Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-05
SAN DIEGO TO RUN RACE
WITH Los ANGELES

SAN DIEGO, Oct. o.-Deterhiheu u
prove to the entire country that the
San Diego Imperial valley route Is
the only sane, feasible course for tnt
coast -to-coast highway to follow, the
committee appointed by the chambe!
of commerce to raise funds for a pro
posed San Diego-to-Phoenix automo
bile race sailed forth yesterday and
in whirlwind campaign Of a few
hours had secured $4,000, with the pro-;
pect of adding $4,000, should the amount
be needed. The committee is composed
of Col. Ed Fletcher, F. b. Naylor and
F. w. Jackson.
| George Purdy Bullard, attorney-gen
eral of Arizona, promoting the Los
Ang geles-to Phoenix race, was tele-
| graphed at Phoenix what the commit
tee had done, and telling him that il
Phoenix would subscribe $1,000 San Di-
ego would take care of the balance
of the expense. The idea was to give
| him a fair chance to declare himself
ready to allow San Diego to show
the immense advantage of the San
| Diego route over that of Los Angeles
as he is representing the American Au-
| tomobile Association.
| In any event, however, this city will
have a race to Phoenix, participated
| in, it is hoped, by at least ten cars,
and including number Of the well
known drivers. So far, as nearly as
can be learned, there are only a half
dozen entries in the Los Angeles event
and the leading drivers, such as Har-
vey Herrick, are backward about en-
tering, not relishing the long run
across the desert, where sandstorms
occur hourly and the road is next 20
, impossible.
After a meeting at the chamber or
commerce the committee started out
with it's list, determined to be able
to announce before night that the San
Diego-to-Phoenix event would take
place to show the country just what
kind of a highway existed across
Southern California when brought
down to a cold comparison with that
which has been getting the bulk of
the advertising.
Fortified with proof of what has al
ready been done with the highway
from San Diego to Ell Centre, to Hot
Vile and thence to Yuma, surmounting e
what at first seemed hopeless task
Of making passable a six-mile stretch
over the sandy district, Holtville to
Yuma, and explaining their proposal
to expose the untenable claims of Lo,
Angeles, the committee met with ready
response from citizens.
1t took practically no time at all to
sign up those ready to contribute the
amounts necessary to make a total Of
$4,000, and at o'clock Colonel Fletch-
bat ba
good as in hand. Attorney-General
Bullard of Phoenix was imm ediately
asked to lend his support, and the COM
mittee is awaiting his reply.
Providing the proper financial cva-
slderations are offered, which the rails
ing Of the amount seems to guarantee
local supporters OF the race belfey.
there will be no trouble whatever :n
securing the more noted drivers to
participate, some of them throwing II.
their lot with San Diego rather than
attempt to negotiate the longer des.
ert route. Harvey Herrick, winner of
last years Los Angeles es-to-Phoenix
race, which went through San Diego.
says it is the only highway worthy
of consideration, and other part1cI-
pants have expressed themselves in a
similar way. AS consequence, Los
Angeles is said to be having difficulty
procuring entries for the 1912 con-
test.
Conservative estimates by local au-
tomobile enthusiasts, who are familiar
with both highways, are that the trip
from San Diego to Yuma can be made
from 10 to IL hours quicker than that
from Los Angeles, via Cotton, San Ber-
nardino, Beaumont and Indio.
by the time our cars reach Ell Cen
tro the cars from Los Angeles will
only be at Beaumont" said Byron Nay
Tor. They will have the worst part
of the journey yet to make. We will
have the IL miles to Holtville ana
then jump straight across to Yuma.
with six miles of a sandy course i'm
proved far ahead of that the others
will traverse to get over. We will
beat the Los Angeles cars by a full
II hours, at the very least
1T is the chance we have been wait
ing for. We are not only prepared
10 call the Los Angeles bluff, but are
willing to pull off a little race to. ac-
complish this result. We are going
through with it if We have to raise
$4,000 or $4,000 more. Arizona is look
ing for a terminal point of the inter-
national highway. We are going to
prove beyond any possibility of doubt
that we have the only feasible course
that has been offered
I'VE will start from San Diego AT
exactly the time the cars leave Los
lected and 1 will guarantee there will
q plantv tpf driu
Ter our colors. That objection was
raised at first, but amounts to al
most nothing. Since the route has
been changed they are all dubious
about entering their cars. 1 know
of only six that have signed up. We
have the road. That is one of our
chief assets. We have been doing
things while the other fellow has been
wasting time telling what would be
done. Everybody knows what the
highway was last year. This year it
is better than ever, for it has all
been greatly improved at every point" 3"
1t is known that many residents of
Phoenix who wished San Diego to be
Included at the outset in the event
to start from Los Angeles will lend
what aid they can at the Arizona
capital toward securing the $1,000 ap-
preparation from that end as drop
ping San Diego on account of fnan-
cial consideration was not approve L
by the majority. Several weeks ago,
when the race was first talked of,
those in Phoenix friendly to San Di-
ego were notified and promised the
chamber of commerce all assistance
possible from there.
Every member of the chamber OF
commerce, wherever possible, assisted
the committee in its lightning like
work. S. c. Payson declared it was
the best effort made in a long time.
while Capt. A. E. Davis and others,
many of them former Arizonans, were
ready to assist financially and in ev-
cry other way.
Colonel Fletcher, chairman Of the
-ace committee, in discussing the sub
ject, said:
"The object Of this race is to show
the people of Southern California and