The Penn's Grove record., 1923-11-09
A TRIP TO
Penns Grove Boys Saw Wonderful
Scenery In Three Weeks
Los Angeles, California,

Dear SIT:
1 am sending you a write-up about
our trip to Los Angeles. We drove a
Ford coupe, the distance of $500 miles,
in which we made it in three weeks
running time. We left Penns Grove,
N. j., on Thursday morning, Septem-
Der 9th, and arrived in Los Angeles
on Sunday, September 29th, at 1
o'clock P. NJ.
We were stopped at Mcpherson,
Kansas, Saturday, September 18th, on
account of heavy rains. The roads
were made up of this gumbo Kansas
mud. If one stepped out of the car
into the road he would stick fast TO
it. We had to stay there until Tues
day, 18th. That was three days We
lost on account Of rain and bad roads.
We drove the Lincoln Highway as
far as Chambersburg, Pa. From there
we went to Hagerstown, Md, thence
on the Old National Trail to Los An
geles. The roads from Philadelphia
to st. Louis, Mo-, are all macadam or
concrete roads and are in fine condi-
ition.
We carried our own cooking utensils
and did our cooking and camped out
at nights. We drove only in the day
time and slept at nights.
The camps east of the Mississippi
are far better than the mi west.
They are clean and the most of them
are free and they treat you fine. In
the West they charge you anywhere
from 25c to $500 to stay a day and
they are not so clean.
We crossed the Mississippi River at
st. Louis on September y, at 7.30
P. NJ. Here they have a wonderful
camp in the city in beautiful Forest
Park.
From here on to Los Angeles the
roads were very bad. In places they
were impossible if it were raining or
had rained a day or so previous. We
meet persons on the roads travelling
from all sections of the United States.
Nine out of ten were going to Los An
geles.
We heard the results of the Willard
Firpo fight at Overlook, Kansas. The
population is about so. They were all
out in the center of the square to hear
the returns come in. In Kansas you
car not buy any cigarettes of any
kind and we did not know it until we
were in the State.
Thursday, September goth, we
camped at Holly, Colorado. In the
morning, when we started on the road,
we could see the prairie dogs by the
thousands, and plenty of jack rabbits.
The Penns Grove boys should come
cunning out here. They are as big as
a good size dog and you are allowed
to shoot them any time of the year.
Friday, September 81, we arrived
in Trinidad, New Mexico, at 5 P. NJ.
Here we began to climb the Rocky
Mountains. We could see them ahead
70 us.
Saturday, 22d, we took camp at
Las Vergas, New Mexico, and all we
saw was Mexicans and children stand
ing around. We went over Rotan
Pass, an elevation of 1888 feet above
sea level. The scenery through the
Pass is wonderful and We had to go
on low gear for 5 to 10 miles at a
time, but the car a finely.
Sunday, September 23d, w arrived
in Albuquerque, North Mexico. Here
we see all the Indians and mud
houses they live in. They don't have
any bricklayers or carpenters here;
so Just use mud. They call them
dobbie houses. They stop you along
the highway and want to sell you
pottery and trinkets. We went thru
Flagstaff, an elevation of 6,907 feet.
Here we see the snow on the noun
tains and it began to get cold. The
sights are wonderful. We are only
sc miles from Grand Canyon. From
here we start down grade. There r
great lumber camps all along the
way here. We passed through the
petrified forest in Arizona. Here was
once a big forest which has petrified
and turned to stone. 1t is a wonderful
sight to see. We drove through here
and picked up some pieces to bring
home with US. There are trees three
and four feet in diameter and rs and
80 feet long, all turned to stone: The
bark is already on them and they are
of all colors. 1t is a National Forest
There are 25 or 80 acres of this.
From here on we commenced to go
through the desert and the roads We're
rough. In some places where the
bridges are washed out there is a State
Highway truck to pull you out. 1t is
very hot here in the day time and the
evenings are cool. Just as soon as the
u goes down it gets cold. AS soon
as the sun comes up it gets hot again.
Gasoline out here is 40 cents a gallon
and oil 35 cents a gallon. We travel
along the Sante Fe Railroad most of
the way here.
It took US two days to drive across
the Mohave Desert. We arrived at
Victorville on September 2Sth. From
here on to Los Angeles we have con-
crete roads. We saw the orange
groves and palm trees along the road.
We arrived in Los Angeles on Sun
day, 10Th. Oranges here are % cents
a dozen and grapes 5 cents a pound.
The climate is wonderful. The temper
allure averages rs degrees in the day
time and gets cool at nights. The city
of Los Angeles is wonderful. 1t is
hard to get work as there are so many
coming out here.
There are 500 machines in the auto
camps here, Lincoln Park. 1t is sum-
mertime here the year around.