Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-07
CALIFORNIA TOURISTS

Motor tourists of today travelling
toward the sunset via the Midland
Trail will enter California through 4
pass of majestic beauty. This entrance
to the Golden State is located just :,
short distance west of the Nevada
boundary in the stately White Noun
tain range, towering like rampar;
reared by Cyclopean forces, ana
through which nature by toll of CEN
turtles has fashioned natural gate
way between the land oe sagebrush
and the land of flowers. A halt to
survey the beauties unfolded so sud
denly will reveal, among other things,
a huge sign situated well up the
mountainside bearing the lettering
"Westgard Pass" This name was be-
slowed upon the cut by the State OF
California in honor of the late A. L.
Westgard for many years field rep
resentative of the American Automo.
bile Association and discoverer of the
pass in 1911.
Half way up Westgard Pass, and
partly sequestered from the hot sun
by cooling cluster of trees, there is
an ancient spring. On Saturday, Au-
gust l3, this was dedicated to the
memory of Amos Grant Batchelder,
late executive chairman of the Ameri
can Automobile Association and the
man who sent Westgard on his first
trans-continental trip.
At the same time and place there
vas planted, and baptised with water
from the Pacific Ocean, ten-year
old. eight-foot high Sequoia Gigan-
tea. a type of the worlds largest
Redwood evergreen tree, many ex-
ar,ples of which, in California, are o.
great height and girth and more than
1000 years old. The one placed In
Westgard Pass is to be known as the
Three A Tree and was dedicated to
the national organization Of motorists.
These dedications at the poin:
where the renowned A. A. A. path
finder discovered long-sought anG
beautiful passage through the noun
tains were intended as token of the
Far Vests appreciation of the Ameri-
can Automobile Associations great
work for motorists and of the ability
and loyalty of Batchelder, who for
twelve years director the organiza-
tons course. The tree was especially
selected and is expected to become
one of the worlds largest and long
est-hved. And all the while it grows
and rises higher and higher above the
surrounding trees. it will be fed ant'
nurtured by Batchelder Spring, Just
as the A. A. A. was brought to its
present eminence by the man.
Westgard Pass is the ten-mile
crossing over White mountains. 1t is
in the thirty-five-mile stretch from
Oasis, California, on the Nevada line
westward to Big Pine. This stretch
is part of the Roosevelt Midland trail
which. also, in 1915. was chosen as the
Lincoln Highway branch from Ely
Nevada, southwestward to Big Pine
The pass is open all the year. From
Big Pine, Ell Canine Sierra is USED
northward to reach San Francisco, o,
southwark, to reach Los Angeles
eighteen miles nearer.
The dedications were due chiefl,
to the initiative of. Wisner Gillet
Scott, often called the Cecil Rhodes o;
eastern California, and for man,
years prominently identified Will
highways advancement in the West. I,
carrying out his plans, Mr.. Scott, II
turn, was aided largely by Edito,
George NJ. Schell of "Motor West
the Pacific Coasts leading automo
bile magazine.