El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-12
NEW YORK MOTORISTS MAKE RECORD
FROM THE ATLANTIC To FL PAsO
W. FL. Hansen, Retired Wall Street Broker Is Held Up
by Louisiana Swamp Gang-Car Flows Through
Snow, Mud and Sand w ithout Difficulty-Dis-
lance Travelled to El Paso is 400 Miles

Travelling 400 miles with nothing
in the border wilds Of Louisiana is the
record of w. H. Hansen, who made
| the first automobile run from New
/ York to FL Paso. Mr.. Hansen, his wife
| and son, Walter Hansen. arrived in Ell
Paso in their big touring car late last
Tuesday night, having made the run
from San Antonio through the sand
hills and across the staked plains Of
the west Texas country.
The tire troubles occurred on the
first leg of the run from Saratoga
Springs to FL Paso, the tires that were
on the car when the start was made
having been worn to threads and
bursted. The blame for this, Mr.. Han
sen lays TO the faulty machine con-
struction Of the pneumatics. AS proof
of this he exhibits one tire of a differ
ent make which stood the racket of the
long hard trip without bursting a sin
gle time, and almost as good when it
rolled up Oregon street as it was when
the car left Saratoga Springs in eight
inches Of snow. Upon arriving here
Mr.. Hansen ordered a new lot of tires
by wire and will remain here until
Monday in order to start across the
Arizona and southern California desert
with a set Of tires that will stand I'D
under the grind Of q desert trip.
Held Up by Gang.
The human troubles occurred at
Dutchtown, La, on the border between
Louisiana and Mississippi. Autos are
as well liked in this district of the IN
cut as rattlesnakes are in the desert
country. -Skeer our horses" the I'M
shaved swamp residents say. For this
reason no autos are permitted to go
through the Dutchtown district if the
gang of night riding outlaws can pre-
vent them. Mr.. Hansen was warned by
the ferryman with whom he crossed the
river just before reaching the notorious
DutchtoWn, but thinking that it was
only the exaggerated gossip of a simple
countryman he did not stop, but con-
tinued on to Dutchtown, arriving there
late at night
Upon motoring through the little
street upon which the booze parlors
were located. the car was surrounded
by a crowd Of disreputable looking ruff
fans, who demanded that the party
stop and that the car be backed to
the ferry and no effort made to pass
through the sacred confines of Dutch
town. A deputy sheriff, who was
forced to do his duty, two six shooters
and Winchester succeeded in getting
the big car past the human barrier, but ,
only after all manner of threats had
been made. Upon his arrival in New
Orleans Mr.. Hansen reported the
trouble at Dutchtown and it was wired
to the governor, who Immediately start
ed an investigation of the Dutchtown
gang with the idea Of wiping it out Of
existence
This was the only fly in the ointment
of a pleasure trip that is to include
a coast TO coast run, and take the en-
tire winter for the trip. Even that did
not spoil the trip for Mr.. Hansen, sit
ting in the lobby of the st. Regis told
with broad boyish grin on his face
how he called the bluff Of the swamp
gang and made its members show
their hands.
Break New Roads.
Leaving Saratoga Springs on Noven1-
Der %. the big touring car in which
the trip was made. rolled through snow
to the hubs for the first part OF the
journey. The route of the New York |
New York to Atlanta trip was
followed into Atlanta. This part of
the trip was made in seven days, al
though the one thing that the party is