The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-13
"THREE MILES AN HOUR
Vermont Autoists Find Miserable Road
Conditions on Eastern Trip.
Reno, New, Aug. 5, 1915.

Editor, Times; We have made goot
progress on our way east so far. From
Sacramento we took the northern route
following the railroad through Rosevillc
Auburn, to Colfax. We passed orchards
and vineyards by the thousand acres
every hour, all under irrigation. We
passed several artificial lakes, constructed
to hold back the waters for irrigation.
Saturday, Aug. 7.
| have started to write several times
but we have been busy since we started
We are now at Winnemucca, about 30C
miles from Ogden. We have been coming
over very level and dry country and
have generally found very bad roads 10
miles at a stretch where we could not
average five miles per hour. We have
seen no rain since about the 10th of June
when we were in Iowa, but they have had
showers here within a week, and we
could see thunder heads east of us all
day yesterday. We like dry weather
best to travel in.
We are now about 200 miles north Of
our route across Nevada. 1t is nice
farming country here, where they irri-
gate. A desert where they do not.
We Travelled over ! 900 miles in Cali
fornia; Dix people good deal more.
We found all climates. A person in an
auto can easily change climates in two
hours. When we left Sacramento the
thermometer stood l02 degrees in the
shade. Two hours later in the noun
tains we were really cold after donning a
good deal more clothes.
| We passed through a large redwood
1 forest with trees from eight to 10 feet
in diameter and 200 feet tall. When near
the top of the mountain we came TO a
place where there was large place
board describing the Spaulding lake dam,
which was made of solid masonry and
was almost 300 feet high and made to
store water for power plant that fur
nished electricity for running most all
electric roads in central California be-
sides electric lights, etc.
| We came to the railroad snowsheds at
about noon The second day ont. There
are probably 20 miles of snowsheGs.
| About ne-half mile of them burned a
few days ago, blocking the trains for n
while. We passed down on the east side
of the divide towards Truckee on pretty
steep rocky grade. Between Truckee and
Reno we passed over the same route we
went west on At Reno we took the
northern route to Salt Lake or Ogden.
Aug. s.
Well we passed through the most God.
forsaken country yesterday any OF us
ever saw. If you remember, ! did not
speak very highly of Nevada on our trip
West, but that route was a paradise
when compared with this. We passed 10
miles on a stretch yesterday where we
could not make three miles an hour, but
about dark we came to a good road and
we travelled till q o'clock p. m.
We were short OF water, as Dix had
lost his water bag. Finally we came TO a
tent. We routed the occupants and found
they were camping at hot spring. 80
we camped. There was thunder shower
east Of us. same as the night before, and
il is very cold this morning. Ii had
rained some the day before ON territory
we passed through yesterday, but it soon
got dusty. About 3 p. m. we came to
place where someone had put up sign,
saving: IF This Isn't Hell, Wish Some
one Would Tell Is Where 1t Is Located,
For II Must BE an Improvement Over
This Country" They had made mound.
resembling a grave, and erected cross
We saw very few people or autos. We
came across a man who had abandoned
his car and begged for a ride with US 70
the next place, which was Battle Noun
tain named because il was the place Of
a battle with Indians). We stopped our
cars and went back with him TO his car
and started IL for him, and he went on
rejoicing. We have had no car troubles
except one day our Ford ear stopped
about one mile from a garage and Fix
towed us to IL. The only trouble was
we had been using too heavy oil and the
commutator was gummed. We have To
drive awfully careful on account OF chuck
holes, or we would break springs. We
found one car that had got afre and
burned up; the iron work most all melt
ed II was a 1915 Ford.
The water at this hot spring, after L
gets cool. Is excellent drinking water.
We are all well and are enjoying our
selves. for AL the drawbacks. We ere
on a good road now. but we do not know
how long Il viii last. ! said yesterday
that we were 800 miles from ogden. hut
il was 423. Now We are about 3l5 miles
west OF Ogden, so a guideboard says.
Wells. New, Aug. 2.
The roads are a little rough for our
Ford car. We broke a rear axle, Which
laid US up for several hours. We hadn't
been stopped 10 minutes when Colorado
garage man. on his way to San Fran
cisco. came along. and he had all neces.
sary repairs with him and stopped and
nut IN new -xle for us. Dix car, with
wheels seven inches larger than ours,
stands these chuck holes much better
than ours.
We are camping on school grounds here
At Wells. about POO miles from Ogden
and they ssy here We have a lot Of had
roads 10 60 over yet before We get thsre
We an think We should have come bark
the way We went, but We wanted e see
more 81 the country. However, We have
had enough Of this kind. although, Il TIE
rosda were good. this would BE- the best
-. -. :. = .sora level rr less noun.