Evening star., 1932-07-26
Washingtons Trail by Air.

Both as a commemOration of the eS-
tablishment cf the American postal
service, which was created July 26
IT'S. and as feature of the George
Washington Bicentennial celebration, an
airplane was flown yesterday over a
route which embraced practically al
the places visited by the first President
both as soldier and as executive. The
plane was flown by Maj James H. Doo-
little. former Army aviator, with Miss
Anne Madison Washington, a great
great-grandniece Of Washington, as
passenger. The flight began at Boston
at 4:35 am. and, covering approximate
ly 2,O16 miles, ended at 9;17 pm, just
two minutes of the schedule which had
been set for it. At various points along
the way packets of letters were dropped
with tags requesting the finders to send
them to their destination by airmail.
A map of this flight affords a vivid
illustration of the narrow territory
within which George Washington trav-
G4SO III CllC GOlASt VI Ills Il1G. WIlGl OUT
lined upon the full map of the United
States the area embraced is but a
minute portion of the present national
territory. But in WaShington'S time
it was almost the entire American
realm, with the exception of the States
of Georgia and South Carolina and all
but a very small sector of North
. Carolina. There is no exact computa-
ton of the time required by George
Washington in covering this ground
route by route, but it must have oc-
cupied in all many months, Yesterday
the circuit was made in less than
seventeen hours.
George Washington went over these
routes on horseback and in coach. In
man places there were no roads,
merely tracks and trails. Such roads
as existed were bad, impossible in
storm, dangerous at all times and in
most places, wheels sinking to the hub,
rocks and stumps of trees often block
ing passage. The best Of the highways
then existing would now be rated as in
the lowest grade of travel lanes.
The country between the points which
George Washington visited was wild anc
mostly wooded, with few farms and in
frequent settlements Accommodation!
for travellers were scant. Stages" fol
daily travel were set to assure shelter
and sustenance for the wayfarer. There
was peril for the traveller, both in the
state of nature and in the hostility OF
the Indians. In the Eastern and more
settled portion Of the territory there
were some highwaymen, and many
travellers were accompanied by armed
guards for protection. George Wash
ington, however, often made these
journeys alcne, when he was not or
military expeditions.
The flight of Maj. Doolittle and Miss
Washington should cause more gen.
eral appreciation Of the comforts anc
the facilities that have developed II
the course of the one hundred and fifty
seven years of the postal period which
was celebrated by their fi,~ht. The air
plane itself is Of course .lle most strik.
ing feature Of this progress. But it i
necessary to look back only a couple
of decades instead of more than I
century and half to note a grea
advance in this respect. Twenty year.
ago an air flight over the route o
George Washington's travels would havt
been a feat to amaze the world. Today
it is accepted as something quite easil!
to be accomplished, not at all sensa
tional, and noteworthy chiefly because
of the historic character of the routt
followed.