Arizona republican., 1911-06-16
FIRST CAR REACHES CITY
Los Angeles Company Sends
 Agent Over Route in Ford Made in Good Time Driving, Arrives
 Phoenix Good Report.

Sent out by the Standard motor car company of Los Angeles to study the route of the Los Angeles Phoenix race, F.. NJ. Fillmore, a chauffeur and general agent of the company. arrived fin this city yesterday afternoon from the coast. He drove a Ford twenty and was accompanied by Jay English. resident of Los Angeles. who has come to the Salt River Valley with the expectation of taking over a ranch near Mesa.
 The motor car companies of the coast are already beginning to plan entries for the long run, and although the cars sent out by the individual companies are not officially designated pathfinders. they are considered equal ly important, as they are driven over the course to learn it's practical speed and running qualities. The company represented by Mir Fillmore is the first to send a car over the route. but it is probable that many other large companies of Los Angeles will .send out individual pathfinders before the opening of the race, as the contest may be won or lost on the drivers ignorance or knowledge of his road
 The thrill attached to the plotting of the first cars was absent from the run made by Fillmore, who had only to follow the directions laid down by the chauffeurs who first came over the road. A short time after his arri- val yesterday, however, it was learned that an experience. which might be said to approximate an adventure, be fell the occupants of the Ford on the run between Fl Centro and COcopah.
 Leaving Los Angeles last Saturday afternoon, the car was driven to San Diego before night. without attempt to establish a record for the run. Be tween these two points the roads were uniformly good. and it was not until San Diego was left in the morning and the car headed for Fl Centro that bad roads were encountered. The Ford gave little trouble throughout the entire trip, the most serious trou- ble being three punctures. and it was not once necessary to let the wind out of the tires to negotiate the sands.
 At noon on Sunday the Ford passed the two pathfinding cars at Campo. An exchange of courtesies resulted, the pathfnders laying down the pan of the route in exchange for Los An geles papers. and after q cordial hand shake between the drivers, they sep arated The pathfinders were making good time when Fillmore met them and reported little trouble in covering thc route.
 ho nd English were given a scare. when they were told by the sheriff tllat if they valued their lives. they had better not take the road across the line into Mexico, as it was stated that the pathfinders had been fired q. by the bandits, and that the road was un- safe and dangerous. These reports oc- casioned a long delay, and it was not until Monday afternoon that the men decided to take the risk. and push on to Calexico, where they intended t1 see General Francisco Qui jada. and find out the danger of the route for themselves. the advice of the Fl Cen trO sheriff seeming to have been bas- ed on vague and unconfirmed rumcrs
 They had to cross from CaleXico tO Mexicali to see General Quijada. who declared the danger of the road to be purely imaginary. The soldiers ir Mexicali were armed to the teath. says Fillmore, and he was reassursd at hearing the favorable advica of the general. It proved to be correct. as the run to Cocopah was taken without any appearance or suggestion of danger. the car reaching the end of the days run in safety The run from Cocopah to Yuma was made on Tuesday. Between these points the roads were rough and sandy. AS far as Andrade they were fairly good. but from that place on it was neces- sary to take to the ties. An accident almost resulted about three J'ciock Tuesday afternoon, when the car. while on the track. was overtak ken bv an eastbOund express. The tram WAS stopped until the car reached a sid ing. but there was delay in clear ing the track, as at the time the ex- press came up the drivers were re- pairing n puncture. and the job had to be completed before the ear could be driven on.
 After this stage of the journey there was no further difficulty Yuma was reached late at night, and al o'clock in the morning the run to Agua Cali. ente was begun. The road was covered by night, and from Agua Caliente to Phoenix yesterday was 5ha final stage. Phoenix was reached at . o'clock. Pa cific time, and Fillmore immediately