Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-08-10
RecOrd-Breaking
Endurance Run

such stage of perfection that it is
difficult matter in these days to
find road within striking distance
of civilization that has not been trav-
ersed by some machine.
Such, however, was the case with
Ralph Skinner of Sacramento, says
the Bee, when he started with his
REQ the Fifth for Georgetown Satur-
day evening in an attempt to make
the trip from that place to Lake Ia
hoe by way of the old immigrant
trail. Skinner gives the following
description of his trip:
Leaving Sacramento at o'clock
Saturday evening, we made an easy
run to Georgetown, arriving there at
II o'clock. The distance is 65 miles
over the Auburn Boulevard, which
is beautiful drive until after leav-
ing Auburn.
A stop was made for the night at
Georgetown and at exactly $50 Sun
day morning start was made on
the eventful trip. We passed through
Tunnel Hill, Quintette and Eleven
Pines in the early hours of the morn
ing and arrived at Uncle Toms Cabin
at $50.
The next stopping place was Guer-
ley creek, and this was the place
which the oldest inhabitants of
Georgetown had described as our
Waterloo.
When we arrived at the creek our
spirits were, indeed, dampened, and,
after sounding the waters with long
sticks, we decided to make the at
tempt. A sheet of canvas was thrown
over the radiator to keep the water
out of the electrical system and this
proved to be all that was needed. A
large crowd had gathered to watch
the performance and we were given
loud cheer as the car breasted the
hill.
Here we were forced to change
tires, which had been literally torn
to pieces among the rocks. The
grades now were becoming sleeper
and the roads frightful, and after
considerable hard usage the car
finally reached Wentworth Springs,
where. no automobile had previously
entered
The battle against the heavy
grades, which in some places ran as
high as AZ per cent, began above
DEVILS Dump. Trees were laying
across the road in places, while again
no road could be found and 1t was
necessary to make one ourselves by
pulling aside boulders and removing
other obstacles.
Now we were nearing the famous
Sluice Box, which was the most diff
cult part of the road. Great walls
of granite rise so feet at each side
leaving just enough room at the foot
for car to pass. The road was SO
narrow in places that three hub caps
were torn from the wheels. The
roadbed is of solid granite with rocks
of sharp, jagged edges, which keeI
the axles constantly humping against
the frame.
Soon we reached Spider Lake from
where we could look down into the
canyon of Rubicon river. The dowr
grade to the canyon had dangerous
look but we had sufficient faith in
the brakes to make the descent. The
loose rocks we're flying in every di.
rection as we went down, and this
added greatly to the danger, there
being no firm ground to hold the car
We reached McKinneys at 1920 p
M, having been on the road for IL
hours and 35 minutes, and had COW
cred ga miles. The average of five
miles per hour will give some idea of
the kind of roads we had come over.
From Wentworth Springs to Rublcon
Springs, distance of 71s miles, took
two and a half hours. From Rubi-
con to McKinneys is nine miles and
took two hours.
The most pleasing part of the his
tory is that this is the same car which
made the first run into Lake Tahoe
by way of Placerville, the same car
which annexed the trophy for the
first car making the round trip to
Lake Tahoe and return in "a hours.
Child Has Very Narrow Escape.