The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-04

morning the thirty-three entrants for
the Virginia Endurance Run. promoted
by The Times-Dispatch, will leave for
the long reliability sprint from Rich.
mond to Washington, thence down the
Valley Pike. and so back home by
way of Charlottesville. 1t will be the
| first automobile endurance run in Vir-
| sinia.
| But 1t has many objects. chief among
| which is the desire of The Times-Dis-
| patch 20 promote interest In the good
roads movement it promulgated year
ago, when 1t sent car through the
principal points in the state and held
good roads meetings In every town and
in every hamlet. The endurance run
is but another feature in the same
movement OF what avail 1t may be is
shown by the fact that former route
suggested and practically decided upon
that by way of Observation-Disclosures
relinquished.
Best Road Won.
The citizens of Fredericksburg We're
willing to help. and the BUSINESS Mems
Association of that city went so far
as to. form plans to entertain those
taking part In the run. But the route
was undertaken, as preliminary. by
/ was undertaken, as preliminary. by
The Dispatch cur, and the roads
|. through -tnaC SeCtiOI1 We're tlOuuu " pe
hopeless for such a feat.
Therefore, the longer route was
adopted The roads We're better.
| What those who live and have their
being on poor, mud filled highways
| lost, was gained by those who live on
| better and more improved roads. 1t
| was merely a question of the better
| road.
Virginia is famed for many things.
among which is not her roads. At
tempts have been made time and time
again to arouse interest In that work.
and in many instances they have borne
fruit Virginia has climate, good
farms. water power-in fact, every
thing which should go to make State
renowned among her sisters-except
good roads
Creates New Interest.
Therefore. an earnest fight has been
made to improve the roads. and a good
fight for a good cause generally wins.
whatever the odds may be, in the long
run The good triumphs. it has been
said, in the end,-e!lough the end may
be far off. And one day the mudholes
of Virginia, which some call roads.
and use as roads, will really be high
ways aldfig which the farmer may haul
his produce cheaper and with far less
trouble. They Will in that day bring
crowds of automobile tourists to see
the highways and byways of the old
Commonwealth which played such a
prominent part In the history of the
nation both before and during the Ci-
vii War; and these tours will leave
more than a trail of dust-they Will
leave the money which so many of the
poorer farmers need, and. needing
blindly, pursue tho same path pursued
by their fathers when the roads We're
but path beneath the brush.
So. thirty-three cars will try Viz
ginia highways during the last three
days of this week. A valuable lesson
may be learned from the result. Even
ii nothing else is done than to dis
cover again and make known In more
definite form the need for better roads
the Virginia Endurance Run will NOT
have been without its reward. Some
cars may fall by the wayside If so.
they will have taught valuable les
son aside from that lesson to their
owners and makers.
Many Cars Entered.
The test to be made has aroused
undoubted enthusiasm among automo-5
bilists all over tho State no less than
it has among those whose hearts chief
interest lies In improving the roads.
Cars have been entered from South
Boston and NorfOlk ana felerSpuIE.
Autolsts in other cities had announced
their intention OF taking part, but their
plans had TO be changed at the last
moment, Even The mes-Dispatch
and Washington Post cars aroused no
more interest last summer, and they
accomplished great good Several
counties took the matter UP in ear-
nest, and made appropriations for the
Improvement of their highways. Con-
vict road forces have been at work
all over the State. and are now Labor
ing at the art of road making, Tor II
is an art, as Is shown in the history or Z
France, the country which has the
best roads in the world There truck
ers and farmers haul quadraple the
loads hauled by Virginia farmers and
at one-fourth the expense. This Is
the only argument needed and there
is no counter argument which may
successfully gainsay II, The hest ts
always the cheapest as the veriest
Wayfarer can speak from experiences.
Mr. Cnniacho In Charge.
All cars taking part in the reliahtl. .8
ity run must be In the hands OF the8s
technical committee at noon to-day az
The rimes- -pi9patch building. This
technical committee Is composed OF
,,s.a N fso,nach0 nf kau Work. tina