The Washington times., 1910-11-25
GOOD ROADS SCOUTS
OFF FOR THE COAST
Car Used in Munsey Historic
Tour Carrying the
Tourists.

Mud Hen the ''Ohio Forty" tha,
son its sobriQuet in the last Muusey
Historic Tour, was again IN Washing
ton today On its way 10 ind a Southern
path from New York 10 san Francisco
that can be used in winter. when the
Northern routes are impossible, and 70
spread the gospel Of good roads
II was sent out under the auspices OF
the American Automobile Association,
and carries Ernest L Ferguson, referee
Of tie Munsey Historic Tour OF 1910, as
Official observer for the association; Guy
& ". Finney, representing the Ohio Mo
tor Car Company, which loaned the car
for the tour; and c. b Thacher, and F.
D. Clark, drivers.
The party remained IN Washington
long enough to get letters fTem the Post
master General and Commissioner Ru-
dolph TO officials 20 be met on the tour,
and started South shortly before noon
Uneventful Journey.
Mud Hen with a new axle required
after the AIunsey Tour, left City Han,
New York, Tuesday after Mayor Cay
nor had hidden gOdspeed TO the tourists
The journey 20 Washington was ended
yesterday afternoon Il was not q very
eventful journey. MI Finney said this
morning. AS the car entered Baltimore
there was a driving rain, but otherwise
there was nothing very unusual about
the weather.
But the tourists were not CHASING
roads as events They declared Mary
land roads 70 be about IS bad as could
be found anyW here, and thought II
strange that they could exist IN q sec
ton where they were necessarily the
highways into the National Capital
The roads could be vastly improved
for very little, II the sDlit-lOg drag
were used, the tourists said, and they
talked about II Tor some time because
the plea for good roads Is 10 be made
an equal factor with the finding Of the
Southern passage They earnestly adVO-
Gated good roads wherever they paused
IN their long journey In Washington
they found hearty sympathy IN the good
roads experts Of the Agricultural De-
partment.
me letters the tourists got in wash
ington are interesting and valuable ad-
ditions TO those they already had
greetings from Mayor GaynOr, Of New
York, Mayor Reyburn, OF Philadelphia,
ana MAYOR ATahOOl Of Baltimore, 70
IN Endorsement from Woodrow Wilson,
gOvernOr-elect Of New Jersey
Postmaster General Hitchcock gave
them letters which viii introduce the
tourists 10 The postmaster Of every town
through which they VIII pass and which
eNhOTt the pOStmaSters to help preach
the doctrine Of good roads Good ROADS,
the DOSImasreTs are reminded IN the let
terS. are s. very elementary component
OF that important branch Of the postal
service. rural free delivery.
COMMISSIONS Rudolph gave a letter
70 Mayor Mccarthy, OF San Francisco
and since the party viii probably reach
San Francisco on Christmas, the letter
was OF a feliCitative tone
The Southern Route.
Mud Hen" headed for Winchester.
Va. about II o'clock, whence the route
viii be down the Shenandoah valley 20
Atlanta From Atlanta the route lies
through northern Alabama and 0Iissis-
sippi, Arkansas. Oklahoma. Texas. Ariz-
ona, New Mexico, and California.
After spending Christmas in San Fran
cisco the motorists viii return across
country by rail, bringing the Mud Hen
for exhibition IN the Madison Square
Garden show
It IS after the South is reached that
the tourists expect to need the wreck
ing outft-SteeI cables, block and tackle,
and h0iSU-JhaJ form part Of the cars
equipment In q measure, the auto
Tnobilists are entering unknown land,
So far as automobile geography OF the
North Is concerned They expect mud
and sand and unbridSed streams to be
deep and disastrous They are going
10 cover 500 miles, and they have the
worst OF their task to finish In thirty
five days They think they viii have
trouble AID are prepared = meet it
After -he completion Of the tour the
observations and statistics viii be com
piled for free distribution to automobile
associations and societies fer the pro
motion Of good roads That part Of
the work VIII be done under the direc-
ton of Mr. Ferguson, referee Of the
1Iunsey Historic Tour this year and
who has been the executive officer Of
eight successive Gliddeu tours. It is ex-|
Sected that the tour viii have beneficial
whom viii thus be opened many in
1eresting spots now seldom Travelled BY
motorists