Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-21
THE PHOENIX COURSE
AND WHAT TO EXPECT
OBSTACLES IN DESERT RUN
LARGELY MYTHICAL
Bio, Powerful Cars Entered This Year
Will Undoubtedly Cut Record
Down by Many
Hours

That Theodore Roosevelt, ex-presi-
dent of the United states, made seri-
Gus mistake in closing his list of eligi-
bles to his Ananias club at so early a
date as the expiration of his term OF
office there can scarcely be any doubt,
since the agitation that exists concern
ing the enormous difficulties of the
Phoenix race course has really opened
UP.
To hear of the tremendous obstacles
encountered, to listen to the Munchau-
sen yarns of the enormous uerve re-
uuired to make this ordiary run would
be enjoyed by the little ones in the
years to come if reduced to hard type
and made a text book for the nursery,
for becapped maidens to read to their
wards.
To one who has lived and tramped
the desert for years the tales of the
great southwest desert of California
sounded like the old yarns of Death
valley written by the so-much-a-line-
meal-ticket brigade who usually infest
new countries and write stuff for sensa-
tion loving newspapers. About the only
spot on the face of the earth that was
exempt from these dreamers was Daw-
son, in the Yukon territory, and there
it cost too much for these space writer's
to reach. True, there were difficulties
and hardships to encounter and over
come, but the course to Phoenix to be
run commencing November is an eX-
cursion in a presidential train as COM
pared with one mile of Alaska's early
travel.
Desiring to know the exact truth con-
cerning the Phoenix course, The Herald
representative made a trip over this
great desert in a car driven by Morris
O'Donnell the heady brainy, clear
thinking driver of the Pennsylvania
car that so neatly trimmed the Santa
Ana track in fifty-mile event few
weeks ago, accompanied by Joseph Co
berly, acting as mechanician to William
McFadden. This car was dispatched by
Walter Vail, jr., president of the Vail
Motor Car company, and was the car
driven last year by Ralph c. Hamlin
which lost the race by it's accomplished
driver losing his way on the desert.
There is keen interest being taken
along the route by all the residents of
the several places through which the
car will pass There is a spirit of fair
ness among those who have necessaries
which the car might require, and only
one or two places, where attempts are
made to gouge the cash Of the pockets
of the owners or drivers.
These matters will be freely ventilat-
ed and told in The Herald of Sunday
morning, together with full and clear
description of the course, what diff
culties are to be encountered and
where, and what drivers may expect;
pointing out what to avoid. what new
trails to take, and suggestions as to
careful avoidance of taking up blind
trails or roads leading to mining dis
tricts as the river is approached after
leaving Mecca. Maybe by following
these suggestions some drivers may be
saved time and trouble, as The Herald
has only the sole purpose in view of
aiding in any way that 1t can a splendid
race of the best cars in the country,
and the excellent opportunity of dis
playing to an on-loolIing public the
merits of their several cars in good and
substantial endurance runs like the
Phoenix course, which are of substan-
tial benefit to prospective buyers Of au
tomobiles. AS it is, a large portion of
the stories covering this course are of
the fairy order, and it is to dispel these
that the experiences of The Herald
man will be given.