The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-08-16
PAThflkD|MG CARS
NIGHT n COLUMBIA
THEN ON TO MEMPHIS
SAME ROUTE WILL BE FOLLOW.
ED AS TWO YEARS AGO AS FAR
AS BLUFF CITY.
STAR PLAYING OF KANNON FIRST TOURING ELECTRIC Cal

Comments on the improved Conditio,
OF the Roads by Those Who Wer'
With the 1910 Tourists in June 0
That Year.
The official pathfnding cars of th'
American Automobile Association ar
rived in Columbia just at dusk Fri
day night, and the party spent til,
night at the Bethel House. The par
ty is composed Of w. u. Westgard
the official pathfinder and map mark
er, Ed Spooner, photographer ant
publicity man; F. H. Smith, of The
Flanders Company, and Chas. Ross
driver of the Flanders electric in
which Mr. Westgard travels.
The party was very much gratifieO
at the improvement in the roads
through this section over which they
travelled two years ago. Mr.. SpooneI
has been with the Glidden touristsfor
nine years on every tour they have
made.
The new electric cars Is the first
to ever make an attempt to go
through the country, their use being
confined to the cities where the bat
teries can be charged from the cleo,
trio plants. The batteries of this car
are being charged at the various
small towns as the party progresses
on the trip, and Mr. Westgard was de-
lighted with the performance of tie
car thus far. In speaking of the
speed of the car it was stated by Mr..
Westgard:
"Of course the speed is not SO great
as that of gasoline car, being 20
miles an hour at the maximum. But
my experience on this tour proves
that it is vastly more comfortable to
drive at that speed, free from dust
dirt and the cutting sand, than it is
to tear through the country in a 80
h. p. touring car"
The pathfinders plan on about 100
miles daily. Delays will be caused
by the necessity impose upon them
Of securing the exact data regarding
the best routes and every point on
the route, every change will be noted
for the route book which will be pre-
pared
In routing the tour this way an es-
tablished highway for automobiles
from the Lakes to the Gulf" will be
and tourists for many years
to come will follow this route and
he towns along the Lakes to the Gulf
Highway will benefit amazingly from
frequent visits by motorists All
along the line preparations will be
made to give the tour great send
,ff when it passes through and every
courtesy has been promised the Wis
tors when they pass through or stop
is they are likely to do.
The party left here this morning
Early proceeding on their way to
florence via Mt. Pleasant and Law
enceburg, taking the same route as
wo years ago. The route of two
ears ago will be followed to Mem
his, and thence down the MISSISSIPPI
ii down to New Orleans.
This is the ninth annual tour
three valuable trophies are offered,
the Glidden trophy for
cams, the Anderson trophy and the
lationa1 trophy for individuals. The
are largely individual own
rs and each tour has large num-
Ter OF ladies participating, and not a
ew drive their own cars. The event
s the great annual classic in tour.
ng in the Uniyed States and the en-
ire country watches the progress of !
he tour, The large papers of the
ountry have representatives on the
rip and there is a corps of telegrs.
hers accompanying the tourists to
end. out matter daily. Thousands of !
lords go over the wire.