The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-25
Wawona to the floor of the Valley

Wawona to the floor of the Valley each car must take 30 minutes, al- though the distance Is but three miles. Much to their own displeasure they had to follow the ruling. At the foot of the grade, they checked out again and ran, under regulation, at the rate of IS miles an hour to Yosemite, arr irving there at approximately 10 o'clock. There they were checked by W. B. Lewis,
 Crane Flats, the boundary of Yose- mite Park on the Big Oak Flat road, was reached in good time and after checking for the last time, they head ed into the worst roads of their en- tire trip. From Crane Flats to Chi nese Camp, about 50 miles, the grades and turns are bad and the roadbed $ even worse. Dust ruts and chuck holes prohibit even moderate speed and approaching mule freight tteams, heavily laden, made fast time an inn possibility In the neighborhood of four hours were spent between these points. When they reached their des- ination, however, they had made the trip into the Valley without mishap, without even using the low gear ex- cept for starting and without boiling the water in spite of the fact that the grades, footing and turns placed an enormous strain on the car itself.
 They checked out of the Valley at 1:39 on the Big Oak Flat road, which, by the way was the only concession given them by the Park Rangers. On the way up the last car should have left at 1925. In order to help mat ters they crowded the car up this, their steepest grade. so that they they might catch up with the IA min- utes the Rangers hs-l given them and not impede incoming travel at the top.
 Soon after leaving the Chinese Camp, they. struck a graded. although unpaved, highway. This road was good for more than 30 miles. From Oakdale into Oakland most of the roads were paved and they made just as fast time as they dared, in the face of the police. Except for a IS minute stop at Chinese Camp, they came through from Crane Flats to Oakland without delay. arriving at the Oakland Hotel at 7:14 D. m. In spite of the fact that Butler had made most admirable record. the whole trip cost him nothing except tire wear. gasoline. oil and the regular toll in the Valley. No repairs had been made on the car; no replacements were necessary and, as Butler said. "1t was more of wearing test than the average car would get in its entire life"
 When Butler was asked to describe some of the most interesting incidents in the trip, he said:
 we got considerable of a thrill while we were running down the paved highway at 50 miles an hour in the dark. Knowing that the road was open and the surface excellent l was driving with absolute confidence. Suddenly the road ahead looked black I judged it was road oil ana kept up my speed. But when we mt it, it was like diver heading into breaker. It happened to be water about a foot and a half deep and 1oo yards long, the result of break in nearby irrigation ditch. Once in It, there was nothing to do but sit tight. We came out the other side in the center of the highway. still traveling but somehow surprised"
 Since making the record run to Yo- secite, Butler accomplished an enVl- able gasoline test in the Peerless Eight, with top and windshield up' cardying five passengers over ordlnary roads. He went up Berkeley to Sacra- mento, a distance of 10S.9 miles on gallons of gasoline, or an average oi more than IS miles to the gallon.