The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-16
! TRIP TO QUINCY
IN AUTOMOBILE
!
Major Montgomery MeIas Points Out
Way to Drivers Who Have
Never Been Over
PLEASURES OF THE TRIP
Article From His Pen Interesting to
Those Who Have Been Turned
About, Losing Their
Way.


AS there are many Automobiles in
Keokuk who have not made the run to
Quincy and who will be glad to know
what it is like the following may be
of interest as 1t records trip made
BY the writer, and three passengers:
Leaving Keokuk and journeying ov-
er to Hamilton, one takes the first
south main road after getting on top
Of the hill. This road turns off at the
lumber yard of Taber & Co. The
road goes straight south to Suffer,
H., over an undulating country and
good roadway The grades are easy
and can be taken in the high gear all
the way. The whole of the road to
Quincy is SO we'll Travelled that one
can hardly make a mistake. One mile
south of Suffer the road turns west
for y mile and then south aeain.
From here on it is very winding and
picturesque with newly painted farm
houses along the way and record crops
of wheat and corn making the owners
rich. No more beautiful farming
land exists than one can see on this
road 1t winds down into valleys and
up over hills and Is picturesque at
every foot Of the way. The grades
are still easy and little use for the
one of the very best of country roads
and will be found delight to the
driver At the county line after pass
Ing Tioga the road goes west about
two miles and then resumes its south
ward course. One passes through
Tioga, Lima. Marcelline, and Hersey,
little crossroads hamlets with a. coun-
try store apiece and the usual black
smith shop and wagon maker. These
shady little villages remind one of
New England, they are so tidy and so
prosperous looking. From Hersey to
Quincy the road Is graveled and very
smooth The speed merchants can
onsthis piece let their machines out to
any extent.
Arrived at Quincy landing the writ
er preferred to make new track
homeward and so returned on the
Missouri side of the river. One can
cross in the ferry now but on the day
We were In Quincy the ferry boat was
just beginning its season and the
owners preferred to lay over Friday
and do nothing rather than take
chances on opening the season on that
unlucky day. Accordingly the ma
nj; NV va hridUp
a distance CT over miles, and start
ed from the landing on the Missouri
side. From here the road runs straight
west TO the bluff and for two miles is
one of the worst ever. The other
four miles are good country roads TIL
the bluff is reached, six miles from
the river From here it follows the
foot of the bluff on sandy and gravel J
soil and is good for any sort of We
hicle. with one exception, noted later
Lagrange is reached, IA miles from
the landing, and thence there is gooc
road to Canton still following the
bluff on sandy and gravelly soil, but
good to travel. A stop of an hour was
made at Canton for early supper an6
then the trip resumed over the same
good roads to Alexandria. There are
Two or more roads one can take leav
Ing the bluff road to Alexandria. The
only one not sandy is found just be
yond the Sugar creek iron bridge
This one goes east for a couple o
miles and then north and then cas-
again. The telephone line borders
The road and marks the way,
The bluff road from Quincy to Alex
andria Is good all the way with on
exception. Every couple of miles o
30 there Is a ravine making dow
from the hills, which crosses the road
and at such places there is stee
descent to the bottom of the ravin
and precipitious climb out on tn
other side Our car took all thes
places without trouble, though
requires careful driving. The roa