The Detroit times., 1913-03-22
DEEP INTEREST
SHOWN BY WEST
in COAST TOUR
Spirited Westerners Want to See
Indiana Automobile
Pageant
TRAVEL CONDITIONS
ON PROPOSED COURSE
Cooperation Is Forthcoming
from Route of Fisher Rock
Highway
BY JOHN GUY MONiHAN.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, March 81
From out the west are coming re-
quests that the men from Indiana AMI
the Indiana.rnade automobiles who
propose To tour from the Hoosier cap
ital to the Pacific coast In July. shall
come through their village, town or
city. The ambition OF individuals the
town councils. the village boosters. the
great boards OF trade .and the cham
Der of commerce seems 10 be TO bring
these tourists 10 their individual gar
den spots.
Extensive arguments accompany
each request and Invitation stating
that IL a highway is To be built il would
not be logical and practical unless
their particular part OF the country
was passed through. This spirit OF
"get up and go after 1t" is decidedly
American and Is the secret of the sue.
cess Of our great western country.
These men realize that this tour
will be watched from start 10 finish
by thousands OF tourists. Those who
were on the route Of the ocean-to-
ocean tour Of 1871 when group OF
twelve autos driven by their owners
established the fact that the transcon-
tinental highway. available for the
amateur tourist. existed at that time.
brought hundreds OF automobile par
ties over this trail because it had
been proven that long distance tour
from the extreme east TO the extreme
west was not only possible but an Ell
ioyabe undertaking and that II was a
trip not only for the trained athlete
or the man or group Of men who
could endure strenuous hardships. but
il was essentially ride Of pleasure in
which the women and children could
participate.
Will Renew Interest.
They feel that this larger tour Will
renew the interest, and that IL group
of big and little cars. ranging in price
from 81 900 to $4,000, can make this
trip. Il will prove concmsively that
not only does Indiana make good auto
mobiles but that the trip Is possible
for all good cars OF most any size.
The question OF route is "A perplex-
ing one for those who are in charge
because there are many things to con-
slider; for instance, water and gaso-
line supply, hotel and garage ac-
commodations, road conditions, alti-
tude. topography, climatic and atmos-
pheric conditions. and most import
ant probably OF all, total mileage. be-
cause IL We are 10 follow the expert
ence OF the builders OF the great west
ern railroads, II the error or their
mistakes Is 10 he turned 10 our al
vantage, II will be realized that the
etraightest possible line between some
point on the Atlantic 10 given point
: on tho Pacific. and this point bisecting
in two equal parts the country, is
the route to follow.
Lines Of Great Railroads.
Reference to our railroad maps SNOW
that the two greatest railroads In the
United States, namely: the Pennsyl-
yania and the Union Pacific, run
straight west along the tine or -tft-'
4Oth parallel and that II is these rail
road systems which do equally divlh"
this great country. In the autofnoDiie
ocean-to-ocean tour, pracucaliy Iroii'
The moment OF starting at AtiantW
city until our arrival At san Francisco
these railroads were within ten miles
Of our road with the possible eXccp-
ton OF one point In Nevada.
The value OF this route was realzcu
nv those original transcontinentaI rodi
builders, the men of the JeHersoh'
Madison and Monroe administrators
for II must be realized that the luei
Of building a highway by the govern
ment "a not new one. II was tho
basis of one of the great poltlch
controversies of the years OF 1870 10
1918 but when the matter was sqlar >
~ put TO the people, 1t was alinos'
the universal decision that such
highway should be built.
Historic Highway Needs Repairs. !,
The engineers under the direction Oh
President Jefferson selected route
and built a highway, the founda'lohS
NJ which are as good today as they
were IS years ago, and all thls roa"
needs Is a re-surfacing. Ihis ROAD 10
Tho road we all now know as the VA
,ionai highway and extends from me
conyerging point OF the ROADS WHICH
-tead from Washington. Baitlihore a"u
philadelphia. this point being CulIlpe.'
and. Maryland. straight west 10 lerre
Haute. Indiana. ana either ruiliil.E
through or within few nlles Oh 'he
cities of Pittsburgh. GAINESVILLE Coiuii-
bus. indianapolis. And from ierre
IIaute west, the National hlshWaE
would include 81. Louis. Kansas n.y.
Denver Salt Lake and san Francesca
New York City is in touch WIN inns
road az a magnificent highway nov
visits between De cities OF New YORK
and Philadelphia the distance beinK
90 miles. In years time announcer
boulevard on the coast itself connect
ing all OF the great coast resorts OF
the Atlantic principally among winch
are Asbury Park and Atlantic Guy
with the great eastern metropolis. Inc
distance by this route VIII he withih
100 miles.