
 Makes Initial Trip ROADS HAD AN INNING Debris Scattered Between Birmingham and Shelby Springs Tells the Tale.
 Offices Are Empty,
 Owners Gone.
ROADS HAD AN INNING

the OInce or prominent Hldn III one oI Birmingham's big office buildings yester- day afternoon.
 Sorry, Miss but he isn't in,' replied the polite hired boy. who had an anxious look on his face.
 Isn't in! Why, had a very impor- tant business engagement with him at this hour; 1t means much to me-
 Hasn't been here since Saturday noon, maam."
 Saturday noonl Why. what in the world Is the matter?'
 "The boss went to Shelby Springs with an automobile party and"
 That will do. If he doesn't care any more about business than that VIII seek another lawyer and place my case in his hands!'
 But, Miss, it was an accident-a dread full accident, and his people are worried almost to death about him." The woman was in the elevator before the boys sequence was completed, won dering why business men delonged to au- tomobile clubs. The next moment she was in another office.
 De doctors not here, marm. He done
  de missus is almost skeered ter def, she is."
 It was too much. The young woman returned home and decided to wait until some future day before trying to trans act business or find her physician. But she was not the only one. Such answers were being given all over the city in the offices of men of various callings.
 Gone to Shelby Springs. In an auto mobile wreck"
 The story was simply told. Darkened offices, with the window shades pulled down, sufficed in many cases.
 "The doctor is out" was the way signs on doors read. They have read that way since last Saturday at noon. One such placard had the word, Wait" added. A man needing medical attention took his seat at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and missed dinner. He finally sought information in the next office and was told that the doctor was out of the city.
 Where Is Charley?" was overheard in bank. q want to talk to him about Shelby Springs and his auto trip 'He is not here,' said the assistant paying teller, who was doing double duty, and I don't think he will care to talk automobile for a year after he gets home."
 And so it went throughout the day yes terday It was the same story in every section of the city. A searching party may be organized this morning to go out and pick up struggling members 'of the Birmingham Automobile club. They are somewhere between here and Shelby Springs. It was gasoline in number of instances. Broken chains tell the story in others. An occasional wheel along the highways adds woe to the sad story. The doctor is out. Walt" was still on the door at late hour last night. Shelby Springs, September 11.-(special) The run of the Birmingham Motor club to Shelby Springs today was an eventful one. The roads were practically un- known to every member of the party, and were found to be badly washed by the recent heavy rains It was simply case of natural country roads all the way. after leaving the good roads of Jefferson county, and the route lay over the Red mountain and Shades mountain passes. which were found to be extremely steep and rough.
 | The three men of the party who rode motor cycles, Messrs. Stubbs, Afford and House, reached here nearly three hours ahead of the auto cars. These riders had no mishaps, but the autoists have very different story. Hardly one of | the latter escaped some sort of accident or delay. There was keen rivalry from the start by the champions of the differ ent machines, and at various stages of the trip the procession was led in turn by nearly every member of the club who was present
 The leading cars reached here at 10 p. m., the only one of the party which failed to reach the spings being Professor Massey, whose car was unruly through out the trip, and finally stopped altogether in the hills about four miles west of here.
 Supper was eaten at the hotel at mid night, and the muster was then about complete. Max winkler was called on for speech and responded with a good deal of earnestness.
 Thank God we are herev' The younger members danced TOT a while in the pavilion after supper, and the poker players got up a game. The regular guests of the springs enjoyed the lively crowd though its coming cost thei.s nights sleep. The belated members of the party came struggling in until morn- ing, and when 1t was discovered just be- fore daylight. that a supply of gasoline which had been ordered had not reached the springs. there was general consterna- ton. But the deficiency was supplied by the Standard oil company's agent at Calera. and the party left on the return trip after dinner today. Eleven cars with ifty-four persons reached here in good condition despite the rough and hilly country and wretched roads of the Ca haba valley. The trip has made everyone of the tourists an advocate of good roads of the roads between Birmingham and Shelby Springs 1t would be one of the most delightful motor tours in the state. The ladies particularly enjoyed the glo- rious scenery along the route, and were in ecstacies over the night journey in the moonlight among the wooded hills and valleys of this section.
 Many of the people along the route taken had never before seen motor car and they rose from their beds as the strange nocturnal procession. with glar- ing lights and unearthly puffings, wended