The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-12-02
A WEST VIRGINIA. MARY
LAND AUTOMOBILE TRIP
In Which Is Described Splendid See
merry and Recommends the Trip
TO All AutOlsts.
BY C. A. ROBINSON.
esident 0. V. Automobile Club.

Automobile association, stating that
the publishers of the Blue Book had
arranged with him to make a log of
the roads from Wheeling to Fairmont,
thence to Elkins. returning to the Ma
tional pike at Keyser's Ridge. Md,
via Parsons, W. Va, and Oakland,
Md, provided the Ohio Valley Auto
club would furnish the car and driver,
it took me but a very short time to
decide to furnish the car, and prompt
ly wrote him of my decision, provided
the weather was suitable.
had two or three reasons for want
ing to make the trip. The first was a
selfish one, desired to see the country,
as | knew from what had seen by rail
it would be well worth seeing from an
auto. Second, both Mr.. Elmer Hough,
president of the West Virginia State
Auto association, and myself were an
xious if possible to locate an auto road
from Wheeling to Fairmont which we
could recommend at least in dry wealth
err, and which we had failed to locate
on a previous trip, having taken one
route going and another returning.
Third, | wanted to have the Blue Book
publish routes that can be relied on to
make a satisfactory loop, leaving the
National road at the 100-mile post, east
of Wheeling, and coming back to the
same road at Wheeling or, if it be
deemed advisable, the trip can be made
in the reverse order.
With the old pike and the Baltimore
and Cumberland road completely mod
ernized from Baltimore to the Penn
sylvanla line, and with less than fifteen
miles from the Maryland line to the
Ohio river to be finished, and eight to
ten large gangs of men working on this
short stretch, the tide of auto travel
is now flowing over the old road in q
steadily increasing stream, and while
but few who are not familiar with the
improved road will believe it, it is now
possible for a good automobile to leave
Wheeling at sunrise in June and reach
Baltimore, 269 miles away, by sunset
and not drive at a faster average than
twenty miles an hour. The road is in
condition to do this with comfort.
With such main line and such an
amount of travel on it numerous side
trips will be taken by the tourists if the
roads, the hotels and the scenery justi-
fly them, but they must be advised of
these facts by reliable publication and
it was for this purpose that Mr.. Bruce
was delegated to make the trip, and
the 1916 edition, of the Blue Book will
tell the tourist how to 90 and what he
will miss if he fails to drive over the
loop and some of the numerous side
roads which lead off of it.
| Wheeling to Fairmont-It has been
difficult to decide on route, largely on
account of the numerous creeks which
head in the same vicinity. Between
these are the water sheds, which are
both high and steep and over which it
is difficult to find satisfactory auto
roads. This problem has, we think,
been solved by following for a consider
able portion of the distance the survey
of the old Wheeling and Morgantown
railroad. Leaving Chaplne street,
Wheeling at, Twenty-ninth street, the
road leads to the top of the hill at Mt.
Olivet church via Caldwell's run, thence
the ridge is followed via Sherrard.
/ Limestone, Pleasant Valley and Rock
| Lick, about mile beyond the last
named point it descends a long hull with
easy grade to Ryerson's Station, where
/ it strikes the banks of one of the small
branches of Wheeling creek, thence
along this stream through Aleppo to
the next ridge, which is reached at
Centennial church. This ridge is the
watershed between Wheeling and Dun
kard creeks. The road over this ridge
/ is rolling, is in fair condition in dry
weather, and leads to the head of Tom s
run. a short distance east of Nettle hill,
following down Tom run we come to
Dunkard creek, along which the run
runs past Brave pumping station. where
! the creek is crossed on a covered bridge.
thence via Bula and Cross Roads on a
good, fairly level valley road to Fair
view From Fairview to Fairmont a
detour is necessary, due to the fact that
portion of the main road is being
brcked, this road being part of an ex-
cellent road system now being built by
Marion county, the majority of the
roads leading to Fairmont being brought
up to high standard.
Leaving the court house at Fairmont
the trolley line is followed down the
hill and across the river, past the New
England mine store, thence up and
along the river past theKingmont mine.
Shortly after passing this mine the road
leaves the river, crossing the lines on
easy grades and passes through the
village of MCGEE, thence to Prunty-
town, where the old Northwestern pike
/ from Parkersburg to Winchester is IN