The San Francisco call., 1909-09-05
TRYING AUTO TRIP
THROUGH BAD SAND
q. c. Murray Describes Hard
Run From Woodland to
Sacramento


along automobile row as the record
breaking driver OF the Auburn and the
man who did q hours at the wheel Of
the Interstate car in the dealers twice
around the clock endurance content,
sends the following interesting infor-
nation for motorists from Woodland,
where he IS now looking after the in
terests OF the Interstate car
In regard TO that % miles Of road
between Woodland and Sacramento, no
doubt you are aware that il is impas-
sable for either automobiles or horse
drawn vehicles eight months out OF the
year, and If an auto comes to Wood
land Gin those eight months), wishing
TO go TO Sacramento. IL has either TO
ship from Davis 10 Sacramento by rail-
or go all the way back 10 Benicia, cross
the bay and go around by Stockton. or
60 from Woodland to Colusa and
Marysville. down the other side of the
river TO Sacra amento. Either way they
choose TO 90, with the exception OF
shipping from Davis. means round
about trip al least, whereas IL the road
from here TO Sacramento was kept in
any kind Of shape il would only be a
matter OF an hours run, but the way II
is now IL is simply a disgrace. Well,
having a couple OF people to see in Sac
ramento and being pushed for time, l
decided TO try 20 get through. 50
started last Wednesday morning at
1918. after the people at the garage
told me il was an utter impossibility TO
get through in an automobile. but l
persuaded Bill Van Zee, the Woodland
garage man TO come with me, and we
were of.
Though it was only % miles. II was
the longest and worst % miles 1 ever
struck From Woodland to Elkhorn
the road through the tules is pretty
fair with the exception Of a couple of
bad -pieces of sand, but from Elkhorn
to within few miles OF Sacramento
II is nothing but sand almost up 10 the
axle and soms surprisingly deep
chucks besides. with the car on an
angle Of about Is degrees as the road
runs along the side OF the levee. not
on the top nor bottom. but along the
sides The worst piece of road on the
trip is about two miles out Of Elkhorn
toward Sacramento, and il Is certainly
fierce. Nothing but sand. and you have
to climb 10 the top Of the leTee with
a grade OF about 100 feet long and as
steep as the first Golden Gate avenue
hill This is the place where they all
get stuck and where q rancher has e
team of horses 10 pull them through.
charging. I understand. IS car: and
they tell me that last year he cleaned
up nice little bunch of money, but as
1 wanted TO go through on my own
power, IL possible. 1 refused his aid
found a couple OF boards about three
feet long. after q great deal of hunting
ground, put them under the wheels and
started to climb. II was the same old
story, running a few feet, dropping
of the boards picking them up again.
= ha q h0t
feet by the rear wheels spinning. put
ting them under the wheels again and
moving ahead another couple of feet
Van Zee and / went through this per-
fOrmance about I5 or 20 times and
were al last rewarded by reaching the
top OF the levee.
From there on to Sacramento.
though II was pretty rough going. with
lot more sand. ii was a whole lot
easier. Van Zee and 1 were surprised
and pleased with the way the 40 horse
power Interstate performed under
such a trying test, for after all the
running We had 10 do on our low and
second speeds, with the thermometer
at lis. the car never even heated IN
10 say nothing about boiling 1t was
as hot as I ever want 10 feel IL at any
time. We arrived in Sacramento about
1915 O'Clock that day, dusty. hungry
and thirsty. We were the first car 10
ma ke the trip from woodland to Sacra-
mento this year under our own power
! came back from Sacramento on my
way north 10 Colusa. and noticed that
they are fixing the road up from Sacra-
mento 20 within a few miles of the
worst places. but do not seem to be
doing anything from about three miles
from the sandhill into EIkhorn. About
$50 worth Of labor. straw and tools.
would fix the worst places UP fine for
an auto to go through without any
trouble From Sacramento to Wood
land IL is not quite so. bad. as the worst
places are going down hill"
After a close examination of the
leading high grade motor cars, George
. r. Cotton of
S,e.rn. for England recently
south Africa placed his order for
series 1880 horse
power Stearns touring cars for use in
Johannesburg, South Africa" states
Frank Miner Stearns agent. Mr. Cot
ton Is connected with a machinery
company in the Transvaal caDital For
some time he has been desirous of Sc
curing q car I'm which he could place
absolute confidence Although English
~ birth he turned TO America for