Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10
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4 The following Washingtonians became
members Of the club during the past
! week: Wallace 3. Allen, William E.
Luckett,. Richard W. Henderson, Reu-
ben Cook, II. W. Buckley, W. F. Wool
ard. II. F. Watson and lie Roy Q. King.
i In donating Il cup and. lending his
name to the Sheepshead Bay automobile
races. Vincent Aston made 1t a condi-
ton that the race be run under the
rules of the contest board of the A. A.
I A. This was expected in view OF the
1 fact that Mr.. Astor has long been q
member of the metropolitan consulate
of the A. A. A, sister organization Of
the District OF Columbia club.
Now that most of Washington's motor
tourists have returned home for the
winter season. the full strength OF the
local motor club is becoming apparent.
Handsome motor cars wearing bright.
shining A. A. A. emblems upon their
radiators are the rule upon the city's
street these days, rather than the ex-
ception.
Very few Washington motorists know
that each month members of the local
club receive in the clubs official pub
location the most recent touring infor-
| nation acquired by Americas three
foremost road-1oggers. auto road map
makers and touring NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
! Bruce. James Hemstreet and Il. l.. Fer
| guson.
| Mr. Ferguson. located in the Wash
4 ington Offices, has seen more field sery-
| ice than his confreres He has per-
sonaiiy conducted more pathfnding
| trips millionaire motor jaunts and re-
| liz bility and endurance runs than per-
| haps any other individual in the coun-
4 try In this work Mr.. Hemstreet is q.
l,close second.
Y Mr.. Bruce Is best known as a prolific
| writer OH motor touring, and has d.
| rected a countless number Of tourists
| through the famous motoring places of
the north. Atlantic coast.
The store of information upon motor
| ing subjects which these men possess
| always is at the disposal of members
of the District club. As they acquire
new knowledge 1t is written and pic
tured in the clubs official publication,
| copy of which goes TO each member.
According to officials of the local mo.
tor club. the automobile route out OF
Wa shing ton most discussed at the pres
ent time and the one concerning which
the largest number Of inquiries are re-
ceiyed, is that between the National
Capital and Fredericksburg, Va. This
road also comes in for more severe
criticism than any other main travelled
highway in this section. Much Of this
| criticism. they say. Is we'll deserved,
but not all OF 1t Is based on correct
premises.
In discussing the subject with the
many persons who have made COM
plaints-and the subject comes up at
least once day Touring Director
Ferguson states that in most instances
the bitterest complaints come from
those who have not followed the rout-
| ing as recently prepared and issued by
the club In double post card form.
Mr.. Ferguson said:
Our route card shows both the i'm
proved and unimproyed stretches for
the entire distance and calls particular
attention to the one especially bad spot
f! of about 100 yards in length Just this
| side Of Chappawamsic creek, in Prince
William county.
! The survey OF the route shows the
following: improved highway for the
first twenty miles. and then t.6 miles of
poor to fair, including a short stretch
of rough down hill. narrow and be-
tween earth banks. Then improved
road past the penal institute and
| through OccoQuan, with a total Of As
miles. Then an acute-angie turn is
made to the right on to poor stretch
of one mile.
1 1T Is at this turn that many go
on a tree reading Richmond" The A.
a. A. placed two Of its signs at this
point. but one of them has been re-
moved by some one, and the other sign
isr 80 placed that it cannot be seen by
south bound motorists. 1t is some where
. Beyond this point that many again go
/ wrong, missing two stretches Of Inn
proved road. one OF seven-tenths and
the other OF 3.4 miles. This latter leads
into Dumfries, and between the two is
an unimproyed mileage Of 46 ranging
from poor to fair. In going wrong al
this somewhere" point the tourist has
miles upon miles of vicious going, COM
~ practically all boulders. In other
words, the mistake means ten miles OF
inoescribably bad conditions, whereas
the correct going gives four miles of
improved road and 4.6 miles Of fair IN
!, poor, with none of 1t equal to n1oet ali
L Of that ten miles
Quantico crock is forded Just out Of
hpumf,ies and then comes another de-
advised to turn Off onto the MissouT
Mills road. coming back onto the regu-
lar through route Just beyond Chap
pawamsic creek. This is done to avoid
.hst very bad, low-bottom spot. The
cnolce is absolutely debatable, whether
70 drive over boulders down a steep
Dill and through ford at the old mill
and tnen up another boulder hill, or to
LAX! tske chance with the mud hole in
ing the low bottom requires real driv-
Ing to get through: also under the
same conditions there is a chance that
the engine.
From Chappawamsic creek there IL
| % miles of highway. to just beyond
the Garrisonville post ONCE. Then
| comes IL miles Of road that is under
construction. followed by Ills miles Of
highway into Fredericksbur9.
| POne OF the prime causes that lead
SO many OF the regular routing IL the
| acceptance of local advices as to how
10 go and the road character. There
Is well defined belief on the part of
many In a position to Judge that It all
hinges on the desire OF some OF the
natives to hire out teams at exorbi-
tant prices There also has been re-
assuring evidence that some of these
have gone the length Of creating mud
holes for the same purpose. In fact,
two arrests have been made on the
latter. complaint. but It is said COM
placent judge discharged the case for
lack of evidence"
| Touring Director Ferguson Ii plan
ming to go over the road again this
| week and put up more signs. Those
motorists contemplating trip to
Fredericksburg should call at club
headquarters for the route card. and
| those coming north from Eredericks-
burg should apply at the club there for
| the correct directions."
| Motored to Speedway Races.
c. n. Warrington Of the Warrington