The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-08-13
Made His Auto Trip
Roads We're Afloat
From Tuesdays Daily.


ed from +. +. Soaring. president OF
the MankatO Commercial club. let
ter giving an account Of Mr.. Scar
ing's automobile trip with his family
from MankatO To Brooklyn, Wis. The
letter is dated at Brooklyn on August
I. and reads as follows:
We left MankatO a week ago this
morning at nine o'clock. making OF
lava for picnic dinner. st. Charles
for supper and Winona for lodging.
There were very bad roads the latter
part of the way on the new grade of
the Black and Yellow trail. freshly
rained on. Thursday morning we
found fine misty rain falling. but
this ceased. and at ten o'clock we
started again and reached Lacrosse
Tor picnic lunch.
After climbing the hill Of the Mis-
gissippi valley. we had good roads in
the main and reached Elroy at $50
+. m. for supper. having been delayed
lust before dark by our first pune
lure. We remained over night at
Elrov and started east at $50 a. M,
with threatening weather. The
roads were very heavy for a way, II
having shOwered during the night.
but around Reedsberg and Baraboo
We found splendid gravel and maca-
dam roads and after picnic dinner at
lIaraboO. we pushed on (Friday)
Encountered Many Difficulties.
We had blowout near Reeds
burg and one again i'm the afternoon.
We began to follow a severe storm
near Prairie du Sac and from there
to Brooklyn had by far the hardest
going | ever was in. The roads lex
cent where macadamiZed into Madi
som were sea. and we were
drcnched with rain and mud. Our
ignition system had begun To fail the
previous morning. causing the engine
10 heat. so that we had to cool IL
several times Everything was
afiOat. crops were down fiat in some
places. ducks were swimming in the
roads. etc. We had blow out in the
midst OF il. and just as the heavy
down pour fell on us. There was a
buggy shed near by. N rOadhOuse,
which We ran under.
The people at the rOadhOusp got
us a meal. as we were hungry. and I
made rerairs. My self-starter failed.
owing to the storage battery playing
out. Then for three and a half miles
we plOughed on. and then struck ten
miles OF good and bad macadam into
Madison. II was p. m. and | de-
Cided To continue to here, sixteen
miles southeast.
The macadam and gravel road was
shut off for repairs. as part of the
way was over fierce roads. The
car worked worse. as | had but little
spark. the generator not working.
ana having no magnets. and there
was not enough TO light the lights. so
] could not see anything. However.
we ploughed on through mud. water
and rain. and after losing one OF our
chains. reached our destination at s
p. m, having gone 332 miles by
route. but 36S by speedometer. in
Guiding rides around the cities
passed through. and mileage added
by reason of change OF roads. etc.
We were welcomed by our relatives.
who had given us up for the day.
Since our arrival. il has rained
hard every day. about six inches
having fallen at Madison since
August |. at the weather observa
tory. We had planned TO start for
home this morning but had been I'M
able TO get back to Madison to get
my car repaired. or TO visit any of
the PAGES around here that we had
planned. The car will go on dry
cells. and in day or two hope the
roads will permit us to reach Madison
for repairs.
People Are Very Kind.
THE people here are very kind and
two private cars have been offered
us. 10 visit the places | came to see.
as soon as the weather settles. Now
the country is sea OF mud. and the
roads of the main highway are said
To be bottOmless. Nothing like IL is
recalled by old settlers here.
Harvesting and haying are wait
ing on the weather. The finest oat
fields ! ever saw here are all tangled
and matted down. Corn is about the
same as with us. This is good
weather for tobacco. and the crop
looks we'll, but not as much is being
raised as usual. Stock raising and
dairying are coming TO the front.
There are fine dairy barns. with
everything modern. We are ahead
in road work. particularly dragging.
as the little dragging done in this
state is not done as well as with us.
We expect TO start for home as
soon as the car is fit. which ought
not to take long. and the weather
settles. We look for a three day
trip home. We are in a round of
social pleasures, being honor guests
somewhere each evening"