State

June 20, 1936 409 Miles In Only 4 Days IMAGINE an automobile tour from Richmond to Raleigh anil back again in four days9 time! Not much of a feat in these days, but read Miss Gaines' description of it as it occurred in 1910. By ifluryaret (iaines Roaring down the road m is miles nit hour came Or. Stuart McGuire. Outraged liens ahead and dust clouds billowing behind his horseless carriage marked its passage; folks along the roadside gasped, field hands fell to their knees in prayer, mules woke up and took to the woods. With a tremendous clatter and hung and the full thunder of Ю horsepower, this juggernaut from another world blazed on into history. In the gog¬ gled and gauntleted demon at the wheel with its linen duster streaming in the wind, no one would have rec- Saized today’s dignified Richmond ysicinn and the head of St. Luke's Hospital in Richmond. Nevertheless, it was he, piloting his Oldsmobile at what was "breakneck” speed that June day in 1910. Through the dust, amazed spectators might have seen him occasionally slow down, turn in his seat, and loss handfuls of confetti into the shimmering air. 409 Milts in Only Four Days This was to he a great day in Vir¬ ginia motoring. Early in the morning, Dr. McGuire had started from Rich¬ mond to lead 1-1 ears along his con¬ fetti trail from Richmond to Raleigh and hack on a pioneering tour in the interest of better roads. Covering the •109 miles required four days and took the procession through Emporia, Pan¬ acea Springs, Littleton, N. C. ; Hen¬ derson, N. C.; Raleigh, Durham, N. C. ; This was the type of car which participated in the automobile tour described on this page and sponsored by the Richmond "Times-Dispatch." Clarksville, South Hill and Lawrence- ville before they got bock home. In the clattering odorous line behind Dr. McGuire’s pacemaker were Ramblers, Speedwells, Maxwells. Huieks, Chalmers 30's, Hilpiuohilcs, Regale, Cadillacs, Hudsons, and a 'ingle White Special that made Page One the first day out. The tour started in front of The Times-Dispalch, which sponsored the event, the morning of dune 7. 1910. In those days automobile news carried on the sport page, and a backward glance at this venture into the un¬ known shows why. There were no load signs, no au¬ thentic maps, no pavement, no motor cops, no service stations, no hot dog stands; there was not much of any¬ thing, in fact, but dust, if it was dry, and mud if it rained. Kins two feet deep wound uphill and down where rambling oxcarts had accidentally laid them out many years liefore. Bridges a Game of Chance Bridge? were llimsy and often were repaired before the motor cars could cross them. Roads Were repaired, re¬ built or built fiom scratch. And, even then there was a detour, when a bridge near Kmporiu was weakened by high water. The less said about incchiinicnl dif¬ ficulties possibly the better. Springs broke and axles snapped ou tile exe¬ crable roads. Tire trouble was as much a part of motoring as steering the car and there was plenty of it. T. C. Williams had H punctures in one stretch of road, unclinehcd his tires, repaired them with patches and rubber cement, pumped them up by hand and kept going. Dr. McGuire was delayed two hours by a flat. Of just plain engine trouble there was more than enough. Time after time crows “‘got out and got under” while derisive passersby shouted “Git a horse!" Motors wore all hut dis¬ mantled and put together again on the road and tools were as necessary as gas and oil. Heavy rains baited progress completely and the cars sim¬ ply sat ami settle! into the deepening mud until wiring dried out. And there were accidents: three of • bom, in fact. That at least otio of them was not more serious was due, perhaps, l«. the limited speed of auto¬ mobiles of 25 years ago. On the other hand, tilings happened to those snort¬ ing gas buggies every 30 seconds that the modern motorist would consider an accident; usually, if they ran it was an accident. These Were Real Accidents Bill these three mishap' were acci dellts in the modern meaning of the term as applied to the pleasure of mo¬ toring. Two curs went over embank incuts and one skidded into a ditch, hut there were no fatalities. B. W Wilson received a broken collarbone after his machine tossed him 30 feet, and was taken to a hospital. The really fine crash occurred the second day out. near Littleton. N. C., and slummed the tour from the sport page clear through the lead column on page one. A White Special, driven by t'olciuun Cutohins and containing Allen Pott?. ( Continued on jHiye thirty)