Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-03-06
COAST TO COAST
MOTORCYCLE TRIP
John F. Miller Tells Of Ad-
ventures Of Himself and
Companion JOS. Kayser
lBY John E. Miller.l

After covering 5000 miles this sum.
mer on this same Excelsior we started
September 23 on the long hard grind to
the Pacific const over all kinds of
roads. The route was from my home
town, Paulsboro, N. j., to Philadelphia.
thence to New York city, from there
through the New England states and
back to Buffalo, taking in Niagara
Falls. The roads so far were very good.
From Buffalo we took the Lake Shore
route through Erie, Cleveland. Toledo.
South Bend, Laporte, ON to Chicago.
These roads averaged fair. Any one
wishing to make this trip should have
no trouble in getting through to this
point.
We stayed in Chicago twelve DAYS.
including show week. Our stay was not
very bright as it rained nine out of the
twelve days we were there. On leav.
ing, the weather was fine for sometime
but the roads were in an awful shape.
1t was a shame the way we had to use
the motor to get through.
No Wonder We Wondered.
Knowing we had over two.thirds of
the way yet to go, we began to wonder
if it was possible for the machine to
hold out. But we kept on, through -.
Louis to Kansas City, still finding bad
roads but somewhat better in Kansas.
Continuing from Kansas City we found
lots Of sand after leaving Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. From here, following
good advice, we took a more northerly
route through Texas by way Of Mem
phis and Amarillo. The roads in thi,
section are good except after heavy
rains, which was our fate, so the going
was still very bad.
From Amarillo we went to Roswell
N. NJ, all very hard going from here on
We We're never out of sight of noun
tains during. the rest of our trip.
We struck some very severe grade
= but we had no trouble in climbing
them with our Blk X two.speed,
Going Up Seemed Going Down.
In different places where it SCENE
y we were riding down grade along sid
, Of the road water would be running
= the opposite direction with great fore
> and in looking back we could see "
u were climbing upward. We travele
II on to Almagorda then to FL Paso, TIE,
v as, through the desert for hundreds q
J. miles without seeing Il house. The e
r ing was very hard. We saw the star
= /, ing of the automobile race from ii Pas
u to Phoenix and in about five hours W
u started out ourselves over the sam
's desert road. This was some road {
y ride over after twenty'cight automt
u bles driving over desert sands.
u After going go miles without any bet
i ter cylinder oil than we could sc
Is along the road, which was very poo
we pumped our tank dry three mile
II from the nearest place to get OIL
y The Oil of Joy.
n The sand being very Deep we wcr
i compelled to stop, not knowing what {
p. do. We strained our eyes in vain, loob
4 ing for an auto in order TO beg som,
:. Then happened to remember Rad pL
n in one of my side seats a % cent hottl
q Of "Thrce- ln.Onep oil. p@: This j
,. the tank and we mad the three mile
!. through heavy sand in good shgpe keel
@ ing on through Deming and Douglas {
, Bisbec, Arizona.
s Here we certainly struck same feG
q mud, very heavy thunder shower hay
ing arrived the same time we did an
trying to ride the deep mud, we foun