Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-18
Tour Indicates That Her Sister
State Has Better Roads On the
Average Than the Empire State
Of the South.
SCOUT CAR AT GREENVILLE
STARTS ON RETURN TRIP
VIA THE ToCCoA ROUTE
Glad Hand is Given the Tourists
On All Sides-At Many Points
Work Has Already Begun On
Improving Road Conditions.
By w. T. Waters, Jr.

BY w. i. waters, Jr.
GREENVILLE. S. c.. May l6.-After
patiently doubling on its tracks. climbing
hills and threading routes and counter
routes all through northeast Georgia and
northwest South Carolina. The Journal
Herald. the big White steamer used as
a scout car. finds itself here Sunday even
ing, the party as the guests of the best
men in the city and the sturdy. dust-ladeh
car resting in hOspitsbIe garage.
Back 10 the present day will the MEM
ory Of the infant generation turn in fu-
ture years. TO the first concrete beginning
OF the good roads era Of the future; and
back 10 the scout cars tourings will their
tales TO grandchildren go, of the days
when their ancestors knew the first awak-
enJ7g from their incredible. wonderful,
unascountable indifference, failure TO
realize. ignorance OF the value OF high
ways that would stand weather and
wear.
REMARKABLE TOUR
Remarkable In every respect has been
the tour OF the scout c. thus far. Cor
dial welcome has been extended to IL
everywhere IN its goings- EnthuE's Sun
has burst into open demonstration. amons
the thinking men Of all classes. and has
injected those VINO ndQ not previously
argued the tremendous question out for
themselves. In tales OF history, no de-
hverance from thraldom could have been
hailed with greater acclaim than the scout
car has been hailed ever since IL was met,
Friday morning a couple of hours after
IL started. by the first Of all the pilot
delegations at a little roadside well in
Georgia
Before II reached the limit OF its pres
ent mission. shortly after o'clock Sun
day evening the scout car had traversed
many miles OF road good and bad Leav-
ing Atlanta Friday morning. IL had been
three days en- route. From its starting
. paint II had gone TO Commerce, Ga.
Thence. the same afternoon, IT had gone
b Lavonia. Ca. winding up hard days
work considerably after dark From La
vOnia. the succeeding day, IL had gone
beyond TO tn river that forms the border
line OF the state, and had passed over
the disputed bridge TO South Carolina
soil. and after testing the bridges
qualities had doubled back to Lavonia
and back to Commerce. trying out an al
tentative route part OF the way between
Lavonia and Commerce. From Commerce
Il had worked it's way through to Royston
and Hartwell the same day. crossing the
Savannah river over the disputed ferry
that afternoon and driving hard on into
Anderson. arriving there late in the even
ing after a second hard days run. And
from Anderson Il had returned TO the dis
puted bridge from the Carolina side. the
succeeding morning, going one way out
and returning TO Anderson by another
way. And then from Anderson, on the
afternoon II the third day. II had pushed
on through PelEer and Piedmont, s. c.,
TO Greenville. where its party was seized
upon Immediately by representative men
OF the city and was taken under the winR
OF the city's hospitality.
STARTS ON RETURN TRIP
Early Monday morning the scout car
started on its way back TO Atlanta by an
other route, known as the north route"
via Toccoa and Gainesville. It will prob
ably arrive in Atlanta Tuesday afternoon,
after having been out i've full days and
traversed hundreds OF miles, incidentally
miles OF pleasure but primarily miles OF
work. And when the faithful party
aboard OF II reaches the future terminus
OF the great national highway for which
their labors will count, they will have
accomplished one OF the biggest and most
intricate pieces OF work that Will be done
IN the contamination Of the highway-the
forerunner OF national ways all over the
country.
Painstaking care Is being applied to the
work OF the scouaing party. Elaborate
data are being collected. for later COM
pilation- Information upon all points rel
alive to the great highway is being gath
cred first hand. from actual observation
and from the, mouths Of all who have II
20 impart- Distances are being noted:
crossroads and forks. fords. bridges. hills
are being put down-not only that the
pathfnders will have at hand reliable
data upon which TO base their final con-
illusions. but also that maps and guide
ton OF those thousands OF tourists to
whom the United States heretofore, ex-
cept in the neighbOrhoOd OF big cities and
In their own localities OF they be citi-
Iens OF the country. has been a jungle
impenetrable except by steel rails and
train.
ONE CONTINUOUS OVATION.
From the incidental standpoint the
tour OF the scout car thus far has been
one continuous ovation. from county to
county and from town to town. Welcom-
Z ing delegations from two or three towns
az once have become travelling COMPANIONS
with the scout car in their midst The
party has brought town and town togeth-
ed in a new relation The scouting expe-
dition has been passed from the well
coming arms OF one neighborhood to the
welcoming arms OF another. And since il
left Atlanta. Friday morning. IL has been
alone but once IL has. as effectualIy as
though Il had unwound and riveted steel
connections on the road as Il Travelled.
sealed the interest Of county and county
together. and the interest of state and
state. IN the great highway that the fu-
ture win know through the work OF The
Atlanta Journal and the New York Her
aid.
Continuing TO view its tour from the
incidental standpoint OF tribute TO the
great undertaking OF those two newspa-
pers. nothing for instance. could excel the
reception that waited the car at LavOnIa
where Il made its first definite stop after
leaving Atlanta. Friday evening. Other
towns along the route had begged for the
opportunity TO show their appreciation
Of the cars mission. but time and other
demands OF the work had prevented. But
ut Lavonia there was complete demon
Continued nrn maze Three