Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-08
Loco,

! of the CObe Cuprace, and needless to
say the flag bedecked and dust COW
cred Maxwell attracted a deal Of at
tention.
Fast Run to Chicago
After four days of fun and sight-see-
! ing in the Illinois city the trip was
continued, the first thousand miles to
| Chicago by the way being covered in
exactly seven days of running. very
good time considering the fact that the
ladies were on the tour for pleasure
and to see the country, alone, in no
way seeking a record or trying to make
time.
! From Chicago to Rochelle, the roads
were very good, but as this town was
entered a heavy thunderstorm set in
which put the roads all through the
state of Iowa in terrible condition. For
two weeks the rain fell in torrents,
the heaviest in ten years, said many.
/ the result was swollen rivers, bridges
| washed away in many places and the
roads almost impossible.
The heavy black gumbo of the state
| Iresembled in many ways soft soap,
equally as adhesive and slippery. Time
and again Mrs. Ramsey pulled cars
! ont of the deep mire and on a number
! of occasions got into ii so deep that
| her rear axle rested in the mud while
her rear WHEELS hung in the air.
This necessitated some labor in max
ing a bed for the wheels in order to
get traction. So bad were conditions
that other drivers put their cars in
the barns of farmers and proceeded
TO travel by rail TO await dry roads be-
fore returning for their cars. In spite
of the fact that the going was haT0
and slow Mrs. Ramsey gamely stuck
to her task and the powerful Maxwell
engine carried the heavily laden car
through mud and streams. never failing
to get out as long as the rear wheels
of the car could get traction.
Find Bridges Down
Vail was finally reached. where a
lay-off was necessary. for the bridges
between that city and Omaha, as well
as the roads, were all washed out Mrs.
Ramsey was advised to send her car
across the line by rail, but she refused
to do so, in spite Of the fact that others
had done so.
Instead, after waiting several days
for q betterment Of conditions and ind
ing none. she drove along way round
M through Sioux City and around by
Columbus Neb Sioux City was reached
July o and here several days of rain
prevented travel Mrs Ramsey. how
ever. heading southwest for Columbus
on July G over Wretched roads, 50 bad
that the cars that started out as escort
turned back to the city before ten miles
1 had been covered.
Forty miles east of Cheyenne the
| long, hard climb over the mountains
was begun, the highest point. an alti-
tude of 5000 feet, being reached after
/ leaving Laramie.
| From Cheyenne all the way through
| to the Wyoming-Uta line it was up
and down mountains, through deep cuts
and canyons, following along the old
! grass grown trails of the west.
! From the mountain tops beautiful
views of the surrounding snow capped
! peaks were had, rugged mountains be-
/ ing seen for miles in every direction
/ From the mountain tops where these
| trails carried the ladies the paths led
down deep into narrow passes, the
1 party travelling for days at a time
across alkali plains, mountains and
! deserts. places where naught else could
/ be seen but cactus bushes, coyotes and
prairie dogs
Washouts Cause Delay
/ From Rawlins, Wyo, to east of Og-
den. through Rock River, Rock Springs
I Evanston and Ogalalo, the going was
bad. Deep Washouts, long since dried
some Of them ten to twelve feet deep
were Travelled through necessitating
/ care in driving, for so deep We're they
| and so narrow on the bottom that il
was a case Of coasting down one side
| then throwing in the gears and fairly
jumping out of them.
On the trails care had to be taken,
for the center Of the way was high
the fine clearance of the Maxwell being
Just the thing for the paths, il being
high enough to get over and not maxi
/ ing necessary many turn outs to the
dangerous sands, as had to be made
by other cars as shown by the tire
tracks left along the way in hundreds
Of places.
When Salt Lake city was reached,
/ July 49, Il sightseeing trip OF several
/ days was enjoyed by the ladies before
/ resuming the journey eastward. When
/ they die leave this city for a five days