The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-10-09
Rest ofParty
Got Stuck
In Mud
ASSURES GOV. HAY THAT
ROAD SHOULD BE BUILT
ENTHUSIASTIC OVER SUN
SET AND SCENERY.
Taft has climbed the mountain

ldlJ has CllHUeu IHe mo OuHldlH.
And likes it.
AS long as he lives the president
will remember Tacoma. The trip
= he made yesterday has stamped it
in his mind for good.
But for a while yesterday the
men who went along feared that
the president would have to spend
the night at Reese's camp.
When the president got back
everybody concerned heaved
sigh of relief. For the roads, in
fine shape up to the Nisqually gla-
cier, were almost impossible after
that point. Only the presidents
car and one other reached the
top. The others were stalled on
the way, and had to be hauled out
by teams and passengers. The
president, however, saw little of
the rougher side of the journey.
''I'll help work for an appropri-
alton for mountain roads about
the mountain" he told Governor
Hay at the end of the trip.
The prospect OF getting a road
from Tacoma clear to the top of
the mountain looks much better
since the presidents visit. 1t
will be a big asset to Tacoma in
drawing tourist trade to this city
if it goes through.
Incidentally, to give credit
where credit is due, Congressman
Warburton, insurgent, was the
man who got the president inter
ested in the trip, and who will
get the credit if Tacoma gets the
road.
The president saw all the won
ders of the mountain trip. The
mountain was invisible from
Longmire Springs and upward,
but from the Ohop valley he got
a wonderful picture of It.
Saw Wonderful Sunset.
And on the way down he saw a
magnificent sunset. A solid vivid
sheet that extended across the
sky for an hour, even long after
darkness had closed down every
where else.
The dozen or so newspaper cor
respondents who are travelling
with the president, drew signs of
sent out stories of how danger
Gus the trip was.
OF course any Tacoma man
knows just how small that risk
was.
In George Shaler, the chief ex-
ecutive had the most careful driv-
er In Tacoma. The descent was
as safe by night as by day.
There was chance of an acci-
time he rides in an auto or steps
aboard a train.
The president himself never
worried about the trip. He had
bully time. He liked the noun
tain and the town.
Humphrey Breaks Finger.
Congressman Humphrey Of Sc
attic got his finger broken while
pushing his auto out of the mud.
1t was the only accident during
the trip of some 70 people to
within eight miles of the top.
Stick-in-the-Mud Party.
The president missed a lot oil
fun because his car didn't get
mired. The pilot car riding ahead,
then the presidents car carrying
the chief executive, Secretary
Hiles, Major Butts, secret SER
vice man and Congressman War
burton, got through.
Then the fun began. Major
Griggs got stuck. Congressman
Humphrey got mired. Also Vice
President Mutt of the Northern
Pacific and all the dignitaries.
There were two stick-in-the-
mud parties, about 500 feet from
each other. Dignified citizens
wrestled with muddy car wheels
or dsed small trees to pry axles
out of the hub-deep clay, while
photographers took snap shots of
sweating first citizens,
After about an hours work all
> the cars were pried loose and
started downward. BY this time
the presidents car, which had
gone on to Reese's camp, was
back.
The trip was started by auto