Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-20
HILLIKER PARTY
TOURS IN WHITE
PASS NINE DELIGHTFUL DAYS
IN CHASE OF NATURE
4 OLD STEAMER NEVER STOPPED
ONCE FOR ENGINE TROUBLE
Characteristic Trip Among Thousand
That May Be Taken Through
Fertile Valleys of Call
fornia

DR.. B. F. Hilliker, the well known
dentist, with his party, has just re-
turned from a very interesting tour by
the inland route to the San Joaquin
valley, the story told by DR.. Hilliker of
the trip being characteristic of a thou
sand that have been or may be told by
tourists who desire to tour by auto
mobile through the valleys of California.
The tour covered nine days and traV-
ersed 1897 miles.
An interesting fact in connection with
the tour is that DIR. Hilliker and party
went in a four-s Sar- old White steamer,
traversing the entire distance without
one minutes delay due to engine trouble
and out-footing many of the current
years models, which were passed en-
route.
The party consisted of DR.. HHliker,
wife and son, and B. f. and H. B. Hill
liker.
The story of the trip is told in the
doctors language:
The first siXty-three miles out, in
Guiding the Newhall grade and San
Francisquito canyon, with its fifty
three beautiful fords and good, though
steep grades, were covered in exactly
two hours and twenty minutes.
Elizabeth lake once passed, one winds
through a more or less deSolate country
through Fairmont and Neenach up, to
the summit of the TETON mountains,
through TETON pass at an altitude of
1910 feet. Among beautiful trees and
running brooks, one wends his way for
a number of miles and suddenly drops
down the steep TETON grade to the
bleak plains and alkali flats some thirty
miles from Bakersfield, near a little
green spot called Rose Station. One
saves twenty-five minutes and many
miles of rough road by not following
the auto road signs, but keeping
straight ahead.
Water for Sale
Out across this alkali fat we sped
and eighteen miles further on we
hauled up at an old adobe station,
where the sign informed us water was
for sale" While replenishing our tank
the boss" appeared. Paying him,
without much objection-for he charged
us as much as cents-we moved along
and reached Bakersfield at D. m.
Leaving Bakersfield at 10 a. m. next
day we enjoyed a pleasant drive over
the level country to Fresno, 135 miles,
through Formosa, Delano and Pixley
to Tulare, then via Goshen Junction
and Selma to Fresno, reaching there
by $40 p. IN.
Some twenty-five miles out from
bakersfield the roads are fast and safe,
but at Formosa, just after crossing the
two ditch bridges, if one does not i'm
med1ately turn back to the railroad
and keep reasonably near it he will
find himself in the worst yet, the "Hog
wallow' land, which is composed of
mammoth mounds like ant hills, as
evenly spaced as q checker board-up
ten feet, down teh feet, in all direc-
tions.
Making Fresno our headquarters, we
spent several days visiting each and
every town and district, taking in the
San Joaquin river, running deep
(some twenty feet here) and wide,
and the MADEIRA country, with its
beautiful places. Next the headwaters
of the Kings river and the mountain
gorges and beautiful picnic grounds
were visited.
Beautiful kearney Drive
The next day we took to the plains
to the west through the beautiful
Kearney drive (Which equals our
famed Riverside drive) to Herman and
on the Whites bridge road to Men
dota. where the Kings river slough
flows north from Lake Tulare to join
the san Joaquin on its way to the bay
at Frisco.
Beyond lies the Mendoza plains, level
as board and safe to drive upon at
thirty miles an hour in any direction.
Here we had the sport of our life
the pleasure of running a coyote down
by automobile. At first we did not
worry him, though he made the inev-
table mistake of cireling, giving us the
chance to cut across, but after a num-
ber of miles the pace began to tell on
him and he gave up the race. but
fought to the last.
Through the Panoche pass here one