The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-05-29
THE PATHFINDER CAR
The Log of the Trip as Given by
Official Reporter, A. r. Huffman.

| A. r. Huetman, of the Des Moines
Register and Leader, accompanying
1.-THE Little Glidden pathfinding car, as
lofficial reporter thus writes his paper:
After covering 1876 miles over good,
bad and Indifferent roads during the
day the Empire pathfinding car for
the Little Glidden tour arrived at Keo-
kuk at 4:45 O'Clock p. m. Tuesday.
After stop of half an hour to re-
pair speedometer the party started
out for Burlington with the intention
of making the night stop at tina place.
| Accidents unique in the annals of
Little Glidden pathfinding tours de-
layed the Empire unusually during
| the afternoon.
Although the car pulled through
the bad spots in splendid shape the
map-makers We're delayed often by un-
preventable mishaps. The worst mis-
hap was broken speedometer. The
'car was speeding along at great
shape near Warren with every indica-
! ton of making Keokuk early in the
afternoon when the logkeeper noticed.
that the speedometer was no longer
registering distance as an honest
speedometer should. Keeping a log
without a speedometer is an impossi-
bility, and the party was forced to
stop in an attempt to repair the re-
cording device.
| An hour was lost near Warren with
out any results as far as the speed
ometer was concerned, so the party
drove into DonnellsOn. A total OF two
hours was lost on account of the
speedometer in search OF extra para
Iphernalia. l.. r. Reed, of Donnellson,
loaned the pathtinders a speedometer
gear, but it failed to work. The trip
from Donnellson to KeOkuk was made
without taking a log. The necessary
repairs on the speedometer We're made
at Keokuk.
| Another delay occurred after leay.
ing Mount Pleasant. Six miles south
of that town the road was blocked on
a culvert by a wagon load of crushed
rock. The pathtinding party got busy
and assisted the driver to unload and
got by with fifteen minute stop
The pathfnders got an early start
| from Oskaloosa Tuesday morning,
| leaving d. P. McClure's garage at
5:45 O'clock. The first stop was at
Eddyville, where F. NJ Epperson and
Arthur B. EPperson extended the glad
hand to the tourists.
! +. NJ. Epperson, who announces that
! he has been subscriber to The Reg
| lister and Leader since 1877, and
watches closely events throughout the
state, left his breakfast table when he
learned of the arrival of the pathfind-
ers and came down town in his carpet
slippers. Frank Epperson, who with
his brother and father, are RESPONSE
BILE for bringing the tour through Ed.
idyville, is in, Des Moines attending
the bankers convention. The Epper-
sons promised to have the roads in
the vicinity of Eddyville in good
shape for the tour.
H. L. Bell and H. J. Lyle greeted
the pathfinders at Ottumwa. B. Muir
ray and E. L. Allender, of Fairfield,
| promised to have the roads in good
shape near that city.
! At Keokuk the pathfinding party
took a look at the power dam, l..
! Payer, a local auto dealer, acting as
guide; H. E. Reese, another Keokuk
auto dealer, extended every courtesy
to the pathfinders and furnished the
new speedometer gear.
: A large and varied assortment OF
roads were encountered during the
day by the tourists. There were many
stretches that could not have been
improved. Others We're just starting
to dry and the going was heavy.
Miles of mud were negotiated. The
best roads were found south of Mount
Pleasant and entering Keokuk, where
there are miles of crushed stone high
way. Road drags were out in many
places, especially along the organized
roads, the Blue Grass route and Wau-
bonsie trails, portions of which were
covered
| Indications are that with dry wealth
er the Little Glidden tourists will
have excellent going all the way TO
Keokuk.
noon control for the first day of the
run, the Ottumwa autoists promising
! to provide all necessary accOmmOda-
tons during the noon stop.
! Towns visited by the pathfinder af-
! ter leaving Oskaloosa, are Eddyville,
Ottumwa, Agency, Batavia, Fairfield,
! LOckridge and Mount Pleasant, where
stop of an hour was made for din
/ HeT, OdleUI, warren, DOnHellSOH,
! charleston, New Boston, Mount Clara,
Mooar and Keokuk.
! The Little Glidden pathfinding party
arrived at Burlington at 8 o'clock
Tuesday evening, making the forty
! five miles from Keokuk in good time.
The Empire pathfinder pulled out of
Keokuk at $40 o'clock and Fort Mad
ison was reached at 7:45 o'clock.
From that point on the party travelled
in the dark. Upon arriving at Bur
lington arrangements were made for
new speedometer and logging was re-
sumed early in the morning.
] The towns to be covered Wednes-
! day by the pathfinders are Mediapolis,
Newport, Fruitland, Muscatine, Daven.
port, Durant, Wilton Junction, Mos
COW, Atalissa, West Liberty, Iowa
City, New Liberty and Cedar Rapids.
II the going is good Pathfinder Robin.
son expects to make still greater
distance.
/ The Little Glidden pathfinding car
arrived at Muscatine at 11:45 today
lon fine roads from Keokuk. The car
left Burlington at $3.50 The party
expects to be in Cedar Rapids TO-
night.