The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-08-01
by Fred L. Boalt.

A friend of Bob Hodges, who
lives down in Metolius, Oregon,
met the progressive candidate for
governor while back and said:
Bob, I've got a machine at
home that amt working. If you
can use it in your campaign and
care to send for 1t, you're well
Can she climb mountains?"
asked Hodge.
AT climbing mountains" re-
piled the Oregonian, she's a
grizzly bear"
That's the way history is made.
A chance meeting. A sudden
and kindly impulse. Use my
car, Bob" Thanks, will. "
And now we record a whirlwind
ride that makes Paul Revere's lit
tie stunt look Ikea Sunday after
noon amble in the park.
stew" Campbell is a young
man who breakfasts, dimes and
sups on enthusiasm. He and
Hodge are pals. Stew" said
Hodge, "can you drive an automo-
bile?"
Bob. said Campbell, my
middle name is Tetzlaff, and folks
often take me for Barney Old
field"
Campbell went to Metolius. got
the car, and met Hodge at The
Dalles, just across the state line.
Hodge climbed, the car started
with q snort, and they began to
make history.
They made 1t in this wise:
They travelled 1900 miles. Boil
distributed 10000 cards, shook
hands with 10000 people, and
addressed so many meetings ne
forgot to count 'em. They got
stuck In the beds of dried-out
rivers, got nearly drowned in
fording swollen streams, ran into
sand storms In the desert, slith-
cred down mountainsides, got
lost, went broke, hung over preci-
pices, slept in the open, went
hungry, nearly died-and came
home over Snoqualmie pass!
From Goldendale, in the south
east corner of the state of Wash
ingten, to Ellensburg, in the
northwest corner, they were a sin
lister streak with a tail that SMELL
ed of gasoline. They turned at
Ellensburg and went back to Top
penish, and thence through AL
falfa to Spokane. Then north to
the Canadian border, which they
crossed at Lorain. Hunting pass
able roads, they crossed and re-
crossed the border three times.
They zigZagged here, there and
everywhere - Cheesaw, Loomas,
Wenatchee; to Ellensburg again
and then the pass.
stew" made good his boast.
He went where no car had ever
been before. He drove day and
night. He bounced over rocks,
Slowed into ruts, skinned preci-
pices, bumped into trees. But he
made every town on schedule.
The trip was full of surprises.
Bob kept meeting old friends of
other days-the days when he
mined coal and freighted over the
Cascades, and never dreamed of
being governor. And they were
for Hodge. They coasted into
Toppenish on flat tires, to find
that Harvey, the blacksmith, had
billed the town and all the coun-
try round. Nothing would do but
Bob and stew" must be the
guest.
You speak tonight" said Har-
vey.
Good Lord!" groaned the can
didate. 81 can't. They're wait
ing at Alfalfa for me now"
stew" leaped for the car, Bob
and they were off. They
had their meeting at Alfalfa at
$3.50 that night, and raced back
to Toppenish. Harvey's crowd
was waiting. Bob climbed a soap
box at 1880 and talked till well
past midnight.
At Goldendale-and by the
way, that's where Bob went broke
la man looked at Hodges card
and said: "A man who'd hand
out card like that Is a ding
busted anarchist"
Bob thought he was In bad. But
he wasn't. For the man turned
out to be the only standpatter in
the town. He was a Taft dele
gate to Aberdeen.
One thing about Hodge, he's
thorough. When he campaigns,
he campaigns, Every time he
saw a lone farmer in field, he
and gave that farmer a
lecture on the fundamental prin-
ciples OF good government. He
found lonesome cruiser in the
wilderness and cleansed him Of
his standpatism.
At Brewster d lot OF country
editors were In convention.
Hodge" they said. you'll need
publicity"
tsNaf tha hind that coafc rnnx-