Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-24
DESCRIBES MOTOR
TRIP IN FRANCE
Motoring Through Normandy Of
ferS Many Attractive Feat
ures and Experiences
BRITISH OFFICER ASKS HELP
Antics of the Little TWo-Cylinder
Runabout ArouseS English
Warriors Wrath
BRITISH OFFICER ASKS HELP

The motorist who starts from Havre,
which has become the great port OF
entry for American automobiles, Will
probably follow Route Rationale No.
IA" which takes him to Rouen via
Pointese. But if he cares for country
lanes and byways, and If watching the
klometre stones whlzz by is not his
sole ambition, he will do better TO
take the river road through Caudepec
and Duclair. These country roads IN
France are as good as the main nigh
ways, because they see so much less
traffic. They give one more init
mate acquaintance with the towns and
villages and with the people one
meets en- route.
Bearing this in mind, we left the
Route Rationale when we reached the
tram line at the village of st. Ro-
main, and swinging the nose OF the
Etudebaker to the right, pointed her
toward Lillebonne. We had seen the
car out of the crate at Havre and pho
tographed our touring party in front
of the American Express company's
office, and as we swung up the long
hill after leaving Harfeur, we took
some comfort in the thought that we
had no schedule to follow but could
travel as fast-or as slow-as we liked
We were looking for roadside ex-
perienceS and were rewarded by
promptly encountering one, which
shall be known as the Experience
with the Retired British Officer" He
was standing in the middle OF the
road, gazing ruefully at q little two
cylinder American runabout of the
vintage of 1900. We pulled up and
asked if we could help him. He had
bought the American car in England
with the intention of touring in
France. He explained that he knew
nothing about motor cars, but the
dealer in London told him the engine
was so simple that all he had to do
was to crank the car and away he'd
go. But the beastly thing wouldn't
go. He had to get the entire garage
force out in Havre to push him along
the street until tho motor and the
gears agreed to work in harmonyi
And now he was stalled in the coun-
try with no one 20 give him a push!
We looked at the car. Besides the
big Studebaker glistening in her white
enamel and polished bonnet, and with
the power of forty horses under her
bonnet it looked like dingy tugboat
under the shadow OF one of the private
yachts in the basin at Havre.
Jump in," we said, and together
we showed the little runabout along
the road He promptly got under
way, swerving from one side to the
other as though to prove the drivers
inexperience. We passed him and
went to Caudebec for dejeuner We
were sitting in the balcony of the
Hotel de la Marine when half an hour
later he came down the village street,
chickens lodging from under his mud
guards and coupls of dogs yapping
in the rear.
He cleaned when he saw u.s. Now"
he said, 81 can stop and have some
thing to eat, for know you'll shove
me away again." We waited until
he had finished to push the car along
the road, and helped him out again
at >Duclair. A long hill followed,
where the road leaves the Seine val
ley and climbs up into a pine forest.
Here we left him Ear behind, our car
shooting up and around the curves
all the way to the top on third speed.
But we paused before we began the
descent, to admire the wonderful view
of the spires and towers of Rouen,
with the river winding through the
valley below.
After passing the gates Of the city
we stopped in a square with q statue
in the center to inquire the way to
the hotel. 1t took some minutes to
get the information; in the meantime
our British officer was whirling round
and round the statue. Round and
round he went, q crowd gathering at
a safe distance to watch the perform
ance.
whats the matter" we inquired
as he passed, "why don't you stop?"
Cant" he shouted, I'm afraid If 1
do she'll never so again. When
few moments later we passed
under the ancient "Tower of the
"Great Clock" and turned into the
courtyard of the Hotel du Nord.