Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-20
WOMAN DRIVER
SUGGESTS TOUR
MRS. CUNEO DISLIKES RUSH OF
REGULAR TRIP
Noted Automobile Enthusiast Declares
M Motor Truck Should Be Util-
lied to Garry Baggage
of Participants

Mrs. John Newton Cuneo. who is
without doubt the best known woman
automobllst and tourist in this coun-
try, is enthusiastic in her approval of
the proposed organization of six east
ern tours during the spring and sum-
mer months. She was a participant in
two Of the big annual Glidden tours
conducted by the American Automo-
bile association, and as result of her
experiences on these long and hard
journeys has a number of decided
ideas of her own as to the proper
manner of arranging tours.
IF a suggestion be permitted says
Mrs. Cuneo. Il think the series of pop
ular automobile outings should begin
with a run to some of the many inter-
osting points in the south. | would
like to make the further suggestion
that the participants of each Of the
six tours be accompanied by a motor
truck to carry the baggage of the
tourists All the participants in the
last two Glidden tours. whose bag
gage was picked up each morning
after they left their hotel and landed
at their evening stop by a rapid truck
in advance of their arrival. will bear
me out in paying a tribute to the con-
venience of the service.
THE trouble with competitive events
such as the Glidden tour is that the
participants become so engrossed with
the effort to maintain perfect scores
that they lose all touring enjoyment.
Their thoughts are centered on arriV-
ing at q given point at a given mo-
ment. no sooner or later, and they are
i'm dread every moment lest pune
tured tire or some other mishap cause
them to fall behind. They are re-
quired to arise at uncomfortably early
for L
fast room doors to open. and then to
gulp down their morning meal so as
not to cause an instant's delay at the
starting line.
"Once they get under way they are
forced to trail in some one else's dust
and arrive at the noon and night con-
trolls coated with dust both within
and without. At the night stops their
cars are taken from them and locked
UP in garages to prevent any work
being done on them. 1t is a case of
rush and eat, rush and cat, twice
every day. for the schedule must be
made whether the sun burns like a
furnace or the wind blows a gale or
the rain falls in torrents. There is
no fun in it and there is no real tour
ing in it.
1T is absolutely impossible to enjoy
the scenery in a competitive tour AS
n matter of fact. few of the partici-
pants have a knowledge OF the names
of the towns they pass through. This
was illustrated in my own case At
the recent automobile show in Madison |
Square Garden | was introduced to |
several persons who informed me they |
had recognized me from seeing me
pass through their town on the last
Glidden tour I was on. I asked the
name of the town, and though they |
took it for granted that I must have
remembered it, l will confess that
did not remember ever TO have heard
the name before. This, I think, is a
good illustration of how little So
called tourists in trophy contests really
know the routes they travel.
"On the other hand, the tours on the
lines first suggested by John T. Raj
nier would be thoroughly enjoyable
events. To lay out routes prepare
data of road conditions. arrange for
hotel accommodations and to prepare
in advance a schedule of costs and
then to say to participants. This is
your tour, go ahead on your own time
schedule, stop when and where you
want to. but rendezvous at this or
that point if convenient would be an
ideal manner of organizing popular
touring events.
"I would strongly recommend that
so far as possible routes be selected
that are not already we'll known. /
think that every American harbors the
spirit of exploration and new roads,
unless they are bad ones, have par
ticular charm to seasoned tourists,
For example my tour from New York
to Atlanta, Ca, in a Rainier car was
the pleasantest in my experience, be-
cause the roads and country were a
novelty and the excellence of the high
ways a delightful surprise. Seventy
miles of turnpike in Guilford county
s. c., was the best stretch of the dis
tance | have ever driven a car over"