Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-18
Tourist Cars Put Forgotten Towns
Back on the Map.
HOT RUNS WITH THE LID OFF,
Observations of Pilgrim on Foot
Who Diligently Avoided the
Middle of the Road-An
Awakening.

ing from side to side of the valley in a
most irresponsible manner. Here and
there white spires poked themselves out
of wooIly green woods. and now and then
a rounu. white cloud rolled swiftly along
the road and disappeared in the distance.
leaving thin, white tail behind It, comet
fashion.
The white clouds puzzled the tourist.
They appeared at irregular intervals and
ruled along at railroad speed. boiling and
feaming like the advance breakers Of q
nigh tide. Sometimes half dozen clouds
would chase each other; sometimes a
cloud would collide with another cloud
coming down the valley. This would pro-
ducs a maelstrom OF terrifying proper
tiuns, out OF which the two clouds would
emerge unframed and dash madly on
their respective ways. II puzzled the
traveller so much that he finally climbed
down the hill to investigate. As he ap-
preached the road he discovered that each
one of those round. white clouds was be-
ing towed through the country by tour
ing automobile full OF happy men and
women When he got still nearer he
could tell the women from the men by
the fact that the latter were smoking
white cigars.
A Look at the white Clouds.
Later on went down to the village inn
Il was the solitary clamberer-and at
supper time one Of these big white clouds
rolled up to the porch and stopped II
disgorged n tremendous automobile with
tires as Big as an elephants hind leg.
end equipped with tire boxes. road-mak-
ing tools, storm curtains. lunch hampers
Q kitchenette. a bag Of golf clubs,
fishing outfit. few good books. a
steamer trunk, two suit cases and a great
variety Of tanks containing gasoline. OIL
water, compressed gas, compressed air.
and. for all ! know. compressed cash
/ have often wondered Just what sort OF
Q pyrotechnlc display an up-to-date auto
mobile would make II 1t should choose TO
explode In all OF its various tanks at
once. The travellers were from Missouri
90 I had no difficulty In becoming ac-
quainted with them. There were five
OF them-a chauffeur. q father and
mother. a daughter and grandmother.
The latter was nearly 20 She smiled
piacidly as they dlslnterred her from the
tonneau, and later on. when she had re-
moved from her face the five layers
Of soil collected in as many states. she
spoke enthusiastically OF the trip.
We've been on the road a week" sho
said. and we've had the most delight
ful time though the roads have been
. little dusty. Our mileage Is 1875 to-
night-pretty good for q week, Isn't 1T
think we've got the touring record from
81 Louis 10 New York. II we. haven't
veil come back and get II with our new
car this fall. DO you know, We only
stayed IN New York overnight. Usually
I like 10 spend a couple Of weeks there.
bat it's 80 much more fun to keep going
II was splendid coming up from Boston
this afternoon. guess We had as many
as twenty races. but our good old Bosco
never failed US. Ny son calls bis car
Bosco because. he says, he eats 'esn alive.
He says he never saw car with such
an aversion 10 getting dust on his front
number plate. Bosco's a splendid car.
and I hate TO see him go. but we've had
him ever since spring, you know, and my
son IL 10 crazy over the 1919 model that
he il bound to trade him In"
/ asked the old lady II she didn't get
tired during 4 long days riding.
'.oh, yes" she said cheerfully: 81 get
90 tired I an almost dead by night. But
I'm always ready for another day
beats EN- All.
Automobile touring Is supervising noun
tain climbing, deep-sea travel. scenic rail-
ways, loop-the-loops and shooting the
rapids at Niagara II is even holding its
own against aeroplaning with those rest-
less mortals who feed on thrills. For
automobile touring combines to con-
siderable degree the excitement OF all
these pursuits. As result. II is making
adventures Of stodgy business men.
timld women and benevolent grand
mothers Never in history has Il been 80
easy, % cheap or no safe to be dare
devilish.
1t Is ridiculously practicable You buy
adventure by the gallon. just as you do
cider. One gallon OF that concentrated
essence Of noise. speed. excitement and
trouble. known as gasoline. costing 10
cents n there happens TO be competition
in your neighborhood. will do the follow
ing for you: 1t will take you over five
miles Of smooth, white road SO fast that
you have TO fight for breath; II viii shoot
you into the air as the car passes over a
culvert. the tonneau catching you deity
q. you descend. as the cup In the hands
of the player catches the ball: It will
carry you sidewise around q sweeplnE
curve. the tires clawing catlike for hold
and shooting streams Of dust and gravel
f1fty feet away; II gives you half dozen
crises In the shape of teams which com
pei you to balance preeariously on thu
edge Of the road as you whoop past; q
kAleidoscopic village view which rushes
1t you out Of the horizon and hurrfes back
TO the rear, children and chickens scut-
ting for safety; mad race with a ran.
road train and one more mammoth gulf
In the throat as you bounce off the last
rail Of the slanting crossing a few yards
10 the good.
AL Of this you can get for ten cents
one gallon Of gee-whiz juice. And nova
days tanks are made TO hold forty gallons
and automobiles are made to empty these
tanks once day.
Lure of speed.
OF course every automobile owner
Doesn't try to make his patient machine
jump through hoop and beat out q
lightning flash. But with all the best
intentions In the world. much Of the auto.
mobile touring IL being done mostly on
two wheels There are 50 many reasons
% hurry. The road is 90 dull that yoU
want TO get over II. II is 20 fascinAt.
Ing thai yea can't walt to see what 1,
around the next corner. II you can maxi