Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-08
TOURING EXPERT DISCUSSES
LONG JOURNEY OF SCOUTS

Now that the first preliminary scouting
tour, preparatory to the great road build
ing and reliability contest to be held next
fall under the auspices of The Journal
and the New York Herald has eliminated
in the magnificent ovation rendered FRI
day night to scouts of the two papers, 1t
becomes important to summarize from the
viewpoint Of the tourist expert, the ex-
cellencies and the defects of the itinerary
traversed during the last eleven days.
r. II. Johnston, advertising manager
of the White Steamer company, author
of that company's tourist route books, and
who drove the Herald scout steamer all
the way from New York to Atlanta, gives
the benefit of his views regarding the
availability Of the route that was fol-
lowed, for the purposes of the contemplate
ed tour next fall.
PRACTICAL TOURING ROUTE
Mr.. Johnston's treatment of the sub
ject forms brief analysis of the general
route Of the Broadway Whitehall highway
from the standpoint of a man who has
traversed many thousand miles of road
in all parts of the United States and Eu-
rope. He considers 1t a practical tour
ing route, less arduous than is general
ly supposed. Eleven days were con-
sumed in bringing the Herald car from
ANCN LUX unuCI peculiar circumstances,
The trip can be made in much less on a
Keep Going" schedule. he says, but II
one stops to do full justice to the
scenery and historic country and to ae-
cept all the southern hospitality that Is
offered, an entire touring season can be
devoted to the trip.
Here is what Mr.. Johnston saws:
Mr.. JOHNSTON'S VIEW
The route which has just been cover
cd oy the Herald scout car is in every
respect practical touring route. We
made the trip at a time when the roads
in several sections had just been plowed,
and, moreover, we travelled several hun
dred miles in rainy weather. 1t is, there
fore, reasonable to suppose that we tried
out the roads at a time when they were
far from being in their best condition The
fact that we averaged over one hundred
miles day from New York to Atlanta.
despite our stops for compiling road d.
rections, for taking Photographs and for
the numerous receptions along the line,
will indicate to every motorist that the
trip between New York and Atlanta is
less arduous than Is generally supposed.
'Of course, there are many stretches OF
road which could be vastly improved, and
judging from the promises made to us
along the route many of the bad places
will be eliminated in the next month or
two. For example, a number of the
streams which we had to ford are to be
bridged, rookie which project into the
roads are to be leveled off and some OF
the bad holes are to be filled in. In fact,
the roads in many counties could be
changed from bad to good II a gang oil
men should work for two or three weeks
something over some of the bad places.
We received assurances that much work
of this kind will be done in the near flu
ture.
Considering our route from New York
more in detail. the road from New York
to Trenton is so we'll known as to need
no comment Going south from Trenton
most tourists go via Bordentown and
Camden, but we took a shorter route By
crossing the Delaware river by the Tren-
ton bridge into Pennsylvania and thus
avoided the ferry at Camden and the mar
row east-and-west streets of Philadelphia.
TOLL ROADS ANTICIPATED.
For twenty-five miles west OF Phila-
delphtS the road is perfect. yet it would
seem That the time has come to eliminate
the tcll-gates from the main highway
leading westward from the third largest
city in the country. After leaving tho
toll road, we found the road through
Coatesville and Kimser rather rough but
It improved again near Lancaster, and
we made good time through Wrights-
Vile and York to Abbottstown. From
there to Gettysburg, a distance OF fifteen