The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-24
TRYING TRIP EASTWARD.
Vermont Autoists Are Running Into Poor
Road Conditions.
Near Ogalalla, Neb., Aug. II, lOl

gate and raise alfalfa to winter them OF
| Lots of huts where the herders live win
tiers. They keep a lot of dogs TO kee
the coyotes and wolves away from th
sheep. We have crossed no mountain
for 500 miles. All appears like a success
sion of deserts and yet | think under il
rigation it will be prosperous section o
the country. They can get water fror
10 to 500 feet, but have to pump il
| That is, no one has bored an artesia
we'll Perhaps in that way they coul
get flowing water. The mountains il
sight all the way are desert, TIL
country is very hot days, but cold night
on account Of the elevation which j
higher most of the way than Mt Wash
ington--that is, over 5000 feet. II is toe
far north and high to ever raise corr
successfully, but oats, wheat and othei
small grains do well when irrigated. Ii
one place we found an apple orchard o.
over 1000 trees loaded with fruit.
think apples could be raised here sue
cessfully. We now start for Keelton.
] am writing now from Ogalalla. We
are at last out of the hailstone region,
guess. We broke our record yesterday
and went ITO miles A large part of that
distance all crops were destroyed by the
hail Corn completely cut to pieces and
lying on the ground, but we have not
seen any corn of any size between here
and the Pacific ocean. Potatoes are look
/ ing well here, where the hail did not
strike them. The sunhower grows wild
here and overruns everything. We no
ticed some farmers ploughing in their
wheat, sunlowers and all. That would
be quite feat in Vermont, but the sun
| flowers here are small We have struck
the sweet clover section, where it grows
wild beside the roads.
The whole region which we passed yes
terday and day before has been flooded,
but the roads are psssably dry now, ex.
cept In some locations where they have
had daily showers.
Moon of same day, eating dinner at
schoolhouse 10 miles east of the city OF
South Platte.) They have been having
heavy rains here and pretty muddy go
ing, but we have got along SO far with
out chains, although most cars have them
on. We have carried two sets of chains
all the time since we left Vermont. We
have Travelled over 1000 miles and only
used one set of chains about six hours.
That was in Nebraska, directly south of
here about 20 miles.
We are on the Lincoln highway east,
only when we have to make detours on
account Of bad roads. Once yesterday
there was a bridge gone and we had to
travel two miles to get 10 rods We have
come across sections to-day where hail
had destroyed all crops Wheat that
was not harvested was stripped and GOV.
cred with mud. That which was harvest. |
ed and set up in stocks was strewn all |
over the fields, covered with mud, and it |
looks as though il was ruined. These
hail storms cover only narrow strips from
10 rods to two miles and are not contn-
uous.
At our camp in Lexington, Neb., Aug. is.
We arrived here at about dark last
night over pretty bad roads on a detour
south from the Lincoln highway. They
have had so much rain here and there is
20 much auto travel on the lincoln high.
way that it is impossible and they say
al roads between here and Omaha, 240
niles, are impassable and il looks like
ain, too. They are having fully as wet
/ time here in Nebraska as when we
vent west, and we have been behind the
ain the same as when going out, except
or little shower at TT. Steele.
Here in Nebraska they have a pretty !
.ood way of making bridges over a creek
Try most of the year, with sandy bot
ON. They cover IL with cement, lower
n the middle.
We have come TO the land Of birds /
gain. Practically no birds for 500 miles. :
The cost Of gasoline on our return trip {
as been much less. Have used less on {
ccount OF the level country, and il has
ost less per gallon. Thirty cents per !
allon is the most ] have paid; nine and \
ne-half cents at Stockton and Ia cents 1
ere at Lexington.
about 40 miles west OF Omaha, Neb, ?
.ug. %. 1851
Our party has been delayed by bad :
pads and sickness. caused perhaps BY !,
alter drank. but doctor SAYS IL is ma !
ria, caused by the bite Of a mosquito. I
fosquitos are plenty in this drowned. =
AZ country.
At FREMONT, few miles east Of ms. !,
ley had seven inches Of rain last Mon. 4
ly. II was wet when we went west In /,
lis section. but Il il wetter now. The !
irmers are discouraged. as whore hail
d not destroy their crops the wet
Gather is sprouting their wheat in the
lids. We seem 20 b. Just behind the
Iin, but We get the mud. We have not p
4 stuck in the mud vet. bat We have i
'und lots Of others who have. We Q
opped and helped two autos out Of the A
I'D, - we could not get along. and il u
'lsyed us three hours. The road com n
issioner was there with a team. but b
~ not trying 10 fK the road. - one p
MY said. who had paid hum g for NOV. q
& the car = rod Our party feirht CO
It0sl talked 30 him pretty rough and ~
cleared out afraid Of his life. i guess. 81
iAt orr old camping place near the -
y oi Missouri Valley. Ia, evening %
lr. 20l 4,
We got into Omaha a. o'ciock b. !
y. after passing over some PRETTY rough
ads. Where the roads IN Nehraska
Fe hesn cut up when muddy and b.
ne dry Afterwards. they arr worse than
'Fm0nt roads iu winter. uhnn they have
ven W rough. The dry adgis i
rdsr than vermont frozen ground but
very guCd road after i rsts smoofhsd
Ihis is ths fret time siure ws irft
rnlout that We have rassed. going ~
ming she sane rad tuife tat -
nk nov W shall rnss tlIruurh iowa
The sane ruad we uert west. ss they y
i that = ma 80 So snrrfa We