The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-04-26
MONEY SPENT BY
TOURISTS SHOWN
BY CAMP REPORTS

st is a fact that there are prac-
tically one million people in this
country who prefer to camp at least
part of the time while touring by
automobile" says William M. David,
secretary of the Nevada Highway
Association, in the Reno Gazette.
Mr.. David who has been busy for
some time getting statistics from
various motor associations through
out the country and dealings with
the problem, which he says is
vital one in Nevada, says:
"This is no guess-actual records
are available showing exactly how
camp grounds at hundreds of cities
and towns in all parts of the coun-
try. In the city of Denver alone,
no less than 1859 visitors were ac-
commidated at the Overland park
municipal camp grounds during
1922. Lincoln, Nebraska, played
nost to nearly $4,000 camping
parties last year, while the camp
lite at Casper, Wyoming, with
population Of IL, 000-considerably
less than Reno-was visited by s.
400 cars during a period of only
four months. Since the average
number of passengers is four per
car, this means that Casper's trans
lent camping population substan-
TALLY exceeds it's permanent one.
Every motorist, whether camper
81 -
much is axiomatis, but few, if any,
realize the magnitude of the sums
spent every year by the army of
automobile campers. Perhaps a
few figures in this connection will
be Illuminating. Not all commune
ties with camp grounds have found
it possible to keep an exact record
of this class of expenditures, but
show conclusively their relative inn
portance.
Recently one of our large motor
clubs sent out a questionnaire TO
about one hundred of the larger
cities in all sections of the country
asking for fall information about
their camping grounds. Among
The questions asked was one OF
money spent each day By each
camping party. Many communities
lad no exact record of sucn ex
oenditures, but practically all the
estimates ranged between sc ant
SO per day for each party. The
report from Casper, Wyoming, wa.
exceptionally Illuminating because il
provided a classified tabulation o.
expenditures. This was compiled
rom the registration cards OF tour
SITS who patronized the camp, anc
.howed a grand total for the yeal
of SOL, 900. Of this amount, the
arger items were $1,000 for grocer
.es, $4,000 for gasoline and oil
$500 for tires, $500 for re
pairs and $1,000 for clothing. II
addition there were listed under
miscellaneous items nearly $1,000
which doubtless included such things
as amusements, candy, cigars, ciga
,rettes, toilet articles and the hundred
and one other little luxuries ant
necessities of every day life every
where.
"a small record was kept at Lin
coin, Nebraska, the result showing
an average daily expenditure OF
SO for each party. In this lease
the objects purchased including 8
new cars. Rapid City, South Dakota
reports SO per day as fair aver
age, while Chillicothe, Missouri,
found that the occupants of 3,14O
ears spent $21, 540.40, giving daily
average of $3.50 per car. Mr.. E.
E. Colby, superintendent of parks
and highways for the city of Pueblo,
Colorado, was unable to furnish
exact figures but was "sure that
such people" spend more than the
average person thinks.
These are only few selected at
random from the large number of
replies to the question of revenu,
derived by various communities
from tourists who patronize their
municipal camping grounds. They