The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-07-01
CROSSED CONTINENT
290 MILES PER DAY

10 AaNtN ul D. w.
was received by a Nevada automobile
sales company last week; and al
though it Is rather long portions of it
are well worth printing. Mr.. Leavitt
drove through Winnemucca June 4,
and a remarkable feature of the trip
was the fact that he did not fill the
radiator after leaving Michigan. The
article follows:
Having taken two transcontineEtal
trips during the past summer, l hav,
received many inquiries from parties
contemplating this trip. as to the ma
ture ~ the roads, and as to wheth II
or not it was an enjoyable tour. My
response has always been that il one
was looking for an enjoyable ride, the
transcontinental trip was not what he
wanted, and that if he was a Cali
fornian, he should surely do his tour
ing on the Pacific Coast, where the
roads and climate and are all
so good.
l have just completed my third trip
from Michigan to California within
twelve months. and after this trip l
have no disposition to change my for
mer opinion that this transcontinental
tour is not n of pleasure. Regret
tably, many people have heard of the
transcontinental routes known as the
Pixies Peak Ocean-to-Ocean Highway
and the Lincoln Highway, and have
formed a mental picture Of smooth,
good roads. and with this idea in
mind have started out, and were nat
urally very much disappointed. and
in some cases encountered severe dji-
fculties and much inconvenience due
to not being properly prepared fo-
conditions which they encountered.
AS l stated after former trips. there
is nothing particularly difficult to ne
gotiate about the transcontinental
trip, provided the weather is favor
able and rain is not encountered; but
| always found hat a person would
be particularly fortunate to make this
journey without encountering rain for
two or three days at some part of the
trip.
In making these transcontinental
trips my purpose has not been to have
enjoyment, but to endeavor to find
ways in which our car could be made
better, and to give better service.
With this idea in mind, l have always
taken a regular stock car from the
factory, with no special equipment
other than snubbers to prevent spring
rebound. and a spot light to read road
signs, and a few extra tools and APP
planes which might be needed, such
as long-handled shovel, axe, tow-rope
and a good substantial kit of tools to
make any adjustments which might
be needed.
With this equipment to start and
drive every day from early morning
to after dark, day after day, permit
ting the car to receive no extra care
or babying along the line-just to
start out in the morning and pound
garage if one we're handy, drag 1t out
in the morning and repeat the per-
Torrance day after day, as | have
said, to see if anything would fall off
or give trouble. On these trips I have
always learned something, and have
therefore felt repaid for the hardships
endured: but after each trip / have
always felt that it would be the last
trip for some time to come.
June 9Th: To a point near Battle
Mountain, Nevada, 276 miles. This in
cludes some very rough going around
the north end of the Great Salt Lake
there being many washouts and
chuck holes, which make fast travel.
ing very difficult. We passed through
Lucin. Wells, Elko and Carlin.
Reaching Carlin at about 9 pm, W.
inquired about the road to Battle
Mountain, and were told that it was a
distance of about fifty-eight miles. and
that the road was not particularly
good. We however, were very anx-
ious to proceed. 81 that we might
reach Reno the following day ane
have an easy trip from Reno to Sar
Francisco for u last day.
So we started out from Carlin fol
Battle Mountain. and soon found tha'
the roads had not been misrepresent'
ed. They certainly were very bad
and after wallowing around in the
sand near a place known as Boulder
Flat, l decided that we had had about
enough for the day. and ran u cal
up under the shelter of some rocks
and trees at a place eighteen miles
east of Battle Mountain. We put or
- FnAI D Tho Std(