Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1914-05-29

Pueblo and Colorado SpfingS Busi-
ness Men Wait Here Saturday on
1900 Mile Sociability Run from
Pixies Peak to Gulf of Mexico.

Pixies Peak to Gulf of Mexico.
Homeward bound for dorado. af-
ter blazing the trial from Colorado
to the Gulf of Mexico and dipping
their machines in the surf'at Calves
ton, members of the Colorado to the
Gulf automobile sociability tour par
ty visited Durapt Saturday.
They came not by auto, but by
rail. After having successfully COW
cred the 1850 miles from Pixies Peak
to the Gulf in strenuous eleven
day trip, the oloradoans were greet
ed on the first day of their home
ward journey with some Of the
heaviest floods in the history Of
Texas. Six inches of rain in one af-
ternoon caused them the first nieht
out of Houston, on the way to San
Antonio, to leave their autos in the
road in water too deep for autos to
negotiate Deciding in spite OF the
floods to continue as far as possible
they took up the journey Wednes-
day morning, May 20, but in three
hours were able to cover only ten
miles, from El Campo to Louise, in
many places OF which they found
water two or three feet deep on the
road Swollen streams with long
stretches of road covered with from
two to ten feet of water prevented
further progress and the only thing
left was to load the autos on board
and send them back by rail to Col
orado.
Members Of the party, decided to
carry out the original itinerary, OF
the sociabflity tour as far as possible
continuing on to San Antonio. Aus
tin, Temple, Waco and Dallas; then
to Denison. Durant. Ardmore. Davis,
Pauls Valley. Purcell, Norman and
Oklahoma, when Saturday evening
and Sunday was spent. Monday the
trip was resumed with visits to
Guthrie, Perry, Ponca City and New
kirk. Oklahoma; Arkansas City,
Wichita and Newton, Kansas. and
thence returning to Colorado Springs
and Pueblo.
The party arrived in Durant at
four o'clock from Denison. They
were met at the depot by a number
of business men headed by c. o.
johnson, president of the local good
roadas association, and were taken
for an automobile drive around the
city. They were shown the many
points of interest over the city, after
which they were served with lunch
con in the parlors of the Bee Hive
confectionery, and a general get ac-
quainted meeting was held. Short
talks were enjoyed, and the visitors
we're loud in their praise of the hos
pitality accorded them while in the
city, and they voiced their apprecia-
tion by complimenting our city in
many ways. especially the fact that
the business activity noticeable on
every hand, in both the business and
residence sections of this city.
Mr.. A. w. Henderson secretary of
the Colorado to the Gulf Highway
Association, at Manitou. Colo, gave
out the following for publication:
THE Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma
sociability tour was planned for the
purpose of bringing the people of
theese states into closer touch with
each other, of creating greater inter-
est in the good roads movement and
particularly in the development of
great highways connecting these
States of the Southwestern Empire.
'In havig successfully reached
the Gulf of Mexico. we feel that one
of the principal objects of the tour
has been accomplished because we
have not only demonstrated the feas-
ibility of this route, but have given
publicity to the many attractions
and advantages of touring in the
rapidly developing Southwest. on
the whole the roads in Colorado to
the Gulf were surprisingly good
considering the fact that we follow.
ed the heaviest storms in the his