Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-09
PATHFINDER HAS
ENDED HIS TRIP
Westgard Makes Long Trip
Without Any Mishap to
His Automobile
Graphic Description Of Roads
On TranSCOOtineDta|
Route

Special to The Tribune.
SEATTLE, WASH, Aug. 9.-Com-
peting four thousand miles of the
most gruelling transcontinental trav.
ell, A. l.. Westward, field representa-
tive of the United States Government
Department of Good Roads and the
American Automobile association, ar
rived here from Wenachee in his
Pathfinder 1O' touring car, accom-
panied by Mrs. Westgard and
''Heinie" Scholler, driver and me-
chanician.
The appropriately named Pathfind-
er has traversed some Of the most
strenuous highways on the continent
on the first of its remarkable series
Of three transcontinental trips to be
made this season, but to all appear
ances the car is just as sturdy and
strong as the day it rolled through
Central park, lew York city, nearly
two months ago. The record.breaking
feat which is being attempted by the
Pathfinder 40" with its cargo OF
camping paraphernalia and distin-
guished passengers is unparalleled in
the history of automobile touring, and
is te climax of the movement start
ed by the A. A. and U. s. gov
eminent toward the establishing OF
improved higways between the Allan.
tic and the Pacific.
The Pathfinder was met by dele
cation representing the Seattle auto
mobile clubs and trade organizations
which are anxious to see Seattle the
western terminal of a new passable
route between New York and the ex-
IRENE northwestern metropolis. After
brief stop at Seattle the party will
proceed to San Francisco; from
thence they will start on the second
| leg of their three-time transcontinen'
tai pathfindiny Journey.
The start of the first trip was made
from New York, June II, and the nm
ish came fully a week sooner than
was scheduled. Part of this excel
lent showing was due to the splendid
time made on the first three days out
from the Big Town when the Path.
finder "40' reeled off 618 miles in
three days, including night stops and
time wasted on the road securing
road data and touring information re-
quired by the "A. A. A. and the U. $.
government. From the start West
gard was more than pleased with the
car that is to carry him more than
rs 900 miles before next November.
Ohio roads handicapped the vet
eran mapmaker to certain extent
as heavy rains made fast going i'm.
possible, The Pathfinder reached
Chicago, Tuesday, June "a, during
the progress of the Republican ma
tional convention and was met there
by a delegation from Milwaukee, con,
sisting of President Dearholt of the
Milwaukee, Automobile club, Presl-
dent Raymond of the Wisconsin State
Auto association and at milwaukee
the entire delegation was met by
President Lewis Of the Citizens
Business league and secretary Can.
non of the same organization. Secre-
tary Drought of the Chicago|Milwau'
kee Good Roads association, which IS
promoting a boulevard across the
state of Wisconsin, was also in the
reception committee. "A similar es-
cort accompanied the Pathfinder
party to the Minnesota state line
from which point Westgard and his
party struck into the Businesses OF
North Dakota and Montana.
At Fargo the end Of all existing
route dope was reached and the Path
finder "40'' was pushed over roads
never before traversed by an auto.
The task became truly pathfnding
one and the we'll named motor proved
to be right in its element. The car
ran like a colt through the wheat
fields of the Dakotas and for the first
time the party was forced to bring
into use its camping outfit which is
carried on the running boards Of the
touring car.
From Fargo to Glendive the route
was through the notorious Badlands
and in several instances the travellers
were forced to step down from their
luxurious mount and shovel stone ana
dirt off the roadway where it had
been deposited in a recent landslide.
While the roads in their present
state are unfit or automobile travel,
they are, nevertheless, comparatively
easy to construct AT Dead Mans
Gulch there was blue ella y hole
twenty feet long and almost as deep.
The car was hel. there for a day
constructing a means for crossing.
The car perform d we'll according to
Westgard in spite Of the gruelling
treatment in the gumbo flats ana
foothills with Is per cent grades the
usual thing and the footing slippery
and dangerous.
From Miles City to Billings was the
next section Of the iternary kept by
Westgard and over this route many
detours were necessary by way OF
ridges and hills here absolutely no
trail was visible. The roads, when
there we're any, were Doggy and I'M
At for goats ~ climb.
The strain Of the travel through