The Washington herald., 1921-10-09
FEARS ROYAL NECK
and REFUSES RIDE
IN AMERICAN CAR.
Tourists Encounter Chi.
nese Soldiers Armed
With Swords.

An automobile party drove up in
front of the royal palace in a
Chinese province a few weeks ago
and sent word in to the ruling
prince that they would like to take
h'm out for ride. But this par
ticular prince. 1t seems, had never
seen an automobile before, and was
SO terrified at the prospect of rid
ing In one that he did not even
express his regrets in person. He
did his inspecting. from a safe dis
tance and then sent out his card.
The appearance of the car, ac-
ccrding to Chung Mel News
Agency dispatch from PekinG
caused great excitement through
the princes home town.
Commander Thomas Hutchins,
American naval attache, and E. c.
McPherson, manager of E. w.
Frazaf & Co.." says the dispatch,
have completed the round trip to
Tungling. the Ming Eastern Tombs.
by automobile and II is believed
that this is one of the first times
that this trip has been successfully
made"
in the old days, when it was
the fashion to go out on horseback.
the trip took some three days one
way. at least two. nights being
spent the road. BY automobile,
in spite of the sandy roads, the
rivers that had to be crossed by
ferry, and the many other diffiicul-
ties encountered, the entire trip
was done in eight hours. and with
out a mishap of any kind. A Dodge
Brothers car was used.
The party left the Tsihyamen,
or East Gate at 500 on Thursday
morning: 6:30 saw them at the Pei
Ho. and 9:l5 at San Ho Hsien. This
was the place that was selected in
the days of pony travel as the STOP
ping place on the first night, and
by automobile was reached in a
scant three hours and a quarter.
The second nights stopping place.
Dichow. was reached at l1:45 and
at 2:15 the party rolled into the
Eastern Tombs and were met by
the Manchu Princes bodysuard
The old-fashioned troops. still car
rying broad swords, and some even
bows and arrows, were half terri
! fed. half fascinated by the appear
ance of the car.
THE old Manchu Prince appar.
emily could not screw up his cour-
age to sucient height to venture
| the trip in the machine, that was
offered him. After preliminary cour-
tesies. he withdrew and thereafter
sent in his card. excusing himself
The priest and his number two
went, however. and il was said
that they were scared out of their
wits throughout the entire trip.
Little trouble was encountered
on the way. The three rivers tina,
were crossd gave some trouble. one
because the bridge seemed ready, to
cave in at any minute, and the
other two because there were nc
bridges at all. and the crossing had
to be made by means of three boats
lashed together. with the car put
on them lateral1y. At Dichow. the
stone block in the center of the
main gateway. against which the
clty gates are cioseu' was 50 hiSh
that the car could not pass over
II, nor was there any other way
around. So part Of the city wall
was appropriated and runway
built across the gateway. over
which the Dodge Brothers cal
crawled as easily as you please
Throughout, in spite of the faci
that 1t was necessary to go a great
part of the way in low gear. the
Dodge Brothers car an beautifully
and poved itself entirely sStisfac'
tory.