The Washington herald., 1920-10-03
Ride Through Historic
Scenes of Virginia Twen-
ty-Frst of Herald Tours.
MANY NEW GARAGES
Delight Of Smooth Valley
Pike Enhanced by
Shining Moon.

Early autumn IN the SnenanOOan.
An opalescent haze above bluegrass
fields and wide. rich farmlands,
asleep in the tempered sunlight Of
September. Creamy cloud banks
hung fixed over mountain peaks and
mile-fong ramparts, where Falls
fingers have just begun to set the
trees afame with gold and red. And
winding along bottoms, crossing the
fretful river and lifting over round
ed foothills $50 miles Of smooth
rOad-t the Valley Pike, soothing from
the mind all hard thoughts concern
ing Virginia highways.
Such balm for the sight and sense
awaits the Washington motorist
who follows the swift track taken
last Saturday and Sunday by The
Washington Herald pathhnding
party. In one Of the New Mitchell
Skies provided by the Neumeyer
Motor Company, 1928 Fourteenth
street northwest, they made the
twenty-frst pathinding tour of the
summer series and the most ambi-
tious in point of mileage yet com
pleted. To the grOttoes OF the
Shenandoah, the southern terminus
OF the journey. is near $50 miles,
round trip of 520. The return was
not a retracement, however and the
route back as taken by TheEHerald
forces brought the /speedometer
reading up to 361 miles.
Both stand Strain Well
1t would be hard TO say which
stood the strain of the long tour the
better, the faithful Mitchell or the
two boys from Capt. Neumeyer
staff who swung the wheel-Frank
Baum and Harry 7. Richardson. All
three get a rating OF Al Tor per
formance and personality. Yes, the,
Mitchell has a very distinct person
ality. Her responsive and flexible
mower and her ability to do as well
in speed and stamina as anything
she is liable to meet on the road
cain her the guerdon of being as
reliable and sweet running bus as
ons. could wish for so eXacting and
exhaustive a test as the latest Her
aid cruise.
This run down the Shenandoah
Valley is a full two-day affair. II
the exploration of the Grottoes Is
included CaAd who would vfsfs-ths
cavern country without viewing the
sinister maryels Of these prehls-
toric recesses?) there must De alter-
breakfast starts and halts by moon
syE,iups No Cook Tour rush is en-
t1iIed. however, and all that's nee
essary is to hit a good ROAD galT
and not Oversleep. The loglcdl
noint at which TO spend the night
is HarrisonburG.
Historic Interest.
Fifty-five years ago, the snenanT n
dosh Law in smoking ruin, ana PM
10 completion the arduous task OIL
exnelling Confederate forces from
ne Great stretch succinctly de-
clared that IF crow wanted 10 ny
down the valley he must take MS
provisions with him" Long since
did the valley grandly recover now
ever: waxing wealthier ana pulIu-
ing good roads. In all things from
wa shington to Leesburg, except IN
the highways, improvements are De-
ing pushed and within few months
the trip to Leesburg and Wincnes-
ter should be as pleasantly Haue
as that from Winchester SOUTH
Warning is issued against attempt
ing winchester via Frederlch' haL
par.s Ferry and Charlestovn, for
Sst,9ee1 the two last-named points
ig heart breaking detour, a prom
iss Of concrete State highway soon
10 he an actuality but at present
pecassitating a rerouting via Boon
esboro. Antfetam and Shepardsto~h. n.
- was on the reverse Of this course
that the Herald's party returned
though il means an additional TAX
on tires and gas Of 40 miles.
with the Mitchell men occupying
the front seats and Jack Stowel'
Ph.D. doctor Of Photography not
PhiIssophy) and the automobile
gditor dispOSinE their not-great
avoirdupois and impedimenta on the
rear cushions. the Mitchell carried
weight enough to give perfect bal
ance and there were none OF those
distressful swings Of the tonneau
by which a good-siZed car registers
fTc fact of insufficient loading.
Many New Garages.
There has been a great increment
1stterIy in garages and service sta
lions through most of the country
conveniently toured with Washing
ton as a starting point. They dot
the right OF way all down the route
and are numerous in the many towns
and villages trayersed. Blue laws
NAV prove irksome at several points
If the trip is made over Sunday,
however.
stance, an ordinance prohibits the
dispsnsing of gas on the Sabbath
though IL is certainly not the met
ropolitan idea that an automobile
religious leanings should prompt 1t
to knock OF work on the Seventh
Day. Sometimes they do, but it's
indicative Of a poor motor, not good
morals.
II is unavoidable, of course, that
some sections of The Herald tours
should coincise, since the trunk lines
Of egress from the District are not
many. This is the case with the last
piece of pathfinding as far as Win
chester, details of the route to which
will be found in previous Sunday ar
ticIes in the Automotive Section.
Conditions are about the same as
before. Via the Canal road, Chain
Bridge, Dranesville. Leesburg. Ham
ilton. Purcellville, Smokers Gap and
CaStleu1an Ferry bad spots are en-
COuntered. From BerryYille on to
Winchester macadam and tar sur
face are encountered and then the
grateful Valley Pike which ends all
troubles.
Full Test OF Hill Net.
Up the tough grade at the gap and
down to the first of many crossings
OF the Shenandoah = Daughter of
the Stars" as the Indians had it
the Mitchell met the full test of hill
and hummock and triumphed. The
party lunched at Berryville, being
greeted at Battle Town Inn by d. l..
Fries, the proprietor. and also at
short intervals by five toll gate
1r