The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1908-02-03

experience and ability to cope with
any and all emergencies are the re-
quirements for desert touring. BY
desert touring is not meant the sim
pie driving Of your car over long level
stretches of the sage brush, but the
bucking of all kinds of roads, such as
would be found in driving a car from
Goldfeld to Los Angeles. 1t was but
a short time ago that the trip from
Los Angeles to the Nevada districts
was considered such a wonderful per-
Torrance. Such trips are few and far
between. The man who had made the
trip would boast for weeks of his
own nerve and thework of the car.
But during the past year such tours
nave become as common as runs to
Santa Barbara. Almost every mining
man Of any Importance in the Nevada
country has made the trip in a motor
car. many having gone back and forth
so often that they have lost the count.
Although hundreds of tourists have
enioyed the unique experience of
motoring through the desert wilder
ness, there are thousands who have not
many they look forward to the trip
few DAYS ago / received a letter from
u wei kHOWU mOtOIlSt, WHO dsheu ue
the condition Of the roads to Goldfeld
and ended by asking me if | would
advise him starting at once with a
party of friends on a pleasure tour
of the mining districts. With heavy
rains threatening and with snow in
the mountains, / naturally advised
against such a trip for pleasure.
The party intended starting last
Wednesday, but as a heavy rain came
up Thursday morning, they undoubt-
eddy have had their troubles.
But there are great Possibilities in
desert touring, and the motorist who
feels that he knows his car and can
handle it properly need not fear of
making the run, if his ear can stand
the gait. For long trips, say to Gold
field or other Nevada or California
mining districts, proper preparations
should be made; machines should be
gone over closely to make certain that
everything is in perfect order. Such
trips are not like making the run from
here to Riverside. where garages are
near at hand all the way and extra
parts can be sent by mail in a very
short time.
Repair shops and competent mechan-
les are few and very far between.
Before starting examine your tool box
thoroughly, maks sure you have every
possible thing that you might need,
in making an ordinary repair on the
road. Then go over the list of parts
These will be few, as the ears of to-
day are as a rule capable of making
long and hard trips, with few re,
nlaaananfa nf narfg Tharp arc
naturally the small things. sueh as
spark plugs, commutator attachments
and the like.
The first question is n of impor
lance. Be sure hat your tires are
large enough to stand the wear and
tear and the strain to which they will
be put. All roads are not bad, but in
a "trip of five hundred miles, thre will
be many miles of hard, rough and
rocky highway. Above all things, do
not start on a long trip without the
necessary extra castings and inner
tubes. Large touring ears should be
equipped with at least two and a half
inch tires, but a five inch is much to
be preferred. Chains should not be
forgotten. as they will be found an
absolute necessity on the slippery
mountain roads or in wet weather.
They will also be found of great as
s~istance in getting across creeks and
rivers.
A shovel should be considered just
as important a partof the equipment
as the exetra chains. Few, indeed,
are the machinists who can make such
a trip without the need of a shovel
at some stage of the trip. There will
be many and bad sand holes and river
beds to pillow through, and no motor
list has ever gone through this country
without the pleasant experience of dig
ging the ear out of a deep sand hole.
The party of George Hollerand's ear
which came through from Goldfeld
recently, lost the way. and had an ex-