The Washington herald., 1920-10-03

Ride Through Historic
Scenes of Virginia Twen-
ty-Fnst of Herald Tours.
MANY NEW GARAGES
Delight Of Smooth Valley
Pike Enhanced by
Shining Moon.

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 affame with gold and red. And
winding along bottoms, crossing the
fretful river and lifting over round
ed foothills $50 miles of smooth
road 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-first pathfinding 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, a
round trip of 320. The return was
not a retracement, however, and the
route back as taken by ThekHerald
forces brought the /speedometer
reading up to 361 miles.
Both stand Strain Well.
II 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 T. Richardson. All
three get a rating of Al for per
formance and personality. Yes, the
Mitchell has a very distinct person
alfty. Her responsive and flexible
rOyyer and her ability to do as well
in speed and stamina as anything
she is liable to meet on the ROAD
Gain her the guerdon OF being as
reliable and sweet running ous as
one could wish for so eXacting and
exhaustive a test as the latest Her
aid cruise.
Valley is a full two-day affair. II
the exploration of the Grottoes Is
included CaHd who would vhsfs-ths'
cavern country without viewing the
sinister maryeIs Of these prehls-
tnric recesses?) there must be after
breakfast starts and halts by moon
light or in darkness, as the monIh
swings. No Cook Tour rush IS en-
tailed, however, and all thatS nee.
essary is to hit a good road galS
and not oversleep. the loglca.
noint at which to spend the nlght
is HarrisonburG-
Historic Interest.
Fifty-fve years ago, the shenan-
doah Law in smoking ruin, ana fhli
sheridan, who had finally oroughs
to completion the arduous task Oh
expelling Confederate forces from
the great stretch succinctly de-
q
down the valley he must take MS
1rovisions with him" Long since
did the valley grandly recover, now
Yer. waxing wealthier and build
inc good roads. In all things from
washington to Leesburg, except III
the highways. improvements are pc
fng nITshed and within a few months
the trip to Leesburg and Wincnes-
ter should be as pleasantly made
as that from winchester south'
warning is issued against attempt
ing winchester via Frederick har
per's Ferry and Charlestown' loL
between the two last-narneo Polht0 Pt
is n heart breaking detour, a PROM
80 ~ concrete State highway soon
to he an actuality but at present
rocsssitating a rerouting via Boon
esboro. Antfetam and Shepardstown.
- vas on the reverse Of this course
that the Herald's party returneu'
though il means an additional TAX
on tires and gas of 40 miles.
With the Mitchell men occupying
the front seats and Jack StoWell'
Pin d. doctor Of Photography, not
philosophy and the automobile
,dftor disposinE their not-great
ayoirdupois and impedimenta on the
rear cushions. the Mitchell carried
weiEht enough to give perfect pal
.Dce and there were none of those
Sistrassful swings Of the tonneau
by which a good-siZed car registers
tLe fact Of insufficient loading.
Many New Garages.
There has been a great increment
latterIy in garages and service sta
tions 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 traversed. Blue laws
nav prove irksome at several points
II the trip is made over Sunday
however At Berryville, for in
stance, an ordinance prohibits the
dispensing of gas on the Sabbath
though IL is certainly not the met
ropolitan idea that an automobile
religious leanings should prompt II
to knock OF work on the Seventh
Day. Sometimes they do, but it's
indicative of a poor motor, not good
morals.
1t is unavoidable, of course, that
some sections of The Herald tours
should coinci=e, since the trunk lines
Of egress from the District are not
many. This is the case with the last
piece of pathfnding as far as Win
chester, details of the route to which
will be found in previous Sunday ar
ticles 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
CastleUan 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
keepers of Heocrustean tendencies