Travel Tuesday - American Legion Nonstop Goodwill Tour

Nonstop Auto Run Past Sacramento This Morning

   Dust under the needle valve and careless automobile drivers nearly ended the border-to-border nonstop American  legion automobile drive for Grant Ware and Frank P. Smith.
    At 10 o'clock this morning the Dodge sedan was still rolling to Los Angeles, having left Lodi, Cal., at 9:25 a.m.  The week-end saw the Spokane nonstop drivers safely through the lofty heights of the Siskiyou mountains, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. the boys should be in Mexico.
   Here's what happened:

By Grant Ware

 THE DALLES, Ore. - March 29, 10:25 p.m. - Thrills and howl Colfax met us with six cars and a motorcycle and there was thrill No. 1.  As we picked them up, along came a country boy , who missed us head-on by inches while watching the excitement.   Dayton met us with the legion commander and highway patrol Luncheon was served us on the "fly," and as we neared  Walla Walla the chief of police there came alongside.  The legion colors were on his car.  A patrol of three motorcycles escorted us all over town, and gave instructions about the road.  The Walla Wall post also gave us letters to President Rubio, Will Rogers and commander of the Hollywood post of the legion. After crossing the Oregon line we soon came upon the  delegation from Milton. We traveled through dust  and heavy rainstorms much of the time, but maintained our schedule. One car whose occupants we do not know passed us three times today.  The last time was about 6 o'clock.  They pulled alongside and held out two ice cream sandwiches, which shows again that there are still a lot of mighty friendly people in this world.

Grant Wires From Lodi

LODI, Cal March  31,  9:28 a.m. - Sacramento slipped up on its convoy so we went through to Stockton. Picked up gasoline on the way.  A five car convoy met us at Redding and accompanied  us through the night.  The car is running "sweet," and we are rarin' to go.

SPOKANE DRIVERS

Another From Lodi

LODI, Cal March 31, 10 a.m. - Took on gas at the Dalles and those boys were fast!  Another thrill here when half-awake driver nearly ran over our highway patrolman, who was stopping traffic on a street  and stopped dead in front of us and not three feet away.  I shot into low gear and crawled at him to move and he moved out just in time to save a fender as we are not stopping. From there we convoyed to the Columbia River highway  and through intermittent rain to 82nd Street  in Portland.  At Oregon City we were an hour and 15 minutes ahead of schedule.  The next two hours was a crawl and we hit Salem at 4:45.  At Eugene we were convoyed through by Commander Van Svarverud and Patrolman and Howard.  At Roseburg another highway patrolman and legionnaire picked us up and took on fresh coffee.  Patrolman Nichols  and a convoy of five cars picked us up and we followed. In the middle of town a car started out between us but again no stop, although we barely touched a fender.   At Grants Pass we were met by a convoy  and we refueled. There were some 20 cars in this convoy and the refueling was the fastest yet.  At this point a speck of dust got under the needle valve and it looked like for a time as though the tour was nearing the end.  By the time we reached Yreka, however, Smith had worked this loose. We were met at the California border by a member of the Yreka post with one of the highway patrol cars.  Arrangements had been made to take the inspector aboard and he inspected our car thoroughly while moving.  This is another of the splendid  bits of cooperation  that has been shown on this entire trip.   This required considerable  work and friendly attitude on the part of the inspector and is rarely done.