The Natchitoches enterprise., 1921-10-06
An Interesting Motor Trip

An Interesting Motor Trip
My Dear Editor:
It may be of interest to your readers
to hear briet description of our auto
mobile trip from Natchitoches to Los
Angeles and if you judge so you are
welcome to use the following:
After disposing of all our personal
belongings except my library Of hooks
and the automobile, we left Natchi-
toches, Louisiana, on Wednesday,
August End, at 1000 a. m. in our Olds-
mobile six, carrying four passengers
and small amount of baggage.
We drove out Of Natchitoches on the
newly completed stretch of the Jeffer-
son Highway, leading northward by
way of Robeline, Mansfield and Shreve-
port, which we followed from Shreve-
port westward through Marshall,
Texas, to Gladewater, where we left
the highway, which bears northward
from that point, we continuing west
ward toward Dallas, Texas.
Do not get the idea that this high
way is completed all the way, for it is
not. Neither is any other highway
over which we travelled entirely COM
pleted for any considerable distance.
Throughout our journey, however,
constr Lotion work is going on and it
will not be many years, judge, until
Ole can motor across the country from
east to west, or from north to south.
on good roads all the way.
Our course led US through the fol-
lowing cities and towns, those printe
in capital letters representing the
places where we stopped over night:
Natchitoches, Robeline, Mansfi ED,
Shreveport, MARSHALL, Longview,
Gladewater, Cleft the Jefferson High:
way and followed the new central
Texas highway Big Sandy, Minneola,
GRAND SALINE, Dallas, FORT
WORTH, Bowie, Afford, Electric,
Vernon, CHILLIcoTHE, Memphis, (din-
ner on Sunday AMARILLO, Farewell
Texico, Crossed the Texas state line
into New Mexico) Clovis, FIT. SUMNER,
Vaughn, Estan ia, ALBUQUERQUE,
Grants, lcrossed the continental divide
at an elevation Of $500 feet near
Grants. some thirty miles east Of Gal
lup) Baca, GALLUP, Crossed the New
Mexico state line into Arizona, some
ten miles west of Gallup HoLBROoK,
Winslow, Flagstaff, SELlGMAN Hotel
de Jinks, i. e., We slept in the auto out
on the rocky desert by the roadside)
K,ngman, Oatman, Crossed the Ari.
zons state line-the Colorado river
into California at Topoc) NEEDLES,
CROSSED The great M0Aave desert ex-
tending from Needles to Rarstow, a
DISTANCE Of some 165 miles, by night
IN order to avoid the intense heat dur
ing the day, which sounds like joke
to one who has lived in Louisiana)
SAN BERNARDINO, Pomona, Pasadena,
Los ANGELES.
We arrived in Los Angeles just two
weeks from the day we lett Natchi-
toches, having travelled approximately
2, 200 miles and having stopped off three
full days enroute, besides spending
many additional hours in sightseeing
along the way. We travelled very
little at night, with the exception Of
the night drive across the Mohave
desert. We spent three nights in free
auto camps, one night in the Hotel de
links, and the rest of the nights were
spent in hotels. We were frequently
warned against hoid-ups in hotels and
other places of accommodation, bit
our extsriehee ieads us to believe that
this is not q fair Representation Of the
We rather found it the
!. e., business houses, lnclud-
ing hotels, seemed anxious for trade
and would even make special rates
rather than see you 20 away. Elk
penses all along the way are very
Living oNpeaooo are leool
than IN Natchitoches and charges for
autO supplies and for mechanical work
not any higher, in fact it might lie
aid that expenses Of all kinds ale
pretty mueh standardized all the way
across the country.
We encountered very little difficulty
long the way. enjoyed no accidents,
endured no hardships whatever, found
friendly and willing to give
fell among no thieves nor
obbers, and even was able to recover
everal articles, which through our
'Wg carelessness, were lost along the
way. For example, package con-
aiming two new water bags and q new
nner tube were left in the gara9 q
n Fort Worth in which our car
vas stored ov .r night. After driving
ONE twenty or thirty miles on the
ray. this discovery was made, 80 we
stopped at a. way-side inn,
honed back to the hotel at which we
ad stcpped-we had bone-headedly
eglected to remember the name Of Il
he garage-and asked th4t the pack
re be expressed to VI ct Amarillo,
|efore leaving Amarillo the package
7as received y. K
In undertaking trip like this it is
ecessary to have your car well equip
ed with good tires, cut-out, motor
,eter, desert water bags, spot light,
epair outfits, extra can of oil, tow
ne, extra fan belt, hot shot battery,
mall spade. and at least one extra
lounted tire. We did not find it at all
ecessary to carry any extra gas as the
istance between the supply stations
J not so great as one might imagine
here are many unusual and often
ocular things that may happen and
Mess one is prepared for such emer-
encies he may find it necessary to
amp in very unfavorable places and
ait for assistance. Scores of such 1
arties we're seen along the way; in
ne instance : party had been camping {
' the road side for two weeks waiting
n certain repairs. In another ir-
:ance, family was seen in the middle
4 sandy desert way where they had
zen camping for four weeks, their
lr having gone along nicely until it'll
.ached that particular spot when all
. sudden it ceased to run and with