The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-01

NG" lchh, yep. ga sure III
dicat,cn Of the widespread interest In
transeontinental touring and convinc-
Ing proof of the dependabiiity Of the
autasHobiles of today are both am
phasized III the multiplying requests
for cross-country information made to
the A. A. A. Touring Information
Board, at It's national bureau 53I
Fifth Avenue, New York. Within the
/ past ten days nearly hundred in
qufries We're received. and the origin
Of these was about equally divided be-
tween East and West. While Pacific
coast tourists In growing numbers are
finding their way east. lured BY the
present more advanced Eastern roads
building and with New England still
leading as the favored touring terri
tory. by 1915, however. judging from
ssupendous Western Roads undertake
ings, the tide will have turned mark
eddy towards the Golden Gate. With
the first edition OF Trail to Sunset.
from Chicago to Los Angeles. entire
~ exhausted, a revised and up-to-date
volume will be issued. ampiiiied hy A.
L. Westgard as n result OF his third
trip over the route, made in October
and November OF last year In ad6f-
ton. the 4. A. A. bureau has In prep
aration new general map showing
that have thus far been made.
It is. because of this astonishing in
crease In interstate travel that the
A. a. A. Good Roads Beard Is pushing
so encrgetically It's countrywide CAM
naign for Federal aid In roads con-
struction and maintenance
According to Secretary OF State
Schmahl OF Minnesota, the automobile
liz the forerunner OF godo roads. The
farmer Is the leading good roads en-
thusiast," CONNECTS Secretary Schmahl.
and lie now owns about lis per cent
of the automobiles In the State. When
the days work is done. the farmer
now secs to- ii that his horses have
the needed rest. and instead OF hitch
ing them to a vehicle for the journey
into town. he and his family now use
the automobile. do their shopping and
calling. and return nome refreshed.
and welcoming the following day. "
is a safe prediction that before 1912
closes there will be $4,000 automobiles
doing service in Minnesota, and a
greatly increased per cent. will be
owned by the farmers"
Down in Texas the San Antonio
Automobile Club has gained over 500
members since the rirst of the year.
Secretary Pearson sends this report to
A. A. A. National headquarters: I'VE
are most Enthusiastic in our attention
BE- gaa4 roads. We have. recently log
ged and marked by 4 very -substantfaa
meta sign all the roads in Bexar
county. and We are going to perform
similar service on the road from San
Antonio TO Dallas. and from San An
tonic to Houston. BY the end OF the
year we hope to have the San Antinio
Club the best one in the Southwest,
and with the largest membership
Up in Maine the roads question Is
receiving comprehensive treatment
brought about through the activities
at the Maine Automobile Association.
which year ago secured tire passesxo
Of a trunkiine highway bill. Com
missioner Of Public Roads Bradbury.
OF Portland, sums up the situation, and
takes into account the growtn9 needs
Of a trunkline road In these words:
ut behooves us 10 build the best
wearing road under existing traffic at
the least possible cost. l believe that
4 concrete road bed from four to six
inches thick, according to the natire
Of the e,ibsoii, surfaced with bttum-
Inous material mixed with sand or
fine gravel. comes nearer to solving
the problem than any tother form or
construction. The cost OF maintain
inG such a road Is very low. and II
can be re-surfaced at q moderate cost.
though OUTLYING five times the life Of
the average bituminous macadam
road"
In Ohio the tendency in main roads
building IL for vitrified brick. and
miles Of this pavement have been laid
in Cuyahogn county. Evidence ac-
cumulatea that there - q. growing
belief that trunklines because OF the
more severe traffic conditions now de-
mand particularly rugged construc-
ton.