The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-11-18

Charlotte News.

The top O. the morning to the At
lanta Journal. 1.-THE Journal covers
Dixie like the dew" is the neat mot
to that the paper flies at it's mast
head but the Journal has reached far
Their than Dixie in it's latest Journal
istic enterprise, the good-roads-auto-
mobile-path- finding schemefrom New
York to Atlanta via Charlotte.
And by the way, let US pause par
! entbetically to say that this contest
gave two Charlotte men, Messrs. A.
Burwell, Jr, and J. 81. Ham, the op-
portunity to make perfect scores IN
| the long run from the North to the
South, a feat which called for highest
praise They drove the cars entered
| by this city, and the way they drove
| them shows that the Queen City
| keeps pace that even New York or
Atlanta may set.
We are highly interested to see
that the first idea OF this notable
| contest originated at the southern
end OF the national highway. Let the
Journal tell it:
The idea Of promoting such tour,
primarily in the interest of good
roads and incidentally in the interest
of the development of the automO-
bile as a means OF transportation,
originated with Maj. John S. Cohen,
managing editor of The Atlanta
Journal. His plan was submitted to
the management OF The Journal,
which realized the possibilities OF the
undertaking. The cooperation OF
some leading New York newspaper
was regarded as essential, to the
working out of a project which was
to connect the metropolis of the
| North to that of the South, respect
lively, and, after carefully viewing the
field, the New York Herald was Sc
lected as the newspaper to which the
the proposition should be submit
ted.
Mr.. Cohen went to New York and
presented the plan to the executive
council of the Herald, which thought
so we'll of it that it was cabled in it's
details to Mr.. James Gordon Bennett,
who was then in Saigon, Indo-China.
Mr.. Bennett heartily approved of
the plan and cabled that the entire
resources of the Herald should be
brought to bear to make the under
taking a success.
Mr.. Hamilton Peltz, one of the
ablest members of the Herald staff,
was commissioned to give his entire
time to the enterprise. Major Cohen
and Mr.. Peltz spent a great deal of
time working out the general plan
suggested by the latter, and both Of
these gentlemen made several trips
on the scout cars between New York
and Atlanta. Six months of time
and great executive ability have
been necessary to bring these details
to perfection, but in the meantime
the tour has literally attracted the
attention of the world, and has given
new impetus to the movement in be-
half of good roads. Millions OF dol
lars have been spent or provided for
by bond issues, and the national
highway as a nucleus for further ex-
tention OF good roads is now an &C.
complished fact.
The route which has been marked
out between this city and New York
has already become generally known
as the national highway. The num-
Der of cars which have already been
able to make a perfect score in ira
versing it shows conclusively that it
has many advantages. There are
links here and there that will have to
be improved or perhaps abandoned
in favor Of other connecting links,
but the work that has been done is
enduring and will be a great benefit
to the country through which it
passes for all time to come.
AS the years go by and the move
ment continues to advance, other
highways will radiate from the main
branch until the whole South is grid
ironed with improved highways.