Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1909-08-26

Standing on the steps of the state
capitol at Denver, Gov. Shafroth of
Colorado smiled and waved his hand
to scout car that was quickly speed
Ing away from the capital bearing the
flags OF Old Mexico and the United
States and followed by dozen well
filled cars.
This was the final farewell to the
car and its crew of four men who
We're going to make a trip from Den
yer to Mexico City, distance of al,
most 2,4OO miles, the greater part Of
which was unexplored
The trip was being taken to map a
route between Denver and the Mexi-
can capital over which an endurance
contest viii be run next October.
George A.. Wahlgreen. leading citi.
zen of Denver last fall offered a
handsome trophy 10 the car that
would cover this distance with the
best endurance record,
Four men undertook this trip in
S0-horsepower car which had already
quite a full experience. For the past
80 days~this car has been driving
through Old Mexico and the men have
been having strange experiences in "a
country where automobiles have never
been before and the American never
before set his foot This path was
laid over miles and miles of sandy
desert wastes and rock strewn plains
and parched sands. They travelled for
days without the sight OF bird, wa.
ter, a human face or even a human
abode. At nights they slept by the
side of their car. with revolvers in
hand, and were sung to sleep by the
wall of the coyotes. which broke the
awful stiffness of semi-tropical des.
EFT. The party consisted OF Billy
Knipper. an experienced driver of
racing cars; F. Ed. Spooner. newspa-
per man; w. e. McCarton of Denver
and James II. Howard. a guide.
This party left Denver May / and
arrived in Mexico City June at mid
day. The trip from Denver to El
Paso, the last stop this side of the
Mexican border was full of pleasant
driving, soon to be forgotten when
the car got into the UNEMPLOYED coun-
try. The trip was made literally
along mountain tops. The car start
ed at an altitude of 5,173 feet above
sea level and ended in Mexico City,
which is 5000 feet above sea level. AT
no time was the route below $500
feet.
In every town they stopped at they
met lively reception.
The party spent one day of rest In
Ell Paso and this time was spent in
generally overhauling the car and get
ting additional supplies for a dash
into a country in which they did not
know when they would meet man
again. The crew found here that the
| trip of the American car into Mexico
was being accepted as of much greater
moment than they had anticipated
They were informed that down in
Mexico. all along the line, prepare
lions were being made to receive the
tourists and extend everyN courtesy
They left El Paso with light hearts
not knowing that it was theirs to re
turn again.
II was proven that the guide which
they had taken on at El Paso knew
little more about the roads. or pre-
tended to know less; than they them
selves. In following his directions
| they took the right fork OF danger
GUS looking road and went hub deer
in adobe mud Block and tackle
which was part of their equipment
came into play. and the car came oul
backward They started around this
and the car was bucking the sane
nobly. although the men often had t.