Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-24
HUMBUG OF AWFUL
ROADS OR COURSE
SKILL AND ATTENTION OF
DRIVERS MAIN THING
There Are Bad Spots, as There Are
LocaIIy-None So Appalling That
Ordinary Care Cannot
Handle Easily


those interested and especially by those
not interested at all, either with cars or
finances, were actually to be believed,
there would not be but about nine au-
tomobiles attempt to make the race
that is scheduled for November 6. The
| blood curdling yarns that are heard of
the terrible condition of the roads that
lead to the territorial capital are more
| than appalling. With Munchausen eX-
actness tales are exploited of the dan
! gers attending the runners of the
course. After the roads themselves have
! been entirely exhausted. then there is
still left the old bugaboo of no gaso-
line-no oil on the road-no carbide to
be had, and all the fearful dreams of
| the tenderfoot from getting into the
game or make the heart weak to those
with affection of that organ.
The real truth of the matter is that
the road to Phoenix as has been de-
picted in the past is myth of the most
phenomenal order a real or fictitious
fancy Of the brain. There are hundreds
of miles in the deserts of Arizona, and
particularly in the state of Nevada,
that would make the road to Phoenix
look like real Huntington drive in
comparison. And there are mighty few
light or small cars in the state of Ne
vada. There they all take to big cars
cars of the high power description-and
these have gone where the course to
Phoenix would resemble a ride up the
Schuylkill in Fairmount park in Phila-
delphia alongside Of them. 1t is true
that the course to Phoenix is not
asphaltum in construction exactly nor
is there any disposition to make be-
lieve that there is not more or less hard
work for car traverSing the course of
the now famous run. Not at all. There
are difficulties, but they are not of the
character described by those who do
not know but are repeating what they
have heard and always carefully exag-
serating the matter until the driver of
car to the territory of Arizona shakes
with fear over the ghost he has had
painted to his mind. And no driver of
any sense expects to find made high
ways along the route.
But the very object Of the race to
Phoenix is to test the capacity of the
car to attack the sands of the desert,
meet the contingencies that may arise
in such trip and be prepared amply
before the start is made.
Looking at these few suggestions
The Herald suggests a few things for
the benefit of those who will make this
run for the first time, made from a
personal trip over most of the course
on this side of the Colorado river and
from experiences of Nevada and Ari-
zona desert travel, which may prove
of use to them in their practice spins
until they find for themselves lust
what the conditions are.
Without parleying over the initial
miles of the journey, it may be said
that the very first thing is to properly
prepare the car for the emergencies
that may arise. There should be
full and ample supply of gasoline and
oil taken from the start to almost at
least carry the car to destination
There is water plenty along the route
and no need to worry over that. Bags
of drinking water should be taken
from Banning at least and then reflled
at Mecca.
From the city limits of Los Angeles
to Banning there is no limit to the
speed that may be given any of the
cars save those of the local authori-
ties whatever they may be. At Ban
ming the real desert travel begins,
but down to Whitewater the road is
fair-not good-and certainly not bad
and there is no place that a car of
power may not be kept on the "high"
save in places not very frequent
either, where it would be good judg-
ment to slow down for little short
gulleys washed out by flowing waters
after rain. Leaving Whitewater the
stream is soon crossed and there the
car should be kept well up towards the
foothills, where the road will again
be seen, and then the run is short into
Palm Springs of comparatively good
travel. From Palm Springs to Indio
a run of twenty-six miles, there are a
few cuts and gulleys to cross where
slow time should be made in the
wash, more on account of care of the
springs, but these being crossed the
car may again be thrown into the
high" and for the greater part of the
route maintained in that gear At
Point Happy, or just short distance
east Of that marked part of the road.
the car will come to a diverging point
and here the road keeping towards the
hill should be left on the right and
continue down the left hand road until
a pumping plant is reached, and where
wooden dwelling is being erected.
Keep the pumping plant on the left
and from here the run to the outskirts
of Indio the car may be maintained in
the "high" at all times From Indlo
to Mecca there are roads within five
miles of Los Angeles that are a thou
sand times worse than this road The
bottom is hard and straight as an
arrow to Mecca and almost as smooth
as a billiard table, and where a driver
would have to hunt for rut to shake
him up.
The real thing if there is any
such thing, begins at this point.
Drivers may expect to run through
sand all the way almost to the Colo
RADIO, and the greatest difficulty the
driver will have to encounter unless
he has been over the course is the mis-
leading trails. The mountains north of
the desert are full of mining camps
and prospectors who have established
trails of their own, and it is to avoid