The sun., 1919-06-01
CROSSES CONTINENT
lin HIS DESERT RAT
Old Timer Who Made Trip
First on Pony Repeats 1t
i'm Maxwell.

The Desert Rat brings the news that
n has busted the southern trail to the
Pacific wide open. This message Is
timely. as several thousand tenderfoot
tourists have for some weeks been hid
ing behind their maps Yaitins for the
roads to open themselvee In the mean
time the Desert Rat has gone and opened
the southern trail. and now she Is out
opening the northern cross continent
route via the Yellowstone and the Bad
Lands.
Everybody who knows anything
about crossing the continent In a motor
car also knows that none OF the trails
are open before the middle OF June.
Without saying a word to any OF t.Ie
experts on this matter the Desert Rat
sh'opped off, from Los Angeles March
2st and headed East across the deadly
Gfla Desert. while the mud was still
hub deep and the cloudbursts were
playing havoc along the Mex',an bor-
dets
The seemingly impossible venture
was the result of dare thrown out to
Scout King Stanley and his son-in-law.
James NJ. Drake. King Stanley lie one
Off those Western pioneers who never
toHli a dare in his lfe. He Ia now past
6osyears OF age, and nearly half CEN
tufy ago he crossed the continent on
the back OF a pony. He prospected all
over the Pacific slope and roamed the
plains with Buffalo Bill. Two years ago
the old scout gave up his pony and
climbed into a 1917 Maxwell touring
car. Since then he and his young SON.
in-law have been beating up the desert.
having done $4,000 miles In "Old MAJ"
as Mr.. Stanley calls his Maxwell, but
the boys about Los Angeles, where they
live, have dubbed the car the Desert
Rat. Early this spring some OF the old
scouts cronies dared him to go East"
in the Rat. She looked pretty well
shot to pieces. but this made no DIFF
ference to him.
Started on March ~.
Wen Just take you Up on that"
said the old scout. land ws'll not only
cross the country in the Fat. but we
will pay our way as we 60 and We will
bring her back:
Accordingly, on March rs last. the
Desert Rat was fitted with IN extra
gasolene tank, a Eve gallon water bag.
a piece Of rope, a frying pan and a
single action Colt which Buffalo Bill
gave Mr.. Stanley just before he left the
West. The back OF the front seat was
hinged 50 It would drop down and form
~ q
thrown into the tonneau and away the
Desert Rat went.
On one Of those soft spring mornings
last week a bunch Of yellow mud rolled
up to the Maxwell Chalmers sales rooms
in Columbus Circle, New York. Harry
DeBear. the New York manager. shifted
the fact that there was something In
teresting under the pile of clay and
rushed out to meet the travellers. They
were indeed picture to behold. All
OF that portion of the bottom of the Rio
Grande River which had not adhered to
the car had stuck to the two men in the
front seat Mr.. DeBear lifted the hood,
but he couldn't find the motor. The mud
was thicker on the inside than on the
outside.
How in the world do you ever run
1t in that condition? he asked.
Well said the old scout, maybe she
does need a bath. but we just thought
We would walt until We got back to the
Little Colorado River and let her soak
for few days. We did stand her In
tho Mississippi as we came across. but
the water was so dirty II only made her
worse.
You see, we came through without
topping at garage or hotel ano
naturally she is bit dusty. I'm proud
TO say, though, this tow line has not
been on her front end since We LEFT
home.
I'VE struck trail for Yuma on Marcel
23. There was a cloudburst In thC
desert that day, but We did not know &
until Tuesday. when We ran on a bunch
OF eight cars which had been caught
They were all stuck fast and We pulled
them out one by one. We were ter
hours making fifteen miles that day
Then we headed for Phoenix, from wher,
we made a side trip TO the Roosevelt
Dam. When we got back to Pheni0