The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-07-18
THE INTERMINABLE CARAVAN

The camping tourist increases. In the beginning of touring
the wealthy did most of it. The banker from Philadelphia came
through stopping at hotels and not certain whether he would go
on the coast or merely go through the Yellowstone. He had
time and money and sought diversion and change. Most of the
early tourists were of that type.
But a change soon became manifest. The camping tourist
arrived. The traveller came with him. Somebody found out that
the trip might be made cheaply by auto from coast to coast by
camping out. And that class of tourists has multiplied until there
is a car with camp equipage today on almost every mile of the
Yellowstone Trail.
People with families find it economical to move from Ohio
to California via the auto and the camp trail. They bundle them
selves and the four children into the old boat and strap on some
camp essentials and start. And they always get there.
They like it. A family of six from Columbus, Ohio, were on
their way the other day and fell into conversation with this editor
They were dusty, roughly clad and happy all of them. The
rather rough looking husband and father proved to be a noted
scientific shark, the wife was a brilliant woman and the kids
shone through the dust of travel. She said this was their third
trip between Columbus and San Diego. They camped and had the
time of their lives. This trip they were especially comfortable
because they had learned to have the auto tent high enough to
stand up in" eyes" she said, we're dusty and rough but it's
clean dirt and it does us good. l am getting back to first principles
and imagine l must have been gypsy in some previous incarnation
for l and the whole family seem to be happiest in a tent on the
road" Just behind them was an ancient Ford tied up with wire
and ropes and with patched tires. The young man and his newly
made wife were going to a job of civil engineering on a far western
project. Fine folks. Said this was a nice town and a beautiful
country. Praised the people and the tourist camps along the
way.
Just folks, like Montana folks. Not tramps, but citizens of
character and value. Tourists, camping tourists, having an outing
at low cost and seeing the country. Moving west in the old pi-
mitive fashion but with "ll modern conveniences."
Just how much good the advertising by way of tourist camps
does is problematical. Perhaps not much, but it always pays to
be ~neighborly and pleasant and helpful. This touring is making
neighbors of Massachusetts and Ohio and Montana and Washing
ton. Perhaps no more effective educational advance is possible
in understanding of the nation as one with a big N than that af
}fOrded by the camping tourists caravan that moves interminably
north, south, east and west across the continent. The automobile
and the road for it to run on are welding the country into
homogeniety that could not be otherwise effected.
And to think that twenty years ago neither the highway OF
the automobile were elements in the life and growth of the nation
but mere ~playthings for the rich and the idle.
What of the next twenty years? Have you the nerve tc
I~prophesy?