Arizona republican., 1908-03-23
A TRIP BY MOTOR CYCLE
1t Demonstrated the Durability of the
 Machines O. All Kinds of Roads

A partN of valley motorcvclists en-
 jOyed a novel experience yesterday
 that is to say. they enjoyed it after it
 was all over with and the were back
 to town where it was possible to get a
 drink of water again and repost quiet
 ly in the shade.
 In the party were r. A. Carr of the
 Arizona Motor Co, Lem Holmes0and
 philo Ozanne O. Phoenix. and Earl
 Brown, Gideon Bransford and the
 writer. os this place. When the party
 left town :n the morning the objec
 tive point was the Gila Indian reser-
 vation and it was further expected
 that the days trip would completely
 cncircle tke Sat River mountains.
 only one who has ever been in that
 section cc the desert will admit that
 there a~n mo~e roads there to the
 square mile than in any other part of
 the Wo-,d oc g similar area: conse-
 queptlv t was ~ot really surprising
 that tho tri2 did rot end as anticipat-
 ,hc part r-as scattered to the four
 winds. Or account of the dust the five
 riders were strung out with probably a mile or nore between the first and the last. one rider dropping out early,
 Mr. Holmes. on account Of a bad tire.
 The other five upon reaching the des- ert struck out, blindl, across its wastes. The leading three took one road and the two following took an
 other. It chanced that the three in front got the wrong road, but not knowing the difference. they continued on their wa2s the road growing worse and worse until necessity compelled them to stop. The road, which at first was a well travelled thoroughfare. had dwindled down to little more than rabbit trail. A consultation was held and # was plainly seen that one of two things was necessary: either the trail would have to be retraced. which was hard proposition. or what looked like small ridge. would have to be crossed in the nope of finding the main road south Of it The latter course was decided upon, but the ridge proved 70 be more than was bargained for. II consisted of a se- ries Of ridges. each a little more pro- nounced than the other one. with eN- tensiVe sand washes between. IL is safe to say that that ridge of hills was treated to an experience yesterday that was never duplicated before or never will be again. It may sound un- reasonable. but it is nevertheless a fact that those machines were ridden, dragged and carried over places where it would be impossible to ride q horse one man could handle his own machine in getting it down the side Cf a hill. and sometimes it took the combined efforts of all three riders to safelz- land one machine at the bottom. ~ To add to the experience. no water had been carried along and there is a total absence of moisture in that vicinit-. Just about the time when the riders had decided to resort td the life saving cactus as a source of liGuid ot some kind. a road was sighted. It proved to be poor one. but by following it the main road was found. Another council Of war was held and it was estimated that it was just about as near to Tempe as il was to the Gila river and the water supply at the former place being considered superior to that Of the latter. the ma chimes were headed for town and the return trip made without incident. Half an hour later the other two riders put in an appearance. They had spent most of the morning in a vain endeavor to follow the tracks Of the leaders and upon reaching town were equally as dry and tired as the one in the lead. The next time the party ventures a trip to the Gila, the services Of an Indian guide will be employed and 8 sufficient supply of liquid refreshments will be taken l