Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1919-10-19

The Blue Bird got there. 1t travelled
over everything but good roads, ac-
cording to letter received here by Cal
Messner, owner of the big Hudson Su-
per Six, entered in the FL Paso-Phoenix
road race.
d. D. Griffith, who is plotting the
Bird, and his partner, Pete Billingsley,
had several narrowing experiences, one
of which was running into a river bank
and watching their car gradually sink
out of sight in the mud. 1t took them
until daylight to disinter the racer, and
then they had hard pulling for another
day.
1t was a terrible trip according to
Griffith. When they arrived in Ell
Paso, there was from two to eight
inches of mud all over the big machine.
Griffith is delighted with the perform
ance Of the Hudson. and said in his let
ter that the Blue Bird might be called
racing car, but it was more of a
mud scow.
They will lay over in Ell Paso for a
few days and then make the return
trip.
Following is a copy of Griffith's let
ter. 1t is a tale of an unlimited
amount of trouble and hard work:
We'll, here we are, and would have
given most anything if you could have
seen US when we got in. 1t has rained
on us, ahead of US and back of us ever
since we left Douglas. We left Phoe-
nix Thursday noon and waited in Tue
son for the extra tire that night. The
next morning we got out of Tucson
about 1890 and drove on down to
Douglas. We were going on into
Lordsburg, but when we reached Bis
bee, it was cloudy and sprinkled lit
tie. After we reached Douglas we had
Just got the car put away when it start
ed to pour. 1t rained all night Friday
night, all day Saturday and all Satur-
day night, and still looked bad Sunday
morning. Sunday afternoon it cleared
up little and we decided we would try
ourselves on little wet weather.
I'VE left Douglas Sunday evening al
at 6; 30 and the fun started. After care
full maneuvering we manager to gel
around IL army trucks which were
stuck about mile out of Douglas, anc
from there on we just sailed along from
seven to ten miles an hour until we got
within seven miles of Rodeo and there
we unwillingly decided we would spend
the evening. It happened this way. We
we're going along about five miles al
hour when we just settled down in the
mud to where we had to stand in tn,
the car to see the surrounding country
The road ran alongside of creek and
the running water had undermined the
highway in this particular place, anC
when our big Hudson Super Six, with
the bug body and the twin carburetors
rolled out on 1t, the pressure was toe
much. Down and down we went unit
on the level you could get back so feet
and look clear across the road and the
car was out of sight We got out and
began tearing down fence.
We went into this hole at $3.50. w,
worked just as hard as we could unit
daylight and by that time we had
sloped space dug out in front of III
with a pinch bar which was all W,
had. We got the car lacked up anC
put two layers OF ties under it. wher
daylight came we walked five miles t,
get team to pull US out We stop
ped in Rodeo, got some breakfast anC
hit the road again.
There isn't any use of my tellinj
you the condition of the roads or tn
number of cars stuck. We saw every