Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1923-10-25
JOURNEY WEST
BY MOTOR CAR
A E7ode-n Pilgrimage As Full Of
Iaterest and Thrills as That OF
On Forefathers

RanSOme and Mrs. Ransome>S noun
er, Mrs. E. M. Hoag, left Baraboo
in an automobile bound for Los
Angeles. Concerning the first days Of
tho trip DIR. Ransome writes:
The modem trans-continental jour
ney is I'm sure, as full of interest and
thrills as was that Of our forefathers
who travelled by oxen and on horse,
back in 40 and before. While we
lack. the thrill Of Indian life, we
get the experience of traversing the
historical Indian country. The day
was ideal as we left Baraboo, our
Lincoln Sextette' hummed along on
all four. From Sank City we took
county highway J to MaZomanie and
from. there across to Mt Horeb. The
roads were good and splendid time
was. made through Dodgeytlle and
on to Dubuque at which place we
crossed the Mississippi over the toll
bridge.
On Wrong Highway
We intended going to Waterloo
but owing to poor markings in Du-
buQue, we continued on the wrong
highway, marked 28 and found our
selves going towards Cedar Rapids,
Iowa. We changed Your course north
ward across some rough roads until
we came to highway 28' running due
west from Dubuque to Waterloo and
after a few hours driving we came
to this fine road, following it through
to independence where we remained
over night. A treasure seeker for
quaint old mahogany furniture would
have had a feast IN seeing some Of,
the pieces that were in the hotel.
The next morning early we con.
tinued on to Waterloo and after q
forenoon's visit with friends con:
tinued our Journey. We found splen-
did roads west and south Of Water
loo until we reached Marshalltown,
Iowa. After a few miles tr""el south
we T7ade a long detOUT over our first
heavy rough roads. We negotiated
this rough piece of road and arrIveu
in Newton where we remained for
the night. From this city through
Colfax (the Spa of Iowa. the road
to Des Moines was very good. Des
Moines, Iowa's state capital is verS
fine city. The public Improvements
along both banks of the river which
flows through the city have added
greatly to the natural beauty.
From this city our route took US
westward via White Pole route
through Atlantic, Ca nice little town
in western Iowa. to Council Bluffs
and Omaha.
Worst Rain In Years
We arrived at Omaha on the We'd
nesday following our departure, roads
generally were very good. Wednes-
day evening it began to rain and this
kept up internationally each day until
Friday evening when Omaha ex-
perienced one of the worst raf4
storms in years.
TO imagine how the rain fell, try
to picture yourself behind a dam or
waterfall with that mass of water
falling in solid sheet before you. It
is said that six inches plus of rail-
fell that evening and I felt as though
it was sixty inches. The newspapers
have given you an account Of the
damage done.
We remained in Omaha until the
following Monday when the route
led us southwest via D. L. D. (De>
troit, Lincoln, Denver) highway. Here
was encountered the first mud roads,
we crossed the Platte river on a
shaky. wooden, temporary toll bridge,
the swollen rushing muddy waters
swirling beneath. From then on int.
Lincoln the road was rough and
muddy, but fair time was made. The
route via Lincoln highway was i'm
passible through Columbus and Kear-
ney from Omaha
Cross on Railroad Bridge
At Lincoln we were ADVISED 10 20
southwest, which we did to Crete,
Nebraska, where we found our pro-
gress temporarily halted, as the
Blue river which runs along the west
border Of the town. was out of it's
banks and the road bridge approach
was flooded some three to four feet.
A nights stay. was had here and a
survey made, with the result that
we could not go north on account of
bridges out, south both at Miller and
Beatrice, Nebraska, the roads were
impassible and we could either re
trace our steps to Lincoln and wait
or take the risk of driving over the
C. B. e P. railway bridge. This latter
sNE