The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-04
BY c. II. CLAUDY.

''Why-er-you go-let me see. II don't
know-you'H have to ask a policeman.
I've never been therer'
This reply by the native bred Bostonian
has been used in various forms in near
jokes in alleged comic papers ever since
there was a Bunker Hill monument TO
visit. But Boston has nothing on Wash
ington-ask any average Washingtonian
how to get to Mount Vernon and he'll
reply, vaguely-"by boat I guess; I've
never been there" And II you ask him
how 70 motor 10 Mount Vernon, the
chances are he will tell you the trip isn't
TO be made, because there isn't any road,
II such are the conditions to-day, what
do you suppose they were in that time
when no one had ever been TO Mount Yer
non In a motor car? This prehistoric age
was only six years ago-but six years in
the history of the automobile is a long.
long time. Then the one cylinder car
was the main thing in inexpensive cars
horizontal engines were the choice Of the
wise ones-trips Of fifty miles were long
trips-cars which went alone for long
runs had courageous drivers. Four and
six cylinders, high power great speed.
ability TO climb stone walls on the high,
we're dreams, or tales from foreign lands
Looking for the ROnd.
Yet the Expert Driver. the Newspaper
Man. and the Man or Means. with the
courage Of their convictions. decided that
a run to Mount Vernon might be both
pleasant and profitable. Never thinking
that they might be pioneers. they applied
TO others for directions. The more they
applied the stranger became the outlook.
No one knew how 10 90. No one had ever
been. Roadbooks were silent on the sub
ject. Maps were not TO be had
But there must be a road" said the
Expert Driver. and 1t must be in Vir-
ginia-" These sage observations were
solemnly agreed 10 by the rest of the
prospective party. OF course. there must
be a road. because Washington himself
must have driven TO and from Mount
Vernon. Obviously. TOO. il must be in
Virginia. since even the mighty Father
OF His Country could not have swan the
Potomac. even il he did cross the Della
ware. every time he wanted 10 go TO
church or buy a new ruff for his neck.
The Newspaper Man ventured the opin-
ion that Washington went to church in
Alexandra, I think; probably the road
starts from there"
With this for a hint. the party started
OF. II is amusing TO look back through
the long vistas Of six years and see that
going forth for a days run OF twenty
miles. There We're two machines For.
said the Expert Driver. you can't tell
what's going TO happen, and we might get
stuck Twenty miles is long way"
There were tools and ropes. lunch. bot
ties. and a mechanician
We may need sustenance," said the
Man Of Means. and help" said the
Newspaper Man. and something to
drink" said the Expert Driver
The present scribe is not altogether
sure but that it was help that the Ex-
pert Driver wanted and drink that the
Newspaper Man thought Of but that is
long ago and does not matter.
Across the Old Long Bridge.
There was no Highway Bridge then.
but the old Long Bridge debouched into
the same road that one reaches via the
present Potomac Highway Bridge Nor
is the road so very different now than II
was then-the same brick carts travel
over II, the same thank-you-ma' ans are
to be found in it. the same red clay and
black mud are its constituent parts, at
least in wet weather.
But even Washington motorists know
the road to Alexandria. 1t is OF what
lies beyond that they are ignorant. as
they we're in the prehistoric time. six
years ago.
The party then. as the party you may
make up found first in Alexandria that
the Virginia city fathers had something to
learn from other cities as to how a !
street should be paved for the use Of the |
automobiles. It Is somewhat better now, |
but there is still much room for i'm
provement. Doubtless. the Father Of His |
Country drove slowly and decorously |
10 church-yOu would drive likewise If |
you would see that structure, stu in
good repair and still used as a house of |
worship-where he who was so oftea
first was wont 20 go.
Then go south through Alexandria and |
over bridge over Hunting Creek. make |
two left turns, one an eighth, the other
half mile beyond the bridge, into the |
pike" and follow it TO the mansion.
Swimming and Skidding.
These were the running directions Of |
that first party. and they must be yours |
You will find better roads than this |
pioneer party found. and luckily for you |
that Il is so. For when these two brave /
automobiles and their intrepid drivers |
and passengers did not wallow through /
mud they swan through water When |
not swimming through water or wallow- I
ing through mud they slipped and skid
ded over shale and rock, where the road
touched into and utilized as a part Of
itself the bed of a long. dry stream.
For proof. see pictures. Knowing they
were doing the hitherto undone, cameras
were taken that this first trip Of the new
mode OF locomotion to the shrine which
all good Americans long to visit should
be preserved for posterity The only rea-
son the automobiles were not pictured
In deeper water than nearly TO their
hubs was a personal one The Newspa-
per Man. who operated the cameras, had
no objections not possible to overcome
TO wading around picturing motor cars
swimming 10 Mount Vernon He merely
drew the line when II came to SWIM
ming himself: also, there were stretches
OF road which threatened to stick the
ears. The Expert Driver very sensibly de-
clined TO stop in such places for the
purposes Of having pictures made.
For what does it profit US" he IN
quired IF we gain the pictures and lose
our dinners?"
II you should make this trip over the
roads Of to-day, and occupy over an hour
in the trip you would probably either get