The San Francisco call., 1913-07-29

Tanned and considerably tired from
their strenuous trip of $500 miles
across the continent from indianapolis,
the Hoosier tourists. blazers of the
Midland trail, arrived in this city yes
terday. completing their journey over
mountains and deserts in exactly -
days.
The 20 members of the party, eompris-
ing Indiana automobile manufacturers,
representatives of the Automobile As
sociation of America, the National
Highway association and the United
states Good Roads bureau, We're re-
ceived at the ferry by a large delega-
tion of local automobile men amid the
blare of trumpets and the footing of
several thousand automobile horns. A
brass band played lively airs.
These modern forty-niners" pre-
fented an interesting spectacle as they
were escorted up Market street. Thou
sands lined the sidewalks to gaze on
the tourists and view the machines
that made the difficult trip.
RoLPH JOINS PARTY
The line of parade was up Market
street to Kearny to Post. thence to
stockton to Market and out Market to
the city hall. where Mayor Rolph joined
the party
The parade then countermarched to
Golden Gate avenue, thence to Van Ness
avenue and out to Bush street. where
the Mayor delivered a short address Of
welcome He said:
Z congratulate you tourists in the
name of San Francisco on your achieve
nent of crossing the continent from In
diana in motor driven vehicles You
are really modern forty miners. only in
stead of the old oxen team you were
conveyed in the UP to date large tour
ing automobile. San Francisco bids you
= welcome"
The purpose of the long journey was
70 arouse interest in the Importance of
othe proposed Lincoln highway. which
will connect both ends of the nation
with we'll built roadway over which
automobile touring parties will be able
TO travel from ocean to ocean. Every
where they stopped they aroused en-
thusiasn over the project
Bill. BEFORE CONGRESS
There is at present before the con
eress of the United States bill call
ing for a large appropriation Tor the
construction of the Lincoln highway.
Several million more has been sub
scribed by the Indiana automobile man
ufacturers.
Vice President Carl G. Fisher of the
Lincoln Highway association and owner
of the indianapolis speedway is a mem
Der of the IIoosier tourists.
Mr. sFfsher stated yesterday that re-
quests. arguments and demands were
coming to the association from all sec
+ions of the west and middle west ana
that each one of them was SO strong
and the arguments so good that 1T was
evident that the selection of the final
route could only be, governed by three
or four factors Those most vital We're
rho directness of the route from New
York to San Francisco, the points of
scenic beauty and historic interest
which could be advanta geously reached
without too many or too long detours
and the character and amount of sup
port offered to the association by the
local communities which would be
direct benefciaries of the highway.
There has been much speculation as
TO the course Of the Midland trail, or
Lincoln highway, after it reaches
Bishop, Cal Los Angeles and the
southern part of the state have been
active in endeavoring to divert the
course from Bishop south over the
desert to Los Angeles.
The Indiana tourists in selecting
their course for the tour Just COM
pleted practically blazed the trail With
the Hoosier party is A. !. Westgard,
pathfinder of the Automobile Associa-
ton of America.
That the northern route through
Lake Tahoe. Placerville and Sacra-
mento was finally adopted was due TO
the work OF the Sacramento Chamber
Of Commerce. 4 delegate from this
body went east months ago and pre-
sented this argument to the Hoosier
= PARTY Los Angeles had 10 delegates
on the scene, but the northern route
was adopted.
In speaking of the route from Bishop
north in California, w. Mckay White,
chairman of the tour yesterday said:
There was nothing on the entire trip
to equal from a scenic view point the
run from Bishop through Tahoe and
the Sierra Nevada l believe that /
much prefer this route TO the southern
one over the desert despite the CAM
psign that has been made for the lat
ter course. 1 will do everything in my
power TO have this route officially
adopted"
BANQUET AT COMMERCIAL CLUB
In the evening the Hoosiers were
banqueted by the San Francisco Conn
mercial club in the Merchants Ex-
change building.
Allen l.. Chickering, president of the
Commercial club, acted as chairman of
the evening. He introduced J. Frank
Maroney as toastmaster of the evening.
Samuel NJ Shortridge delivered the
principal address of the evening. He
said:
1--WE welcome you gentlemen of In
diana here to our golden shores with
all the true hospitality known to Cali.
fornians You men come from that
commonwealth where were born
the great Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin
} Harrison. and last Vice President Mar