OCEAN TO OCEAN AUTO
RACERS TO STOP HERE.
PLANNED TO ESTABLISH A
CHECKING STATION.
Pathfinder Arrives From New York
in Good Condition -- Manager
of Trip Praises Mis-
souri's Rock Roads.
Laden with mud and presenting a sorry but sturdy spectacle, the Thomas 60-horsepower motor car which is picking the route for the ocean to ocean run, stopped in Kansas City yesterday afternoon. The car started from New York March 20 and expects to finish its course to Seattle April 25. Driving the machine, which is the one that won the New York to Paris run last year, is George Miller, who helped drive the same car to victory last year. Other occupants of the car are L. W. Redington, manager of the trip; J. C. M Eley, photographer, and C. W. Eaton, who acts as mechanician.
The car reached Kansas City about 3 o'clock and stopped at the Central Auto and Livery Company, representatives of the Thomas company. From there the tourists were taken to the Baltimore hotel, where Mr. Redington will endeavor to establish a checking station for the cars on the tour.
PRAISES MISSOURI ROADS.
Concerning the trip from New York to Kansas City, Mr. Redington said:
"From New York city to Buffalo the roads were in very bad condition and we had to fight ice and snow continually. Through Ohio and Indiana we met nothing but mud, black, sticky mud, and time and again we were forced to dig our way out of mud holes. Through Illinois the trip was much better and within seventy miles of Kansas City the driving was good. You have fine rock roads leading into the city from the east and it was like a pleasure trip when we finally struck them.
"The only trouble with Missouri roads is the number of sharp, small ruts which cut the tires into ravelings. The roadbed is hard and good. We had much trouble finding our way from St. Louis, and we should have reached Kansas City yesterday had it not been for the zig-zag course which we took from St. Louis because we got mixed on our roads.
"At Glasgow we had to wait five hours because the ferryman was afraid to take us across the river on account of its roughness. Such delays as that have taken up much of our time. I calculate we are about five days late in getting to Kansas City. The first and only pilot which we have picked up was at Marshall, Mo. We engaged a man to pilot us from Marshall to Higginsville. We got no farther than Blackburn, about twenty miles west of Marshall, when we were overtaken by a heavy hailstorm. We had to stay in Blackburn all night and did not get out until this morning.
NO BLAZED TRAIL TO FOLLOW.
Concerning the protests to the race which have been entered by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers of New York, Mr. Reddington had little to say.
"The basis of their objection," said he, "is the little difficulty between them and the members of the Automobile Club of America, and their protest is an echo of the old fight. If the manufacturers think there will be an opportunity for cheating or that the race will not be a true test of cars, they do not thoroughly know the rules of the contest. All principal parts of the entered cars will be stamped at New York so that there can be no change of the parts en route. Our checking system is so complete and comprehensive that there could be no relay of drivers.
"At any rate the race is going to be a great success. There are over twenty entries already in at New York and it is my belief there will be at least thirty contestants by the time the run starts."
MILLER'S SAD RECOLLECTIONS.
Mr. Miller, the driver of the car, is enjoying the trip immensely.
"This little spin across the country is like a picnic party compared to the one we took last year on the way to Paris. Now we get time to cast our eyes about and view the scenery, but then, ah, sad recollections."
Here Mr. Miller reached into his pocket and drew therefrom a diary of his trip through this part of the country on the famous race around the world.
"It was about the first of March, no the last of March, the 26th to be exact, when we passed this meridian. And it was cold. We almost had to put spikes on our tires to climb the hills of ice and snow."
One peculiar fact concerning the present trip from New York is that the car carries the same air in its front tires that was used on the start from New York. The tires present a worn-out appearance, but they are good for some time yet. The rear tires lasted until Sunday when both of them blew out.
