The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-27
BEAT SCHEDULE
In the Test Run Hutchinson to
Kansas City.
They Made the 800 Miles in
Ten Hours.
GOVERNOR HODGES is HAPPY
He Talked Good Roads All
Along the Route.
And He Rode Over Dirt Roads
That We're Fine.

had maintained an average speed of
! nearly So miles an hour over the entire
800 mile run from a point 20 miles west
of Hutchinson. Governor Hodges, who
| accompanied the trail party, declared
that the trip was the greatest boost for
| road building that Kansas had receiv-
| ed.
| Except for few miles Of macadam as
| the party entered Kansas City, dirt
| roads were Travelled over the entire
| route. But over the trail Monday, those
| dirt roads were like a race track. They
| were dragged last week. Sunday night
| a light rain fell III the territory between
| Hutchinson and Florence and some OF
| the fastest running of the entire trip
| was over the roads in that section of
| the state.
| The actual time of the run was about
| nine hours. Stops were made at
| dozen towns along the route and every
| where the greatest interest was shown
| in the new trail and the time which
| the officials were making in their DEM
onstrauon trip. 1t was just sunrise
When the trail crowd of IA people, in
Guiding guests and newspaper reporters,
| started west 20 miles from Hutchinson.
Then the party returned to town and
| headed straight for Newton. At New
| ton the party was just an hour ahead
| of their running time. Never for the
| remainder of the trip were the cars at
any time less than an hour ahead of
schedule.
most ordinary time on Mondays trip.
| Within three minutes after the cars
| LETT kansas town, the Speedomet-
| ers were registering from so to As miles
| an hour Forty mile time was really
customary. No one expressed surprise
| when the register showed greater speed
| and over the better portions of the trail
| the cars attained a speed of so miles
ar hour for short stretches.
| But it wasn't the speed alone that
counted. 1t was the fact that the trail
! OFFICIALS demonstrated that Kansas
dirt roads are just as good and just as
| fast as any roads in any of the west
| ern states. That 40 mile time means
| that Kansas can build good dirt roads
at nominal cost and put her on the
map as one of the good roads states
of the union. Everywhere along the
route the people seemed alive to the
Importance of the trip.
y stranger might have mistaken
the day for the Fourth of July. Flags
were flying from farm houses along
the entire route Men stopped their
work in the fields to see the cars go
by and women and children stood on
the porches or in the yards and waved
their arms at the flying motorists I'M
til the cars were lost in the clouds of
dust. In the towns, holidays had been
declared. Business was suspended,
their homes and store buildings then
brought their families up town to
await the arrival of the men who were
responsible for the trail Everywhere
it was much the same. The news that
the schedule was being smashed had
been sent ahead and after the first
surprises at Newton and Peabody, the
crowds We're waiting for the machines.
At practically all of the larger
towns Governor Hodges made short
speeches. He declared that Kansas
should display the same interest in
the building of good roads that she
has displayed in the building of good
schools. Building of good roads, the
governor urged, meant bringing the
farmer closer to the markets and bet
ter markets would mean increased
crop outputs in Kansas. Usually the
governor spoke three or four minutes.
In the car with him were Ralph Faxon,
president of the new Santa Fe trail;
Harry Scott of Hutchinson, secretary:
and Nit White of Emporia, Kansas
manager. Both White and F'axon
made short talks
Speeding over the entire 800 miles |
it would be difficult to draw a clear
dividing line on the good and bad
roads
All of the roads along the trail
We're good. Some were better than
others that was all. over the sandy
roads of Reno county, the cars flew
at a 40 to so mile clip with the ease
of a trip over a pavement in a rubber
tired buggy. Yet in Harvey county, |
the roads were not so fast, although
Harvey county can maintain some
great public highways at a very NOM
inal expense.
In the Chase County Valleys.
It was in the c1umb up and down
hill and through the valleys of Mar |
ion, Chase and Lyon counties, though, |
that the motorists received the sur |
prise of the trip. Everyone in those !
fn he
good roads. They were not only !
boosting, but working. Through the
ragged edge of the Flint hills in Chase |
county, the trail crowd sped a a pace |
that would smash speed ordinances
on the boulevards. In Marion and |
Lyon counties, every foot of the road
was apparently the best that the road |
makers knew how to build. Racing |
out of Emporia after a good lunch at
Nit Whites hotel, the party made the |
trip to Lebo, p miles in 80 minutes
That trip is mentioned only as an
illustration of the brand of running I,
that the trail crowd furnished during |
the days outing.
Yet, no effort was made to establish /
speed records. Before leaving Hutch |
inson, the drivers were instructed |
against racing in any form. And with |
those instructions fresh in their mind. |
the drivers took their own time and
travelled an average speed of about % |
miles an hour. 1t is hard to imagine |
what might have been the time had |
the trial officials instructed the speed |
merchants at the wheels to drive for |
a record.
Leaving Lebo a clear hour and |
half ahead of schedule, the press car |
was assigned to a trip over the cut |
off" which is a most promising bit
of country. but yellowiSh green |
hoodoo for newspaper reporters |
Frank Arnold, whose hair is turning |
grey, piloted the new Chalmers car /
from Emporia for the newspaper boys |
Arnold has all the evidences of the
speed mad driver. After showing that |
5G-mile an hour driving over Lyon