The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-26
FAST MOTOR TRIP
Quick Time Between Kansas
City and Hutchinson.
Good Roads for Tour of Santa
Fe Trail Party.
GOV. HODGES IS WITH Them
Schedule Provides for 3OO-MiIe
Run in 12 Hours.
Ninety Minutes Ahead of Sched-
ule at Emporia.

Empor1a, Kan, May 26.-The new
santa Fe trail party arrived in EN-
porla at 1O:35, nearly an hour and a
nalf ahead of schedule. Broken con-
hecting rod on press car caused delay
OF 10 minutes. Stops and speeches
were made at Peabody, Florence and
cottonwood Falls after. leaving New
TON The party expects to arrive in
Kansas City two hours ahead Of
schedule
Newton, Kan, May 26.-Trail party
time on the first IS miles of run. Just
enough rain fell to lay the dust and
made ideal running stops for
speeches will probably be made at
apooy and Florence if no delays.
Hutchinson, Kan, May 26.-Racing
at record speed over dirt roads the
OFFICIALS of the new Santa Fe trail are
today demonstrating to the state and
motorists of the nation that Kansas
natural roads are good enough for anv
western trip. The Santa Fe trail Of,
1lclals left the starting point 20 miles
west of Hutchinson at 6:45 this morn
ing and will arrive in Kansas City, ac-
corolng to schedule at GAS tonight
hours.
A large crowd of Hutchinson people
were IN front of a local newspaper of
f1ce early this morning when the trail
party was photographed and. Cover
nor hodges made a short speech ad-
vocating the building of good roads
IN Kansas Promptly on time the Of
!lclal car started east out of Hutch
1nson on the first lap to Newton.
Where five minute stop will be made
10 permit of another short talk by
the state executive In addition to
the New Santa Fe trail officials are
half dozen newspaper officials. A
special press car was provided for the
news writer's and this car is being
driven by Harry Taylor, one of the
best drivers in the state. In the Of
Ilclal car are Governor Hodges, c. W.
Scott, Ralph Faxon and o. NJ. Wilhite.
Newspaper representatives from Kan
sas City Topeka and Hutchinson are
in the press car.
Placed Roads i'm Shape.
To provide for today's trip. special
had been made by the
trail officials in all of the counties
along the line. Roads were graded
Saturday and Sunday night every
thing was in readiness for the trip.
This will be the greatest trip in
the history of the state, so far as
demonstrating the virtues of Kansas
dirt roads is concerned" declared o.
M. Wilhite of Emporia as he entered
the off1c1al car this morning and pre-
pared for the 300-mile junket I'VE
will prove to everyone today that the
state can maintain good roads at a.
cost; and the trip will be an
impetus to better road building in
Kansas"
Rain fell in Hutchinson last night.
but it was not sufficient to deter the
men who had planned today's impor-
tant trip. This morning the streets
were damp and muddy from the rain
of the previous night, but the trail
declared they would make
the run if it was necessary to use
mud chains and plow through heavy
roads the greater portion of the 300
mile run.
This is the sixth time that the new
Santa Fe trail run has been planned
and five times postponed because of
heavy roads. Sunday night reports
from every county through which the
party will pass today indicated that
the roads are in the very best possible
condition Only a heavy rain, re-
ports stated, could prevent a schedule
run.
The itinerary for the trip calls for
a 3OO-mile run in IL hours, including
stops for speeches at Newton, EN-
poria, Ottawa and Olathe. and so
minute stop for lunch at Emporia.
That other speeches will be made in
towns along the route was announced
this morning, providing the time on
the trip will permit.