The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-26
The Heaven of the Automobiles
BY r. n. LITTLE.

Hagerty and myself are two limo
cent newspaper men travelling in an
automobile from New York to San
Francisco. The trip was suggested by
q letter from Ywan Shat Kai the vice
roy of Chile province, in China, to us
asking In regard TO American auto
mobiles and their adaptability for travel
over the roads in northern China The
BUICK Motor company offered US a car
10 make the trip across the continent In
oroer tnat IL we were satisfied with II
we would recommend &c to the viceroy
Oh us part the company want to dem
onstrate TO the general public what a.
STOCK Buick car costing s., $50 can do
on g. long distance run, and If possible
Win two cylinder. twenty-horse pow
er touring car, to beat the record made
Oy stripped Franklin runab bout six
cylinder. thirty-horse power car, of fif-
teen days and six hours on the same
Llp. Our Ywan Shsi Kai story was
not well received in Salt Lake City by
The Herald. The wise young man on
The Herald was of the kind that could
not be filled with the east wind Not
ne. he is the seventh son of a sew
enth son, and he wot full well that
Cnhe is not province Of China at
All, but kind of sauce that YOU get
an bottles at the restaurant when YOU
oruer Boston baked beans. And at the
name or Ywan Shat Kai he laughed
scornful laugh and mace a noise
axe unto the Scornful Hoot Then, i'm
a soft condescending manner. he told
JUS that Hwan Shat Kai was not a Chin
ieSe VlcerOy at all, but tine proprietor
OF a hop joint in Plum alley. Poor
lYWan Shat Kai. Such is fame
Touring the west i'm an automobile
rs a. wonderful experience The hus-
loandmen IN this region are not well
loroken to automobiles as yet and are
quite likely TO shy and run away and
climb telegraph poles when we go bv
TIhere are several well defined zones Of
danger In the wests In the first re-
gion the farmers merely say things un-
llt lot publication. The next region
fis the arrest zone. There they teie-
lgraph ahead of the car and when the
automobile arrives a constable with
"a tin star as big as q plate and waving
"a baseball bat jumps out and SAYS
Here, gush durn you city smart clicks.
YOU skeered a man and his wife TO
death and run ever four little children
and two hogs and some chickens am
now gull durn you come ter Jail" The
car is held by the majesty of the law
until the dead farmer comes i'm aud
finally admits that the total casualties
was one tough old rooster. Ten dollars
and costs and on we go.
The next zone is the pit ,hfork region
II the gasoline holds out and the tires
don't burst this calamity an be averted
or at least left at a Safe distance. The
next region is where they come out
ana shoot az you. But by this time you
don't mind. There's nothing like get
ting used TO a thing. I understand that
the next zone between us and Califor-
mia is known as the Gasoline Region.
There being no water in the desert. !
the automobiles are forced to drink
Copiously from the gasoline tank. II
produces no fatal results although II
is said that at the time gasoline Jag
is caused IL is quite apt to make the
victim think he a high priced French |
touring car and to cause him to start
on all fours across the desert at high |
gear and hOnk honking loudly for other |
cars TO get out Of the way. The only
treatment I'm such cases is said to be. |
TO tell the patient that he has busted
two tires and spring and that he has
TO be carried in to the next town Tor |
repairs at the blacksmith shop
Nevertheless we shall continue our
journey TO San Francisco. For with
these small discomforts overlooked. tho |
automobile trip through the west is the
event OF life time. Bowling along at
forty-five mile clip over the great
prairies with no speed laws anywhere in
sight and nothing but the great flat
prairie all around and the clouds
banked up in the most bewitching
Shapes and forms on the horizon is
we'll worth while. And TIE ride at night
with the stars twinkling brighter I'm |
the thin atmosphere than one ever saw
them twinkle before. and with now and
then a jack rabbit bobbing 1p i'm front
and scuTrying away lil<, mrd in the
little spot of white light ahead. and the
cool sweet breeze tanning ones face
and as intoxicating as champagne. one
only wishes that the night would last
forever. and that we need never stop
whirling away across the great plains
under the myriad stars. But then the
dawn is worth while. too. V. hen the
blue mists lie on the prairie and gives
mysterious fascination to everything.
And then after the plains come the
mountain and the lofty buttes and deem
canyons and wonderful valleys. and al !
ways the ride seems to f-row i'm fas- |
cination and interest and every mile Is !
stamped i'm vivid imprint on the MEM |
DRY. And all these delights come 10 |
the speed maniacs who are rushing
blindly on with never a pause TO gaze
long and lovingly at the most beau |
tiful panoramas or hesitate to gather
a single wild flower or sit uncounted
moments TO look with wondering awe
at canyon or butte. 7 can ONLY i'm
agine how wonderful this trip WouId |
be TO the happy automobiles that didn't
have 10 worry about tires and gasoline
and the speer record. but could journey
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