El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-01

noon when We got away and started out
through the sand. Occasionally we
passed ? sign Cheer up; the mules are
coming
The PIanked Road.
Nineteen miles out We encountered
the new planked road across the desert
TO Holtville- A heavy storm the night
before had covered some of the boards,
but they told Us in Yuma that work
men would go out from Yuma aud Holt
vile to clear the sand off In some
places the sand was over the planks
and We got stuck, but we picked up
some spare plank and carried them
used these to get back on again. These
extra plank are scattered all along the
route and are used when cars meet each
other. There are a couple of switches
built along the plank road. but when
cars meet between these switches one
backs I'd to the nearest loose planks,
makes a temporary switch OF spur
and let's the other car pass In some
places the plank road goes up over
sand banks that are 20 feet high or
more and a car often slips off the
planks in going down the opposite
bank.
Hard Trip.
We finally reached FL Centre at Z
o'clock in the evening. having been
from II in the morning covering 69
miles from Yuma 'HidehOuse' Brown. Of
distance the day previous. The desert
is wonderfully beautiful in its grandeur
and just as one comes into Holtville il
is more beautiful. for there are the gi-
gGntic sand mountains on one side ard
the beautiful highly cultivated Imperial
valley or the other.
''fhe road is somewhat full OF chuck
holes between Holtville and FL Centre.
and for 20 miles out OF FL Centre to-
wards San Diego the road is also bad;
IL was especially so when we went
through, as il had been raining the day
before.
building Concrete Road.
We spent the night at Fl Centre and |
next Gay made it on to san Diego with |
ease. leaving FL Centre at $3.50 q. m. |
ana reaching san Diego at 4 in the af- |
ternoon- The 20 miles out of FL Centre !
VIII soon be shortened and made very
fast as a concrete road is now being {
built After traversing these 20 miles, |
the motorist reaches the mountain roads /
crooked. and through some wonderfully /
beautiful scenery. Some of the grades /
are worse than the famous Fishcreek I
hill between Phoenix and Roosevelt in I
but my Cadillac eight pulled I
them all in high.
Killed Many Snakes.
All along the route We encountered I
rattlesnakes and killed a number of A
them We found that we could get wa
ter at rather frequent intervals. except ;
betw cen Yuma and FL Centre and be /
tween Aqua Caliente and Castle Dome. /
Mrs. Coblentz and her sister Joined +
me at san Diego ana We motored into
Los Angeles. after seeing the san Diego
fair, which L believe is the best Of the
two fairs in California this year.
san Diego to Los Angeles
From san Diego. we took the coast !
Dad towards Los Angeles as far as
)ceanside, then We took the Lake Elsi=
lore road. into Los Angeles by way Of
axe Elsinore, Riverside and Ontario
California hotels are accustomed 70
accommodating many automobile par
les daily and il is not difficult TO get
lunches put up. This is the best: then
rOu do not have TO stop for lunch, and
-ou can always make good hotel for
he night stop We carried four Their
nos bottles for coffee, milk and water
Police Human SemnphOres.7
Arriving at Los Angeles, we spent
ONE time seeing the country surround
ng and 10 get acquainted with the
he police az the street crossings are
iuman semaphores and they have the
inest system I have ever seen II the
policeman Is facing you or has his back
-ou must stop. When he raises his
rms, the traffic passes across the
treet in the directions he has his hands
tretched- Then he turns about and all
rattle that has been held up passes
yer the crossing while from the direc-
ions IL has been passing. It stops
Can't stop Long in Streets.
You can't stop in the business sec
ion more than 20 minutes and you
must not stop within 20 feet of p fire
ydrant OF a street corner. I stopped
lore than 20 minutes before I learned /
he rules and when I came out 1 found
card on my car informing me that I
vas TO report at such and such a court
L a certain hour I reported and when !
he judge found I was from FL PasO
nd had Just arrived. he released me
nd gave me copies Of the city Ordin-
nces and the state laws relative TO
rattle.
From Los Angeles we motored one
fte-uOOn to Santa Barbara, covering
be 104 miles between 1870 in the af-
arnoOn and that night. Next day we
cent through san Marcos Pass to Paso Z
.obles, where We spent another night.
ext day We made Del Monte. through I
alinas Pass, starting at 10 in th=
corning and arriving at in the after
CON
Scenic Monterey.
Early next morning we took a run
yer TO Monterey, an old Mexican town.
nd 4 drive around what they call the