Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-22
TRIP MADE BY
GIRL IN AUTO
Society Woman of Rochester Will
Drive Her Car from New
York to Los Angeles

NEW. YORK, May 21.-Flve thousand
miles in an automobile, over all sorts OF
country roads-such is the trip MISS
Blanche Stuart Scott of Rocnester, N.
Y. will undertake in her model 80
Overland Alone, except for a woman
companion, Miss Scott leaves Column
bus Circle. New York city, May 10,
for Los Angeles.
Feminine nilots Of automobiles have
won recognition for hill climbs success
fully attempted. and for clear RECORDS
in various road tours. but 1t remains
for this young woman to attempt the
seemingly impossible.
With a degree Of nonchalance one
might expect in a seasoned driver, MISS
Scott has made complete prepaTatlo4liS
for this. her first trip Of any length.
Every conceivable emergency mas
been prepared for. Spare tires, extra
shark plugs, complete repair kit camp
ing outfit-everything that human IN
genuity can suggest Is included. MISS
Scott. herself, carries a Savage auto
matte to intimidate any wandering
Wfllies that may beset her patn' 10
When asked what she would do II
her engine broke down, several miles
from nowhere, she replied in a sur
prised tone of voice, why, fix 1t, OF
"But." she added, I don't expect
anv serious troubles. My car Is SO
simple and trouble-free that L am not
afraid Of any very difficult repairs pe-
ing necessary. ,oooss
fully. why can't women? 1 don't ex-
meet to break any speed records. l IN
tend to take my time and ENJOY the
outing as much as possible" she con-
timed. "Men are skeptical of a Wo-
mans ability to cope with anything
mechanical, and 1 am going 10 prove
the contrary. 4,,,,od
"I don't see why it is" she continues.
warming up to the subject, that
everybody seems to think this Is such
a great undertaking. I don't consider
| II as ANYTHING more than an occasional
| vacation. There will be an occasional
nuncture to mend, or spark pug 10
| clean-but what is there hard apout
that? Hardships? Well, this ls q clVt-
| lized country. and l nave nothlils "
| fear in that line but storms ana pau
roads. Storms can't be helped, and IL
| anvone can show me a road my car
can't negotiate-it isn't road" she
! concluded with a determined snake OIL
! her pretty head. .H,z
II is interesting to know how this
! trip came to be made
It seems that Sales Manager Barker
| of the Willys-O Overland company
|
talking with H. G. Kirkland, the Over
land Representative at that place.
| "All this talk about the aWful pri-
vations Of cross-country riders, tnelr
| nerils and the tremendous dlfncultles
| encountered is pure eXaggerdIIoil,
said Mr. Barker, written mercy "
advertise the few cars which nave peen
| Gwen from coast to coast. Why-even
a woman could drive a good car any
where they went. have half a nlnu
to start some woman off now, just TO
demonstrate it can be done.
"Well. I'm from Missouri" said MT
! kirkland. land you'll have to snow me
| IF a woman can drive car across the
continent without the services OF
| mechanic1an or nelpel a4AA 9'AAA ~
! convinced" ,.,, -,
"If YOU feel that way about 1t" was was
the reply, "I'n just wager you $lOoU
that a woman can do 1t, and' What II
more. TIL send one this summer from
New York to San Francisco. IL M she
needs the slightest assistance tne
money is yours" w.,.
"Taken," said Mr.. Kirkland; ts
easy money for me-"
And now it remains to be seen whlch
! of the two gentlemen Is rlght.
Miss Scott will follow the regular
tourist route via Albany to Buffalo
then by way of Chicago to Omaha
| From there she Will follow the Eidtte
valley to the Julesburg point ana then
overland through cheyenne, Ogeen
Reno. Sacramento and Oakland to Sar
Francisco.
She will depend entirely upon he1
own resources for replacements, re-
pairs and supplies. The strongest ar
gument against her successful accom-
plishment seems to be the fact she Is
a woman. The strongest argument II
| 11n TNrn
is her own ability and her unboundeo
confidence in her little Overland.
"I'n find way or make one," says
Miss Scott, and this is the sort of de-
termination that has carried many a
contestant to victory.