- 3
ON THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEAR SISSON.
4
ISINTERESTIWGTRIP
i
San Francisco Editor
Changed by Trip.
Is
Summer Journey for Autoists
' Attractive.
ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED
ROUTE IS FASCINATING
V
rink son Visits Xortb and Tben
Advises All His Readers
Likewise.
Run. From . Seattle Takes Party
J
Tbrougb Irrigated Valley, One
' of Richest in World.
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JULY 4, 1920
SOUTHERN
WRITER
THROUGH
CASCADES
OREGON
BOOSTER
If - - V- , . -
:v. . a a
. -v 2 i a
l V.VV ! T s
Loon J. Plnkaon. automobile editor of
the San Franutsco Chronicle, waa one of a
prty or Fan Kranclco automobile editors
who drove north over the Pacific hifchway
to Portland about three weeka aso to net
the real facta about highway conditiona
In Crecon. The following Interesting ac
count of the trip appeared under his aig
ratura in the automobile acctlon of the
Chronicle laet week:
BY LEON' J. PIKKSON.
California motorists looking- for
new fields to conquer in the matter
of automobile touring- will do well to
head their cars" northward and make
the trip over the Pacific highway to
Portland. An agreeable surprise
awaits them both as to roads and
unusual scenic attractions that make
the interstate trip delightful.
The general impresion has prevailed
In California motoring circles that
the Oregon roads are not conducive to
a pleasant outing, but this is a huge
mistake, for our sister state has
awakened to the Importance of good
highways and is spending vast sums
in building a creditable main trunk
line to join her principal cities. The
people of the state, too. have awak
ened to the Importance of motor
transportation, and the tourist find
a welcome for himself and his car
in practically every district.
To secure some first-hand Informa
tion regarding the conditions of the
highways between San Francisco and
Portland, the writer accompanied
Claude A. McGee. veteran road pilot
of the Howard Automobile company.
PACIFIC HIGHWAY SOTES.
Interesting facts about Pa
cific highway route from Oak
land to Portland, Or.:
Total distance, 745.4 miles.
Miles traveled In California.
358. 4.
Miles traveled in Oregon. 387.
One detour exists at present
on the California portion of the
mad. This is located near
Yreka..
There are seven detours at
present in Oregon and they
total a mileage of 28.7.
The northern sections of both
"Wolf Creek and Cow Creek
grades in Oregon are still' un
finished, but they should open
at a reasonably early period.
Over 200 miles of Pacific
highway in Oregon are already
paved and graded and. by the
end of 1921 it will be completed.
Leon J. Plnkson in San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
aV4
on a pathfinding trip to the Oregon
metropolis. A detailed Inspection of
the Pacific highway was made and
the roads, particularly those in Ore
gon, were found to be in much better
condition than has been reported by
tourists who traveled the route in
past seasons.
The California portion of the road
has been completed except for a
stretch of soma 30 miles between
Vacaville and Zamorra, and another
email section north of Dunsmuir. Ore
gon' portion, 387 miles, has" approx
imately 200 miles completed, and the
remainder Is either under construc
tion now or contracts have been let
that will assure the complete surfac
ing of the road before the end of
1921.
Fast Time Possible.
For the motorist who likes a snap
py drive the 745 miles between San
Francisco and Portland can be made
comfortably in four days. This sched
ule provides for the first night's stop
at Corning, 176 miles; Medford, Or.,
second night. 219.6 miles; Eugene, Or.,
third night. 183.2 miles; Portland the
fourth night, 166.2 miles. According
to McGee, who piloted the Buick
pathfinding car on our tour north,
this schedule would make the tourist
Dest enjoy the scenery and not In
volve any tiresome traveling.
Thiej time can be cut down to. three
days for the hardened traveler who
doesn't mind a long day's run. Evi
dence of the latter statement is borne
out by the fact that McGee, driving
the entire route himself, negotiated
the 245 miles between 8 O'clock Fri
day night and 5:S0 o'clock Sunday
evening. This speed is, of course, not
recommended: yet the fact that it wae
possible to traverse the route within
a 4b-nour period, indicates that the
generally understood frightful road
conditions no longer exist either in
Oregon or in the northern part of
California.
IV o Heavy Grades.
No heavy grades are involved at
any point on the journey and seldom
will the driver be forced to use sec
ond speed. This condition is In
marked contract to those prevailing a
year ago. especially so in Oregon.
where until present grades were es
tablished, there were several "cork
ers," requiring about all the avail
able power the average motor car
possesses.
A notable instance Is the new
gradea through Wolf creek canyon.
The old one tested the power, skill
and disposition of any driver, while
the new one, of approximately 6 per
cent, is wide and can be climbed in
high by the ordinary pilot. Other
changes could be cited, such as the
new Cow creek and also the new Pass
creek grades, which will soon open,
the former within a few weeks and
the latter when a bridge has been
built across the narrowest portion of
the canyon.
Weather la Factor.
Weather conditions in Oregon
where dirt roads exist, will govern
the comfort of those pleasure bent.
If heavy rains are encountered there
will be plenty of mud, and with the
mud, of course, comes retarded speed
ana careful driving.
Throughout California's sister state,
at least along the Pacific highway.
there are frequent evidences of the
road building activity Oregon is car
rying on. and the finished evidence
of. present labors will be more def
initely visible next season at this
period than it is now, for, by that
time, a hard-surfaced ribbon will
bridge the gap between the. Califor
nia state line and Portland. When
that time arrives it will not be un
common to hear of the tour being
completed by pleasure travelers in
two days' running time.
Lntll this year the route was un
finished through the Sacramento can
yon, between Redding and Dunsmuir.
Now work is needed on but a few
miles. The remainder is excellent
highway. The scenery through this
canyon Is beautiful.
Oregon offers the California!! a dil
ferent kind of scenic beauty from
that to which he is accustomed to
view in any part of his native state.
The frequent rains coat the hilla and
valleys with a refreshing shade of
green which we view only in the
early spring. The rains, too. create
Innumerable streams, most of which
eventualy find their way into the
large Oregonian rivers, among these
being the Columbia, Willamette,
Rogue. Umpua and Yamhill. On either
side of these streams are valleys of
the same names, whose agricultural
products are famous throughout the
United States.
At the end of the trail in Portland
there starts a drive which cannot be
surpassed the world over in ite scenic
grandeur.
Columbia Highway Praised.
The Columbia river highway, be
ginning at Portland continuing al
most to The Dalles, follows a course
which parallels the Columbia river,
rising at one point to nearly 800
feet above the river, dropping then
to the water's level, and in succes
sion rising and dropping to the river
along a route which boasts of eight
different waterfalls, the highest being
Mutnomah falls, second in size of its
water fall to Yosemlte falls. These
eight natural wonders are found
within a 12-mile space along the
highway.
At what is regarded the summit
Crown Point there is available a
view for miles and miles, east and
west of the Columbia river. The
sight beggars a Justifiable descrip
tion. Its grandeur must be seen in
order to properly comprehend- the
thrills it affords. -Natural obstacles
confronted engineers who laid out and
later built the road. In some in
stances it is hewn' out of rock and
and in other places bridges are re
quired to gap canyons. If no other
compensation were offered for mak
ing the trip from the bay cities to
the north a drive over the Columbia
river highway would amply repay
the effort, time and expense involved.
Portland citizens may truthfully
claim it to be the eighth wonder of
tne world.
Claude McGee added just one more
mark to numerous perfect score per
formances already credited to him
and his car in the remarkable drive
he made and in the splendid perform
ance of the Buick. As an earlier par
agraph states he covered the distance
in less than 46 hours. Save for break
fast and dinner stops he was con
tinuously behind the wheel for 22
hours and the pace he maintained
provided an excellent demonstration
of the stability of his automobile.
n -i
lit X-" 4 J v , r 1
U 'n ": Jr
Between Slaaon, which la almost natder Mount Shasta, and Shasta Springs
stnd Daaimair, the Pacific highway traTeraea for much of the distance a
beautiful wooded country of arrest fir tress. The upper picture was
lakes on recent run over the highway by H. H. Ellna-. Overland-Pa
clflc manng-er In Portland, In an Overland four sedan. The lower photo
shows the Overland In the wild canyon between the Klamath River can
yon and Yreka. Cal.
PLEASURE CUR MISNOMER
MOST OF AUTOS ARE USED
FIRST FOR 'BUSINESS.
PEKIN MOTORING POPULAR
CHINESE
AXV
OWNERS EXCEED
OTHER CITY.
Number of Passenger Cars Is About
- 650, Many Owned by Amer
ican Manufacturers.
PEKIN, July 3. Motoring is rapidly
Increasing In popularity In Pekln,
where there are said to be more Chi
nese owners of cars than in any other
city oi (Jtima. The number of pas
senger automobiles here is about 650,
of which a large majority are of
American manufacture, and over S00
have been bought by the Chinese residents.
Through Chinese efforts the Pekin
Motor club has been formed along the
ines of similar organizations in
Shanghai and Tientsin. Life members
pay $100, ordinary members $12 a
year.
If the present plans are carried out
China's longest modern highway will
be completed within six months. It
will extend from Pekin to Tientsin, a
distance of about 80 miles. The first
section of this road, from Pekin to
Tungchow, 13 miles, was constructed
in 1917. Through the efforts of the
Pekin Motor club it is reported that
a loan of $150,000 has been negotiated
with the Banque Industrielle de Chine
for the construction of a modern road
between Tangehow and Tientsin.
Use for Other Trips Declared to Be
Merely Incidental to Main
Service.
"Business hours are the busy hours
for the traffic cop. For the moat
part on evenings and Sundays he is
off the job. This indicates better
than any argument that the term
'pleasure car' is a misnomer. The au
tomobile today Is a passenger-carrying
business vehicle,
"Maybe in the early days, when the
automobile could not be depended on
to 'get there,' " says K. A. Price, Fire
stone representative, "the business
man might have reserved automobil
ing -for his holidays, when he would
have lots of time to fix punctures
and tinker with a balky engine. But
today he uses .it only incidentally for
pleasure rides. Helping him in the
conduct of his business or helping
his wife on her calls to the grocer or
dressmaker is Its main function.
. "Now the harm done by the man
who persists in calling an automobile
a pleasure car is this: He is classify
ing it as a luxury and in these days
of. high taxes, with luxuries very
properly the things most taxed, we
can't afford to put it in that class.
Putting a tax on It is putting a tax
on progress in business. Yet the
power of suggestion made by un
thinking speakers will cause unthink
ing legislators to put upon it taxa
tion burdens beyond what is reason
able. It's up to every man who uses
an automobile in his business to help
educate the public to Its real status
a passenger car of practical utility in
business."
CARS COME HIGH ABROAD
i i
British Flivvers Bring $42 50, Good
; Auto Costs $25,000.
"The craze of motor car ownership
has spread all over Britain, and per
sons who know nothing whatever
about a car will' pay any mad sum
just to own one, said the manager
of a prominent firm of London
dealers, says the London Daily Mall.
"The absurd prices lately asked for
1914 and. 1915 models, with" many
thousands of miles' wear against
them, are falling Off a little," he
added, "but new cars will fetch al
most anything. For instance, a 10-
horsepower car of a not ;particularly
famous or excellent make was sold
TWO MILES OF THIS CRUSHED ROCK ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER
HIGHWAY JUST THIS SIDE OF HOOD RIVER. .
ill ; El f Til? r!
last week for $4250. This was fitted
with 'an ordinary coupe body. The
price in 1914 was about $1625.
"The price quoted to us of a very
well known 12-horsepower car was
more than $5000. Its cost before the
war was about $1750. and the new
model today costs those who can get
it direct from an accredited agent
$3S00. It Is a good car but $5000 is
absurd.
"Another instance Is the purchase
at. a "very special' price (by which is
meant a low one), of a 40-horsepower
car.. with a closed body, for $25,000."
Prices of very ordinary and not re
markably good cars are up 300 and
sometimes 400 per cent. That is to
say, agents are offered these sums
for immedtate delivery. The makers
get only the catalog prices.
TIRE TROUBLES VANISH
DAYS OF WORRY REOAL.IED
WHEN OWNERS TREMBLED.
Great Strides Made, by Industry in
Perfecting Casings of Va
rious Types. .
It sounds like a fairy story, but
time was, and but a few years ago,
when a motorist started out for
Sunday afternoon's ride with fear and
tremllngs, lest his tire should "blow'
before he got back. Tire trouble was
the bugaboo that constantly reared
Its head to ruin bis pleasure in mo
torlng.
Today, however, the dependability
and easy riding qualities of pneumat
les permit him to start out without
a single thought for his tires. He
rarely gives the terrific punishment
they undergo a moment s consider
tion, feeling sure they will bring him
home. From terrified concern, accord
ing to the Miller Rubber company,
Akron, O.. the pendulum has swung
too far toward careless Indifference.
The fact that tire manufacture has
made wonderful strides in the last
few years and has kept well abreas
of automobile development, is often
forgotten unless attention is called to
it. For instance. Miller tire mlleaVe
has doubled. As faithful servants, tire
deserve well of the car owner. They
might often tell strange tales were
they given the power of expression
tales of cruelty, abuse and careless
ness. of service brought to an untlnie
ly end and of ill treatment and ex
posure.
It pays big dividends in motoring
comfort and in freedom from tire
trouble to run slowly over jagged
stones and glass; to avoid bumping
into curbs; to promptly plug tread
cuts before sand, blisters and mud
boils start fabric separation. It makes
two miles grow where one would oth
erwise be, to guard against rim cut
ting by keeping out of car tracks and
maintaining proper inflation; to have
wheels tested for alignment rather
than uselessly grinding away tires as
on an emery wheel. It cuts down tire
expense to avoid stone bruising them
by reckless driving, only to curse
them when the overstrained cords
break down.
Tire conservation Is, Indeed, the
need of the hour. The movement for
educating the motorist to careful
driving, to have his tires regularly in
spected by his dealer and to guard
against the ills to which tires are
heir, by a little care in advance of
trouble.v. is gathering momentum
throughout the country.
SEATTLE, Wash., July 4. One of
the most Interesting summer automo
bile trips out of Seattle is across the
Cascades to Wenatchee, center of an
irrigated valley that ranks among the
richest in the world. Portland tour
ists who visit the Puget Sound coun
try will find this route by way of
Snoqualmie pass over the mountains
one of the most fascinating in the
west.
The start from Seattle is mads by
way of Lake Washington boulevard.
skirting the lake, though the distance
can. be. shortened by taking a ferry
acroes the lake to.Kirkland. effecting
a junction, with the regular road at
tveamona. ... -.
Among., the outstanding points of
interest -along ' the route Snoqual
mie Falls is the first reached. From
the pass,- at an altitude of 3010 feet.
the descent leads to Lake Keechelus,
a broad expanse surrounded by snow
capped peaks. Following the road
toward wenatchee, Blewett pass it
crossed at an altitude of 4071 feet.
This pass road is In good condition,
but haa sharp turns that should be
negotiated by daylight, so an early
start from Seattle is advised. The
route is well maked with signs to In
sure safe trsvel. In wet weather the
experienced motorist advises use of
chains by way of caution.
The view from the summit is im
presslve, affording from the towering
cliffs far-reaching panoramas of the
valleys. The route continues through
thriving centers of the fruit districts
to the junction of the Wenatchee and
Columbia river. Following Is a log
of the route, made recently by
Seattle, party:
00.0. Times square, Seattle: take Bothell
road around lake, or drive to Madison
park and take Kirk land ferry. Mileane in
the following log la counted on complete
drive around Lake Waahlnton. If ferry
rout Is taken, proceed to Redmond, apee-
domeier at 24.1, and follow log.
17.4 Woodinvllle.
19.5 Hollywood.
24.1 Redmond.
80 Kail City.
43.1 Pnoqualmle Falls.
45.3 Snoqualmie.
48.5 Nsrth Bend. ,
64 3 Anahe Fa I la.
89.9 Summit of Snoqualmie pasa; alti
tude 3010 feet. .
70.A Lake Keechelus.
60.9 Baaton.
10A.1 South Cle Elum.
106 7 Cle Elum.
118.9 Left fork to vTenatehee. (Rltht
fork leada to Ellennburg.)
Medicine creelc.
lrnn Creelc.
132.9 Summit of Blewett paas: altitude
4071 -feet.
lsa.S Blewett. old town.
147.3 New Blewett.
lr9.5 Cashmere.
lttO.B Detour, take road to left, paaalng
through road parailallnit Wenatchee cana
for ahort distance, and following U-ahaped
curve to main road two milea further on.
1H7.8 Monitor.
170.3 Wenatchee.
CLATSOP DOES OWN PAVING
Contractors Figures Bettered in
Laying 7-Inch Concrete.
ASTORIA, July 3. (Special.) The
Clatsop county court is well pleased
with the res-ilts attained in the pav
ing of the -Warremton-Flavel road, the
first paving done by the county's
road-building department. The pave
ment Is of concrete, 16 feet In width
and seven inches thick. It consists
of 14,492 yards, the cost being $38
064.24, or at the rate of $2,626 a yard,
In making his report of the costs
Roadmaster Hackett charged $7214.66
for rental of the county's paving plant
and $3.60 per hour for each of the
county trucks. The bids by con
tractors on similar paving ranged
from $2.75 to $3 a yard.
RACER AFRAID OF TAXICABS
Andre Bolllot Admits Drivers in
. Paris Hare His Goat.
"Volla!"
He doesn't turn a hair at driving a
racing car 100 miles an hour but he's
afraid to ride in a Paris taxicab.
That's Andre Bolllot, famous driver
of the French Peugeot, car at Indian
apolis, brother of Georges Boil lot, in
ternationally known- racer who was
killed in the world war.
While "fanning" at Uniontown,
Bolllot t declared that whenever he
rides in a Paris taxi, known for their
The pavers have been held back by vnet weather, so are about a month be
hind in their schedule for completing; pavement on the Columbia river
highway from Cascade Locks to Hood River. Only SV, miles now re
main to pave, however, on that part of the highway from the .foot of
Ruth ton hill Into Hood River. This picture with a Chevrolet in the f ore
It: round shows part of the two miles of crushed rock motorists must drive
over. However, It Is not bad' If taken slowly. The highway Is open to
trsvel all dsy Sunday and between 11:30 A. M. and l-i30 p. 91. and from
6 o'clock P. M. to I A, 4L on weekdays.
On their way to Boston. Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Whittle reached Carson
City, Nev., May 20, from Cali
fornia, claimliig they were the first
across the high Sierras this season
from Placerville via Kings Canyon
road.
Now Is the Time to
Paint
Your Automobile
PHONE OR CALL FOR ESTIMATE
Robinson-Smith Go.
Sixth at Madison. .
Main 1100.
wstmiM
TIRE
REPUBLIC
TIRES
Factory Surplus Stock
30x312 Non-Skid.. $17.50
32x3 Va Non-Skid.. 20.95
33x4 Non-Skid.. 29.65
34x4 Non-Skid.. 30.25
CORDS
32x3i2 : S33.60
32x4 41.75
33x4 42.65
34x412...'. 50.40
36x412........... 52.70
A Variety of Other Makes at
Big Savings
Out-of-Town Customers
Please write and state size
wanted. We will quote you
on all the diferent makes we
have in your size.
PORTLAND
TIRE CO.
Sixth and Burnside
Hot Spot and RamVhorn
Improve Everything in a
CHALMEBlS
Even Its Beauty
HOT SPOT and Ram V
horn, which have lifted
Chalmers to a position
of engineering leadership, in
fluence the action and appear
ance of this car in more ways
than one.
i. Theyprovidemorepower
( and smoother power by get'
ting out the power that nature
stored away in gasoline.
a. They cut down vibration,
thus adding in a notable de
gree to the comfort of the
passengers.
3 . They ehminate the causes
of burned bearings, scored cyl'
inders and faulty lubrication,
and thus reduce its upkeep to
an unprecedented minimum.
4. They develop a ready re
sponse in the engine and thus
add a new delight in driving.
5. By lessening vibration the
fenders maintainrigidity, lamps
remain in focus, the bonnet is
securely anchored, the tire rack
is firm and thus the appearance
and beauty of the car is en
hanced.
Hot Spot vaporizes the raw,
inferior "gas" into a "cloud"
that is easily "digestible' ' in the
cylinders. RamVhom rushes
it at a velocity of 100 miles an
hour through "easy air bends"
to the cylinders.
They affect favorably every
thing in the car and form the"
basic reasons for the ever
growing belief that Chalmers
is one of the few great cars of
the world.
G. L. Boss Automobile Co.
615-617 Washington St.
PORTLAND
HI
TvolUy FkfJ
speed and erratic -courses, he leaves
both doors open and braces himself
with feet and hands, ready alike for
shock of collision or to jump to
safety.
Go Into Intermediate.
Difficult grades can be made with
prenter speed and Iprh ftiel in Inter
mediate than if the engine is permit
ted to labor in higrh to the point of
stalling. Contrary to popular suppo
position, the engine will cool better
if it is not obliged to labor exces
sively. Inspect Fan Belt.
Tld yon fvir look at your fan belt
when you found your engine over
heating? A slipping belt means the
fan is going at a slower speed and
does little cooling for the engine.
Tighten up the belt every once in a
while or ask a harness man to do it
for you.
Change oil every 800 miles.
A FAMILY WITHIN ITSELF
The General Motors Corp,
CAPITALIZED AT OVER
$1, 000,000,000
MANUFACTURERS OF THE
SCRIPPS-BO OTH
WE
SEl-iL the Scripps-Booth
SERVICE the Scripps-Booth
FINANCE the Scripps-Booth
All purchasers of Scripps-Booth Motor Cars on the time-payment
plan have the advantage . of financial aid through the General
Motors Acceptance Corporation.
There is but one profit on the Scripps-Booth.
Our one aim is and all our efforts are bended toward making
SATISFIED OWNERS
There is no Scripps-Booth agency in Portland. You are dealing
with a Branch House when you buy a Scripps-Booth from
The Scripps-Booth Co." of Calif.
522 Alder at Sixteenth
PORTLAND BRANCH
Bdwy. 3169