The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-07-22

Trail to Sterling, ILL.,, having seven
miles of brick paving to East Moline,
and then good stiff mud with many
deep mud holes as it is river road
and rain had made it impossible for
two days, but we made the 60 miles
by little after 8 o'clock, stopping
| over night at Sterling.
| Monday morning we started from
Sterling over the Lincoln Highway
for Chicago. The country is almost
level, no hills to amount to anything,
the roads being nearly all gravel
with occasional stretches Of cement,
but the heavy rains had badly wash
ed the gravel roads leaving holes and
rough spots. In many places repairs
We're being made, fresh crushed
stone and gravel being spread over
the road and this made it rough 60
ing and hard on tires, the crushed
rock cutting the tires and thick oil
in places injuring the castings and
splashing over the car. At West
Chicago we had to change a tire
which blew out on this account
Chicago was reached at 3 D.. M, 154
miles, and say. it is some different
driving car III the business section
of Chicago and Leon. A bridge
closed for repairs put us in on a
bad street and the first thing we
knew we were under the elevated
railroad, autos, trucks, street cars,
wagons and more autos, street cars,
trucks and wagons, stop every five
feet, watch the car in front, the car
behind and a policeman who tells
you when to move. It's worse than
band concert night in Leon. We
finally got through all right to
Michigan avenue, where the autos
are supreme and everybody drives
as fast as they like and you have to
hustle to keep out of the way of the
fellow behind you.
! All though Illinois from Sterling
to Chicago there had been heavy
rains and the fields looked like lakes,
with corn sticking up out of the
water. Many places in the road
water extended clear across from
fence to fence and we drove through
water in stretches of one to six hun
dred feet long and six inches to
eighteen inches deep. The corn in
Iowa is away ahead Of any we saw
in Illinois.
After spending a few hours in
Chicago where we visited Mr.. and
Mrs. F. E. Thompson at the Alex
andria hotel we started on the Lake
Shore driving to Evanston and while
standing in front of the hotel were
waved at by Mrs. Georgia Post For
roster, of Chicago, who was passing
in an auto. 1t is beautiful drive
through Lincoln Park and on Sheri-
dan road to Evanston, u miles,
| where we spent the night.
Tuesday morning leaving Evans
| ton we drove to FIT. Sheridan, High
land Park and Waukegan, then
through Zion City and saw the fam
Gus Zion Home. Big sign boards
as you enter Zion City tell you that
the use of liquor, tobacco and pro-
fame language is prohibited within
the limits of the town. Leaving Zion
| City for Kenosha, Wis, we encOun-
tered the worst roads on the trip,
through deep sand and clay, the
roads all cut up and badly rutted and
hard going. On this stretch we
passed an auto which went over a
bridge into forty foot ravine the
previous night, badly injuring one
man, and number of men were at
| work getting the car out on the
roao with ropes and tackle. From
Kenosha we drove to Burlington,
Wis, then to Lake Geneva, very
pretty summer resort where short
stop was made then on to another
resort at Delavan Lake, and on to
GAINESVILLE. Here we found their
chautauqua in progress and Victor
Ogilvie was with BANDS Band and
Orchestra. We drove to the chau-
tauqua grounds to visit him but just
missed seeing him as several of the
boys had gone to the river for a
swim and as we wanted to reach
| Madison for supper we could not wait
until he returned We were now in
the Wisconsin tobacco country and
saw field after field of tobacco, some
corn and some alfalfa. Many swell
lakes and beautiful little rivers are
| to be seen in every direction. We
reached Madison Tuesday evening
at 7 o'clock, the mileage over the
route we travelled from Leon being
$50 miles, all having enjoyed the
| trip immensely and no trouble with
the car aside from changing two
tires. We did not find it necessary
to change gears on account of hill
on the entire trip after short dis
lance out Of Des Moines.
One peculiar thing in regard to
the trip was that nowhere after
leaving Iowa have we seen road
drag either in Illinois or Wisconsin,
yet we have driven over many miles
of dirt road which single dragging
would have made splendid road,
but as it was it was rough. The
roads in Wisconsin are narrow and
in the vicinity of Madison are many
beautiful drives, the city being sur
rounded by lakes.
On our return trip we will prob
ably cross the Mississippi at Prairie
du Chen and through northern
Iowa to Mason City and home over
the Interstate Trail, but the
weather may change our plans as it
rains mighty easily up here.
o. E. Hull.
MONEY!
The Mint makes it and under the
%or~,,e - Norfinonfa1 MOrf0o ga