The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-23

ION TO Richmond" they cried in the
last days OF the great war. nor found the
going any too easy-and so those ENJOYS
or peace, prosperity. and good roads. the
present day autoists cry when they want
a specially interesting run, nor find the
roads as yet all oiled or smooth The
armies which marched and countermarch-
ed up and down the famous Shenandoah
Valley pike had then a good road. even
as il Is a good road to-6ay-but before
and behind its two ends-well, he will
need real machine. some skill as a
driver. the patience OF Job, and the best
springs made TO get there and back un-
broken For while from Washington to
Harpers Ferry. where one gets a good
read TO the pike. is not hard going. X is
not exactly Massachusetts style. and from
stanton. where the pike ends. and from
Charlottesville, where the good dirt road
ends and sand begins. there be trials and
adventures for me autoist. whose sole
conception OF a bad road is new metal
One comfort he has-When he returns
he is a genuine, sand-cured. experienced
veteran driver, Its the short road 20 ex-
pertness if the long one 10 the Virginia
capital
Two Routes for Starting.
OF course there are more ways than one
OF getting there. But there is one best
way. This is IT, Go first TO Harpers Ferry
by the familiar way or Frederick and
Jefferson, and then from Harpers Ferry
over stony but not bad road 20 Charles
town, where you can see the jail IN which
John brown languished. Or, II time is of
value there is the shorter route by way
OF Rockville and Whites Ferry, where
the feTTyboat is fiat scow and is pro-
PEELED by poles. From the Virginia land
ing il is a short run 20 Leesburg. forty
six miles from Washington. along first
class pike. At Leesburg there is corn
pone, ham and chicken a-fryin' in the
pan.
View at Smokers Gap.
Leaving Leesburg. you go through
Hamilton. PureellviIe, and Roundhill to
Bluemont dn the railroad folder. but
Smokers Gap still to the country people.)
II is a straight road. gently rising all the
way for sixteen and one-half miles and
eliminating in the magnificent view over
the Shenandoah Valley
When you have fingered long enough
over the beautiful picture you will fall
slowly down the other side and be
brought to earth with a bump at a toll
gate. 1t is not matter TO be sworn TO,
because fashions change. even in toll
there the tollgate keeper produced a book
which had to be signed. the name of the
car entered. the Virginia number record
ed. particulars given OF the color Of ones
eyes. hair. and beard. If any. ones age.
condition OF bank account, and prospects
OF matrimOny. the number of children,
dogs, and canary birds IN ones family al
home. and the amount, size. and number
Of dinners one expected TO eat on the
way. with other items of personal infor-
nation useful 10 the authorities in case
tire blew out or a stone was displaced
from the road. Not one book either,
but a book at every tollgate and a toll
gate every FIVE miles on the pike But
the toll is cheap-Only a few cents, sell
dom more than 10, according to the dis
tance to go 10 the next one.
Then there is Castlemans Ferry-bridge
nowhere they soak you a dollar, but
they give You real road where you can
fairly burn the atmosphere with speed
It's we'll worth H.
Berryviile Pext. seventy miles from
Washington, and IL is at Berryvine that
you would 20 by a good road from Har-
pers Ferry had you elected to start from
Washington that way. Winchester next
eleven miles from Berryvtle, eighty-one
miles from home, and here starts the
valley pike proper, one hundred miles 10
stanton.
On the Shenandoah Pike.
It's fine road. a good road, a wide
road. There are two things-three things
perhaps-to keep il from being perfect
One is the rapid succession Of toll gates
The next is the traffic. which especial,
on Sunday or on a court-day or fair-day
near any Of the larger towns, is large
and the third IS the pleasant little habit
they have OF dumping ton OF so OF new
metal every few feet. TO mend" the roaf
and leaving it for YOU and others Ike
You 10 beat down and break Up. Luckily
the pike is usually wide enough 10 driv,