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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1912)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, JULY 21, 1912. ' SCENES ALONG THE EOTTTE 07 TEIP PICKED FOE IDEAL DAY'S OUTING IN BIOTOE CAE. T REMY MAGNETOS We Have a. Factory Expert ARCHER & WIGGINS OAK STREET, CORNER SIXTH fG-a . 3 i t M State Possesses Rare Beauty Spots for One-Day Motor Trip, Says Writer. Department Rule Forbidding Cars in National Park Caus ing Strenuous Prptest. L 1 Vb w 11 o BAD ROADS ONLY BANE TO OREGON MOTORISTS RIGHT 5 2 DUST HIDES MANY GLORIES Bj- Proper Work, Thoroughfares Can Be Made Superior to Those of CaIifornia--E-M-F "80" Makes Run With Much Ecc. For wealth of beautiful aad divers: Bed acenery. fairly rood roads and tor.' of dust, the trip from Portland to M: Mlnnville. Dallas. Independence, Sile:rs and back to the city can stand the highest recommendation. Any motorist who wants an all-day ride and doesn't mind carting home a vast amount of fine real estate, will find In this Jour ney all the beauties and Joys of a day's outing. This is the time of the year when Oregon's wonderful agricultural and horticultural resources are so much In evidence. Waving- grain fields, rich fruit crops, acres of fine gardens and beautiful homes, with well-kept grounds and myriads of flowers, all give mute evidence of the richness of the land. To see all this wonderful array of wealth and beauty, with its strong appeal to linger, makes the tired toller of the musty work-a-day city long to breathe forever the cool, sweet air of the country and wax rich shar ing Nature's generous gifts to Oregon. Roads Not la Keeping. While on every hand conditions point to prosperity and farmers along the route talk with an optimistic air. the roads do not seem in keeping with the country they traverse. They are good roads for Oregon, it is true, but they could oe a whole lot better and still would not be held as a criterion of what country roads should be. Thick layers of dust hide countless chuck boles and envelop machine and land scape in a heavy cloud as the auto spins along. One would imagine that the farmers would see to it that they have good roads, for. to see the horses trudging along In the hot sun over the dusty, rough roads proves the fallacy af the argument that fine highways benefit only the pleasure-seeking mo torist. No wonder the average farmer has a continual grouch against automobiles and the men who represent the motor Mr industry. As the cars speed past Ills place they stir up huge clouds of dust, which are not only disaarreeahle to the soil-tiller, but to the occupants of the cars as well. This nuisance can e eliminated if the farmers will change their antagonistic stand on good roads legislation and co-operate heartily with the men who are seeking to alleviate the hardships of the rural residents. If the roads keep on going from bad to worse It soon will he necessary, if mo torists want to find pleasure in coun try touring, to envelope themselves and :helr cars In dust-proof covering. E-M-F "30- Takea Roada Xleety Despite the hidden bumps and th Just that Invites sklrldlncr. the E-M-F "JO" In which W. L. Woempner, "Ted" Battels. Paul Koehler and the writer made the trip as outlined above trun dled over the roads with no apDarent effort and provided smooth and easy riding that was a revelation when the character of the roads was taken into consideration. Ail through the warm day the car was sent ahead at a fairly swift gait and the motor failed to show any signs of the hard strain. Tire trouble Is the bane of the mo torist's existence, yet it also is respon sible for the ludicrous side of motoring. Had It not been for one tire that had grown old In service, or was built of rotten material, the party would not have been forced to drive through the wee sma' hours of the morning to camp along the roadside until break of day and walk eight dusty miles Into Oregon City for aid. The work of mak ing tire repairs five times after dark ness descended did not provoke much mirth at the time, nor did the thoushts of emulating E.lward Payson Weston at 4 A. M. bring any loud shrlf-ks of mrr!ment. Yet. after the work was over, and the eight-mile hike but a m'-ssion of memory, all found some thing humorous in the episodes and the post-mortem brought many laughs over the trick of fate in centering Its un welcomed activity on one poor tire. One-Day Trip Proposed. Since all roads leading from Port land Into the country are dust-laden, it would be hard to pick out a trip that has more pleasure attached to It than the route Including Tigardvllle. Rex, Niwberg. Dundee. Lafayette. McMlnn- vl le. Amity. Perrydale. Dallas .Inde pendence. Salem and the East Side route to Portland. It can be covered with ease In a day. Leaving Portland It Is best to take the Taylor's Ferry Road, which leads inno tne Kex-Tlgardvllle Road. The flist 20 miles of the trip is by far tno most beautiful. For miles around the rolling hills and valley farm land present a contrasted picture of wonder ful beauty. It Is here that one comes to the full realization of the richness or the country tributary to Portland and it Is easy to see why the- Orefron metropolis has grown with such rarld ity. There Is untold wealth lying right at the door-of the city, and the calamlty nowler Is rebuked with stern proof oi prosperous times in store for this par ticular section of the country. So better evidence of the condition of the country ran be found than in the manner in which the homes are kept up. The farmers have an eye for beauty about their homes and their ap pearance redounds to the credit of the owners. Bada Roads DUcouree. If Oregon haj the highroad stand ard typical of California this state would be the mecea of Summer tourists. Initead of motoring through Califor nia they would take advantage of the auoerior scenery that this state pos sesses. But good roads are important to the motorist and he Invariably will foriow the good road that leads into more good roads and will shun the poor apologies for highways that traverse some states. It is the opinion of those who have toured extensively In the West that Oregon's scenic at tractions surpass In variety and beauty those of any other Western common wealth, but a veil has been virtually drawn over Its wonderland by bad : roaas. Rolling into the small towns that dot the route one is Impressed with their progresslveness and prosperity. Development work Is going on every where and in McMinnvllle. Dallas. In dependence and Xewberg new buildings f metropolitan proportions are under ray. Dallas has fine wide streets, fine Buildings and altogether is a fine ex ample of the typical thriving Oregon bamlet. The efforts of Frank C." Riigs. 3eorge E. Waggoner, J. C. Ainswortii, and their associates. In rebuilding the Rex-Tlgardvllle road, can be ap preciated now. The last time the writer drove over the notorious piece of road it was In a frightful condition: now It is partly graded and Jjf.rtly 1 i . J- Sf if 1, Portion of the ?tcvr Rex-Tlgardvllle Road S. An E-M-F "ge" In a Shady Snot Alons: tbe Road to Independ ence S, a Deltcbtfnl Pleale Place Be. tween Lafayette and McMinnvllle , a Perfect Stretch of Hoad Near Dal las 5, Beautiful Scene of Valley aad Hills on the west Side Road to Salem About Seven Mtles West of tbe Cap itol O, Long Stretch of Straight Raad Leading Into Perrraale. graveled, with only a small portion rough and full of chucklioles. Of the six counties entered Mult nomah. Washington. Yamhill. Clacka mas. Polk and Marion Clackamas gets the palm for bad roads. Heavily traveled as it is, the Salem road through Ciackamas County Is not any too good In the best spots and horrible in the worst. It is particularly bad between Oregon City and New Era. while rough, rutty places are all too frequent anywhere after leaving Bar low on the homestretch. Lack of Signs Scored. Motorists In distress near Woodburn will find a welcome savior In Mr. Rem ington, who conducts a first-class gar see in that- town. Twice the writer has been forced to call on him for as sistance and each time he lias responded quickly. Both times the call was sent In after he had closed shop, i He is a genial soul, always obliging, and quick to answer the cry of the motorist for aid. Coming in from Salem the writer met A. J. MosgTOve and E. J. Carpenter, who motored from Visalia. CaJ., in an E-M-F "30". Their tale was one of dangerous mountain roads and rough valley highways. Mosgrove. who did the driving, had bitter eomplaint to make against the lack of road signs in Southern Oregon and Northern Cali days. they did not experience a single bit of trouble with their ear and not or.ee were tney forced to change a tire. The E-M-F proved a "bear" at hill climbing. Although we had several steep hills to climb, not once was it necessary to shift to a lower gear. The car acted like a thoroughbred all. OBJECTIONS ARE UNSOUND 1 sw ii , ii sfp-s.-- x - a is si ii Ii Erf R: , h Vr 1 rr..rwL... k . . s:. 1 i vts- jTv, . I I 111 jris;s& I I IX - - - , . . - v t-j vl a i i - . , v- . .11 V" : - -I f ' --aw ,11 I I " - - II 'la ! II , I I I I - i Jf -a.' - e-ass I 15 the time. Country driving- with an E-M-F Is a real pleasure, for the car has an abundance of power, plenty of speed and takes the grades with ease. WIXS ECOXOMY Little Car Goes . 4 1 Miles on Less Than 1 1 Pints of Gasoline. In the economy contest hold by the Cincinnati Auto Club recently a 23 horsepowsr Bulck proved the winner.. The distance traveled was 41 miles and the gasoline consumption showed ope and one-third gallons. The total weight of the car and passengers was 2964 pounds. There were 40 other cars entered in the competition, but the victory was easy for the Bulck and, following im mediately upon its winning the annual Stanley-avenue hill climb, created quite a sensation In and about Cincinnati. SClss Mabel Boardmmn of the Red Cross is working- for ths erection of a building In Washington. D. C, to commemorate the services and sacrifices of the woman of the Civil War. The present plan Is to have this building cost about fOOo.000. ,j. Xarrow Roads and Heavy Grades Are Given as Exeuse for Prohibitory Baling Offers to Maks Road Go Unanswered. Motorists in California are waging relentless war against the law prohib itlng automobiles from entering To- semlts National Park. This Is one of the real scenic wonders of the Oolden State, and visiting motorists, as well as those of California, have longed for the opportunity of driving through the park. This cry against the adverse ruling has grown louder, the strenu ous protest has become more general until now the leaders of the movement see light ahead. The following story, written by Leon J." Pinkson, of. the San Francisco Call, tells of the attitude of motorists to ward the law, and shows how earnest they are to have it repealed: . "The wail of the California motorist to be allowed to drive his car into the Yosemite Valley Is daily growing loud er and It cannot be much longer be fore the sounds penetrate the red-taped walls of the Interior Department at Washington and some action wfll be taken that should eventually throw open the roads to the automobile. Motor Industry Immense. "There is no doubt to the fact that the motor car is the recognized modern conveyance that has been adopted in all parts of the world. The industry in the United States has developed to the third most important, from a money standpoint. In the country. It has swelled the American exports by many million dollars. "The motor car has proven its worth In almost every recent commercial en terprlse. It has lengthened the day of the merchant and enlarged his busi ness territory many fold. It has brought the country right to the city's edge, and assisted in populating many sparsely-settled regions. Yet, in the face of all these benefits, the Govern ment stands by some ancient ruling and prevents the motorist from pilot ing his car down the picturesque moun tain slopes into the scenic wonderland of the Yosemite. "What is the reason? "The old fear of danger can no longer hold good, as statisticians have shown that where motor buses have taken the place of the old stage coach in mountain work, the list of casual ties has decreased. The motor car Is built with adequate provisions for emergencies. No matter how skilled the old stage driver was, he was at the mercy of the whims of his horses. Objections Are Inadequate. "The roads into the valley are no more dangerous than many of the other mountain roads that the motor tourist encounters on vacation tours, and no other reasons of any alarming nature can be advanced. "Each day sees new recruits in the ranks of the campaigners to open the valley to the motor car, and these sup porters come from all ends of the state. All of them'lay stress upon the fact that California is losing much of the motor tourist traffic of the country as the result of the Government's stand. "T. I. Fitzpatrick, the well-known local attorney, popular Olympic Club man and ardent motorist, is strong In his denunciation of the ruling barring machines from the National reserve. 'I have made no less than six trips into the Yosemite Valley within the last few years. I have walked into the reserve, gone in on the regular stage coaches and also In special wagons. uslr.g all three of the present entrances into the park. I can see no reason why the Government should maintain ..its present stand. 'To the best of my recollection, the roads are plenty wide enough and not at all dangerous to permit their use by a motor car. If any repairs are necessary it would require little ex pense to make them, and if the Gov ernment Is loathe to pay for it I be- leve that the amount could be easily obtained by popular subscription among the zealots in California. State Fiarhts for Asset. The Yosemite is one of California's scenic assets and we should tight to have it open to the motorists of the world. From a civic standpoint, I be- leve every Callfornian should get be hind the move to allow the automobile entry Into the park.' "Paul Morris, of Tuolumne, president of the Big Oak Fiat and Yosemite Turnpike Company, a corporation oper ating a toll road -from Groveland to Gentrys, eight miles from the valley in complimenting The Gall for' Its fight to open the valley to the motorists, writes in part as follows: ' 'For the last six years we have been making requests from all our Senators and Congressmen to get the Interior Department to make a ruling allowing automobiles to enter Yosemite Valley. Every time this request was made the answer came back, "Cannot allow it. as automobiles will frighten the horses in the valley and someone may get Injured." 'Another strange answer was that the grade going Into Yosemite was too narrow and two vehicles could not pass. I personally had charge of tbe stage -line on this road for several years and at no time did I ever meet vehicle on any part of the grade which I could not pass. I requested information as to where this narrow road was, and never heard any more. My last proposition to the Interior De partment was that if we could get a permit allowing automobiles into tne Yosemite, the road company -would be willing to erect a telephone line from the foot of the grade into Yosemite to the top of the same and place a man in charge at both ends to notify when utomoblles were coming or going, so as ta overcome any possible chance of any accident- To this request I have never received an answer.' 'To show the progress of roads in Tuolumne County leading to the Yo semite Valley, I will say that the en terprising citizens living at Groveland nd Big oak f iat nave raised money by popular subscription and have al most completed a new road to Priests, which does away -with the well-known Priests HUl making- the drive from Jacksonville to Priests on less than a per cent grade. The road to Yosem ite via. Big Oak Flat Is in the best of condition and there is no place on this road which could be considered dangerous. At this stage, wnen automobiles are so useful, it seems a public Out rage that they should be restricted. It is the expressed will of the people of California that they be allowed to en ter the Yosemite valley, and why the Interior Department bars the way I have never understood.' " j Atterbury Truck Columbia Curiaca & Auto Works, AfcOs, 209-211 Front Street Phone Main 289Z General Auto Repairing. Bodies and Wheels Built to Order. AUBURN Auburn Motor Car Co. R0BT. SIMPSON, Mgr. 5057 Buruside Street A 7339. Main 2874, BALL008WRIGHT Largect Stock Automobile Accessories M. & W G. & X and Hartford Tires, Monogram Oils SO-82 Seventh St, Cor. Oak. Portland, Or. MOTORCYCLES INDIAN AND EMBLEM BALLOU & WRIGHT, 80-82 Seventh Street, Cor. Oak Chanslor & Lyon Motor Supply Co. "Everything but the Automobile" At lowest possible prices consistent with merchandise of highest pos sible quality. ' 627 WASHINGTON STREET Seattle Spokane San Francisco Los Angeles Fresno BOWSER GASOLINE and OIL TANKS iTOBAGB SYSTEMS FOR Pl'HLIt JLXO PRI VATE OAKAGES, s. D. Stoddard. Act. SOS Columbia uldK. alaln 147S JOHN DEERE PLOW CO. Northwest Distributors, EAST MORRISON AND SECOND STi Phones: E. 3837, B 1625. FORD The car that comes fully equipped Best for the Money Ford Motor Car Agency E. E. Sleret, Pres. and War B. 8th and Hawthorn Ave. Phoaa East 048. TIRES Vulcanising dtRatreadlmr. H. BS. BLODOETTi 29-31 N. 14th. Mala 7005. APPEBS0N STEARNS REO NORTHWEST AUTO CO. DISTEIBUT0ES F. W. VOGLER, President 617 Washington Street. Phones Main 7179, A 4959. PREER CUTLERY & TOOL CO. Headquarters for Shop Supplies and Automobile Tools 74 SIXTH AND 311 OAK STREETS Schacht Motor Car Co. COMMERCIAL AND PLEASURE CARS COR. FIFTH AND HOYT STS. Oar Motto: "Quality and a Sqnare Deal" Western Hardware & Auto Supply Co. SEVENTH AND PINE STEEETS Vnjcanizingr, Hardware and Auto Supplies. ' Phones: Main 8828. Home A 2016. The Is DIFFERENT from all other automo biles." "If you know the dif ference, you will buy a Cadillac." COVEY MOTOR CAR COMPANY Washington anfl Twenty-first Streets Portland, Oregon