The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-09-27
Last Story of Tour
to Coast and Return
(CQntiued from Page y

the next morning, ueSudN lilc
both, number of children came
and sat on the school steps. We
began to wonder what the idea
was and finally asked them if
school was keeping. We found that
it started that morning. Before
we were packed up ready to start
the teacher had come and school
was under way.
We found that the roads in
Vermont were much better than
the same kind of roads west OF the
Mississippi. There really is no
comparison.
When we came through Han
over a man driving a car asked Us
if we were giving a show. He prob
ably saw our boxes and thought
our scenery and stuff was packed
in them.
We arrived in St. Johnsburv
early in the afternoon. Our total
mileage was 1925. We were riding
in the same car that we started in
on the same tire-, and with the
same equipment except for fold
ing table and water bag.
Our equipment consisted of:
One Lean-to style tent that we
made ourselves.
One knock-down double bed
over backs of seats (home made)
Two side beds hung on car
(home made) knock down.
One folding cot.
One fly made of sheeting (home
made.
One American Kamkook gaso-
line stove two burner.
One oven for the stove mot
Kampkook).
-Four sleeping bags (home
made1,
Two small tents for the side
beds (home made).
Cooking utensils, dishes and
table ware.
Two water bags, total capacity
gals.
Army style clothing for men
Knockers for the women.
Toilet articles, sleeping gar
ments.
Medicine and first aid kit.
We also took raincoats, rubbers,
sweaters and overcoats as well
as two changes of underclothing a
piece We did not take any emer-
gency kit for gas and oil as many
recommended and we had no occa-
sion to use one. We never let our
tank get lower than half full and
whenever we found that we had a
long stretch ahead of US, as we did
in Utah, 80 miles, where we
could not get gas we "filled her
up" plump full at the last station.
We drove a seven passenger
Buick, 1920 model and made from
y to - miles to the gallon.
We carried no firearms with US
and there was no time when we
had any dire need of any.
We had no engine trouble other
than the usual fouling up with car
bon. When the valves needed grind
ing we ground one set every time
we stopped at night to camp.
We had some trouble keeping
the brakes adjusted properly. They
would work alright the first thing
in the morning and the last thing
at night but in the heat of the day
n hey would not "take" 1t was no
doubt due to oil leaking out of the
rear wheels onto the brake bands.
1t was also partially due to in
reference of parts which we elm
mated and when we got into cooler
climates all trouble in that line
ceased.
1t is not difficult to find your
way across the country because
the routes are pretty we'll marked
out on poles and sign boards and
whenever in doubt people, traffic
COPS, garages and auto clubs are
willing to answer questions. The
most reliable information can be
obtained at the auto clubs and
garages in the bigger cities and
where there are no auto clubs the
garages are the next best choice.
| understand however that through
the southwest some of the garage
people will send YOU over a bad
road so you will go b. some
friends garage or store. | cannot
say that we had any such exper-
fence. 1t is also a good idea to ask
questions at the camps. Talk with
different tourists who have come
over the same route you
plan to take and if they all say to
take a cut off somewhere or other
then you can bank on it that it
is pretty near the truth. Another
place to get reliable information
is at filling stations and it is
pretty sure to be up to date.
Outside Of wear and tear on tires
and depreciation of the car the
trip cost US less than ) c a mile.
The things | can heartily recon-
mend are: the galvanised iron
boxes that we built to put our
beds and tents in, the sleeping
bags that we made by sewing up
edges of double blanket to with
in a foot and half of the top, the
pa 1Olinp stove and a RuicL- car