Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-03-12

! u
i in Obelby. On leaving Yuma, We en-
tered what was once known as the
Colorado DESERT a land of low;
mountains, long level plateaus, enor-
nous washes Of probably prehistoric
4 rivers and the old sea bed of Which
the Salton} Sea is the remnant and
1.-The Imperial Valley the floor. Eat
ing a hasty lunch in ogelby We drove
i northwest parallel to the Southern
4 Pacific tracks, passing Glamis ond on
i to the Mammoth Wash, the place
of sorrow for antoists unprepared or
unskilled in overcoming desert diff
4 ficulties. Between ogelby and Glamis
we ran for some distance at the foot
of the Walking Hills chain of
4 hills of pure sand about fifty miles
long, four or five miles wide and from
1 fifty to two hundred feet high. Be
cause of prevailing winds from one
/ direction and lack of any binding me-
dunn this body of sand slowly moves
4 forward in one general direction and
4 hence their name.
I When we reached the entrance of
/ Mammoth Wash we stopped. On one
4 of the signboards someone had tack
ed a card reading Five miles of pur-
! gatory to pass through; better pray. Z
We prepared the old car by the use
of fresh water and oil and slight
REIMBURSEMENT to get greater pulling
| power. AS the sand was slightly wet
we did not debate our tires, as an
instruction board now directs but
Went in on hard castings Just TWEEN
ity minutes later we had crossed the
wash and had reached the east high
line canal and We're at the north side
of the Imperial Valley. Then on
south to Brawley where we stopped
thirty-fivea minutes. From Brawley
lssouth we had muddy roads but made
good time through Imperial to Ell
| Centro and then west through Seeley
| to Dixieland on the edge of the des-
.ert.
4 43gl
During the day we travelled dis
trict that has proved SO heart break
ing to many travellers and without diff
4 fculty or particular effort In eight
jhoprs travelled one hundred and thirty
miles averaging l712 miles an hour.
Although it rained hard during the
1 night the next morning was bright
and clear and we left Dixie at 7:10
Iexpecting to drive hard to San Diego
/ and then north along the coast and
reach Los Angeles by dark. We let
/ the old car loose and sure travelled
! some out across the desert to Coy
| ote Wells, on through the Devil Can
| yon wash and up the east side of the
mountains along side of the Devil
Canyon, past Mountain Spring and up
/ to the summit where slam! we went
into perfect deluge of rain, a part
of the storm that for several days
nearly drowned the coast country Of
California. There We're plenty Of
places to stop but we decided to care
4 fully go on to San Diego. At times
| the rain was SO heavy we could not
see to drive and we were forced to
stop; often the road was covered
with water and rushing like mill
race. Part of the time a high wall
was on one side from which a rock
or land slip might slide--indeed we
passed a number of small slides
While on the outer side was often an
almost sheer fall of several hundred
fleet. We should have used only or
;dinary horse sense on that mountain
drive and stopped, but | guess we
didn't have any. as we kept going
lAlthough we passed several stopping
places. We made long stop at War
rens where we had fine meal and
finally reached San Diego at 4::20 sad
T ly in need of a bath and dry clothing.
The fierce storm made the road diff
ficult and dangerous, but we were
very careful and had no mishap what
ever although car behind US went
over the bank, killing one and SER
iously injuringtWo others. That day
because Of the fast run in the morn,
ing we averaged sixteen miles an
hour, having travelled 1o9 miles in
6honrs and SO minutes But for the
storm It should have been run nearly
two hours quicker.
As the roads were destroyed in
many places north by overflow and
bridges taken out we left the Old
Faithful in the garage and took a
train to Los Angeles, arriving Just
before the railroad was put ont of
business.
What is the purpose Of this letter.
TO show my friends it IS not such a
killing Job 70 driveSto the coast, From
Amarillo west one crosses much of
the lain and all Of the