Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-06-02
Path finding Automobilists IN
Lexington Friday

| Lexington friday
The White steamer, the path
finding car of the New York-At
lanta automobile tourney, to be
run tbis coming fall between the
points named, a distance of LOCO
miles, reached Lexington last Fri
day afternoon shortly after one
o'clock. Mr.. r. Ii. Johnston, ar
accomplished route expert, was in
charge of the car, the other mem
bers of the party being Major John
S. Cohen, managing editor of the
Atlanta Journal; Mr.. H. Peltz Of
the New York Herald; Mr.. n.
Lazarnick, newspaper photograph
er, and Mr.. CIPHER, expert ma-
chlnist. The car bore the motto ::
'New York Herald-Atlanta Jour-
nal. Pull for Good Roads"
The start was made Tuesday in
front of the Herald building, New
York, at a signal given by Majoi
General Leonard S. Wood, U. s..
A. A stop of half an hour was
made in Lexington for lunch. The
party met a number Of our citi-
Gems and talked freely of their ex-
periences along tire route. They
said the roads between Stanton
and Lexington were very bad, but
they spoke enthusiastically of the
fine grade, the beautiful scenery
end the points of historic interest
through the Shenandoah Valley.
The route south embraced Buchan-
An and Roanoke. Their plans were
changed from the tentative route,
between Lexington and Buchanan,
and they made detour to the Nat
ural Bridge.
The purpose Of the trip is to Sc
cure information that will Lead to
the selection Of a route between
New York and Atlanta for the
fall automobile race, in which
fifty cars are expected to take
part. A survey of the route is be-
ing recorded, together with photo
graphs OF the location Of the
routes and the topography of the
country. The journey, therefore.
is being made on easy stages,
without reference to speed.
The following dispatch from
Roanoke was sent by the party and
appeared in the New York Herald
last Saturday:
"Completing 5O2 miles, but one
half of it's flight from North to
South, the Herald's scout car ar.
rived at s O'Clock this evening in
Roanoke. The days run had been
over some of the hardest roads yet
encountered, but the tentative
schedule laid down Mt the start
had again been kept, as it had
been on each of the four days,
without deviation. y
From Staunton onward the
roads deteriorated. 1t was grim
contrast from the splendid valley
pike that had led down from Win
chester to the dirt roads, recently
subjected to a spring blowing,
which beset the party's path all
the way through to Fairfield,
twenty-four miles away. Saturat'
ed by day or two Of heavy rains,
the soft RED clay yielded to the
tires like paste, and often the car
went plodding on with it's wheels
Houndering through the mud up to
their hubs.
"Yet even in some of the worst
stretches, crushed stone was heap
ed up beside the road bed prepara-
tory to a new top dressing, proved
ing that betterments were under
way, and that the spirit Of pre-
gress had already borne good fruit
Here and there steamrelle.s were
at work and men were busy drilling
into the outcropping stone clons
the roadmaking material for new
maca6sm.
"The character Of the going
continued bad practically ell the
way into Lexington. There the
party received u genuine Southern
welcome In one of Virginia's moe,
historic cities.
Though the roads to Lexing
ton were heavy there is every pros
pect of their speedy Improvement,
and nothing could be finer than
the marvellous panorama of noun
tain scenery that opened to view
at every bend in the road as the
White steamer plowed it's way
down the wonderful valley lying
between the mist-capped peaks OF
the Blue Ridge.
"The scout car left Lexington
after luncheon at 2:10 and de-
cided to make detour in order
that the party might Inspect the
Natural Bridge. The roads cor
tinued inferior until within
three miles of that remarkable
wonder of nature, when the cal
struck a splendid new macada
rized pike, built by the private
corporation which controls the
Natural Bridge. the adjacent hote
and all its scenic surroundings.
lover the final six miles lead
ing to Roanoke the highway is &c
excellent that a speed OF forty
miles an hour was eaSily maintain