The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-22
TOUR
] IS NO SOFT .sNAP
osins Through Dixie Autos Hit Tim
Der stump fsails and Make Merry
Over Boulder Roads.

IA IN MT MI ttlOs lchhs I'm '~H
5 Glidden touring is no pasume for an
amateur. Take It, from one who mas
tried IL. Ny idea OF Glidden tour
WAS that 80 or 40 automobiles LETT
. certain town at a same hour OF the
morning and ran to another town some
/. distance down the line, bowling over
+ rood roads at only fair rate OF speed.
But. believe me. Glidden touring IS
Altogether different. This hrst rude
awakening came m the matter OF
hours. You are liable TO be up and
B out on the road at O'Clock IN Tue
morning, and you S-e extremely Ilahie
not to land IN the night 'aoontrol
until IL o'clock. And as for the ROADS
<-well, men who nave been making
\ the Glidden tours annually tell me that
I, the roads we encountered In Tennes-
see, Kentucky. Alabama, and Mlssls-
eippi. are the worst Glidden tour
has ever been routed over. In the
mountain districts we didn't follow
roads we followed lumber trails and
Z by way Of enlivening the proceedings
K bumped trees out OF ttie.way or roosec
Nm stumps from the roadway. lisa
fairly strenuous rastlme- o
a The coHtesting Ours have certain
schedule which they must Observe
y Probably the schedule calls for a run
!. Ming time OF about 20 miles an hour.
Tnat doesn't sound fast and II
\ Rouldpt be fast If the roads were
good But when you Jolt over noun
! tain trails or plow through swamps,
1t 25 miles an hour you feel certain
your speed is makirg the Twentieth
y Cehtury limited as STOW as a letter
from home with money.
Going down through -Kentucky or
(. the old stage coach trah, over which
y Da Lewis. Official rathhndefs drove
The first automobile spring., our
q engine. stalled. While We were work
( Ing with 1T a. tall mounlaipeer came
: along. He was curious about our car
We could.
FINALLY one or the boys asked HIM
Y about the road.
AREN'T tie roads below here any
better than this one - the pilgrim
asked -~ @t .-r g e. $780, :
@Ah reckon this yer road. wuzea
putty good one, an not so long ago,
B ejthah," the ,mountaineer replied.
when was that"
rrWhen was thar ~s., !. g---..,,s
~Oh, bout 45 Vars ago. when N
coQches wuz runntu. ..s,.a az.
The mountainee- was Joking. All
up through the mountains they Told
< ud how good the roads were any
where from 30 toNt4n years ago. bun
fhey said nothing Is to Any interviews
they might have tcwards Improving
\ them now. s.s 9 ~ - 1905 :
The stage coach road was- buils-st
bowlders ana then covered over wtsn
son. The surface .covesipg has wofA
on leaving the sbowldsrs. Imagine
4 riding ABOUT 100 miles4sat q pretty
y ropd speed over .bpFlder road in an
: altomobile, and yop viii agree. with
. me- that Glidden touring is no pastime
4 fof the man who Is not trained 10 IL.
The professional drivers OF the cars
X are carefully trained for all Kinds OF
4 road work, and they are accustomed TO
\ the bumps. In fact, they don't mind
& them at all, and the way some Of
those fellows hurry their cars along
when they find they are little re-
mind their schedule, is enough to
(. make one long for home, IL you hap
pen to be In the car which is doing the
rushing.
The children who greeted the pill
u grfms all along the route are the most
a beautiful have ever seen. In all or
h the pilgrimage through the Kentucky
and Tennessee mountains We saw
beautiful children. and they gave US
ROYAL welcome 49, al.
One favorite trick is to wrap up a
four or five-pound boquet of wild fow-
( err and heave the bunch at tha men
IN the car. The ensuing collision is
about as soothing as being struck by
brick, but their intentions were
B good, so We didn't stop to explain. We
didn't have time.
Once again-Glidden touring is no
game for an amateur to play.
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