The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 18, 1907, Page 7

HE way of ths sutomebils 15 yarious one, -Zul : qooods, : of exhilarating. of speed, of stubbosn’ fits. t times ot oblige] {nertnesé.. & fancies and tangential proclivities” Ang the way of the automobilist is thitt ‘oft’ the humble servant of ‘these dictates Ofttimes, with a subtle taet, the auto~ his servant that he mobile persuades 18 inde naster. and he feels within himself the power of a demigod, with this rus monster the creature: of | periods lling subr saw irn as exigency re- general z of the aummn-‘ land, attai the power s 3n the Slope the perpetual summer, fair w and good roads of Cali-| fornia pro ¥ kindly en-| viron ) is this true of | Southern California, as the migrating tourists Kk bringing a fresh in- flux of the monsters to join the forces busied in penetrating and exploring all passable highways| of the cour ide | An especially popular run is from | Los Angeles southward to the sunny sflyer gate city, San Diego, our ex-| treme southw n port of entry and | gateway into storied Mexico I The annals of ene party of devotees | will give an enlightening idea of the| potentialities of ‘this picturesque run.| We made an early niorning start, glid- [ #———— - e g som e e i ering, but “twenty miles to Temecula” Shirediiie the hewy stresta’s Bast ::, looked small as with a fresh spurt we beautiful Elysian park -we bowlea,|Slid into the shadows. On and on, swittly leaving the Southern Pacific|93ShiNg into: the vagueness of gray yards and Eastlake Park behind. Al.|TIPPon of road and flecting blur of lav- most before it could be realized we|Rder flelds and were gliding between the rows of mil- lioneaire residences which mark the beautiful pepper bordered boulevards | { less gloom. of Pasadena Ten, twenty long | their reluctant way, rovia, Azusa and Pomona were passed|suny't the hills, merry over a prospective warmth and dinner, as the chill air.became keener and the-pale minutes dragged and as thirty were imed ‘we harked back. Back and back, with gathering fears and sur- mises, and straining , eveballs: Were the babes lost somewhere in that great, gray unknown vold, bowling along in a vain attempt to reach hrough morning Pasadena, Mon- in sion, stretc wvated flelds and citrus gr hand. The mnoon ‘hour luncheon were enjoyed at Corona,is typical Cali- fornia village, and the kindly monsters quic country | well culti- ing a w ves on elther and their guide, along some deserted crossroad? At bearing us upon this enchanted journey.|jast, after fliimitable space had been were also refreshed with their proper| traversed at the same flendish -pace diet of ofl and water that had carried us =o' swiftly from With Corona ie 'wide, . weli-kept| them, a solitary yéllow ‘eye gleamed highways vanished and quite another and winked at us from the cayern of type of country began to present it-|the darkness we were cleaving. With | self. The rolling hills were truly farm and gasture 1and, and the roads bes tween the scattering farm houses be- ing country character. suburban was gone, ndings lost in culti- | glad sighs of relief mingling with the | hoarse tootings of welcoming horns, | the cry of monster to monster, we came | abreast of the babes, just five miles Al of th | from Elsinore. The littie monster had but surro refused to breathe, and stopped at the vation they gained in the primitive fas- | roadside with some obscure and deep- eination of untrammeled nature. Rock- | seated allment in its vitals. One babs ribbed hills and pasture land with thelr | was vainly exploring these cavernous herds of wild-looking cattle “whizzed | regions, and the other babe, mufed to past our vieion, more or less disturbed | the ears, held & lantern, the detached by unpremeditated changes of focus.|eye of the creature, to facilitate these As the purple shadows lengthened we | futile investigations. And the wind, entered Elsinore, famous for its hot|breathing the cold and desolation of the springs, its pretty lake and medical|plains, blew. The party of investl- patis. gators ‘were now. six, and soon, by a The sarly winter twilight was gath.lhappy adjustment, a welcome buzz an- took a correspon trace as our Xoon /ZAr s | moon lent a cold gleam to’the cheer- | ONE OF THE TRSTS OF FURAR AND FRTIFEREFS o o THE BESTLT QF A RLAT UL, SOMERSACVLY. again flowing through the veins of the | fail-light, monster.’ "It was now ' “Temecula * or ,” and again the night air was cleft by the whizzing' machines and visions of warmth. and appetizing “viands loomed large. “Cheer up, the worst is yet to come,” is a delightful Americanism, and fitted well in' this night's adventures of the big machine and its attendant consort.’ The fatal turn was again . redched, and as urgent instructions bhad been|. given to watch ‘the tail-light - of their leader, mno. ‘' apprehensions were felt,- as we.saw ' the.consort's gleaming’ eyes’ perhapa couple ™ af’ nounced that the vital, current was|blocks behind. But—thers was ,no it having inconsiderately taken this time to retire from active service. 1In' consequence of which, the anxious: babes were wildly careening in fatal pursuit of a car that.was not, down the straight road that lea to—disaster; a read shunned for hid- den snares in the way of an impass- able, deeply pitted, sand-billowed river bed—the 'road yott must not take to Temecula. Anon, we again discovered we-had lost our traller; and mow it was dark| and cold, and past dinner time, and a steamy ' protest for water” was " rising, from' the head ofour Onster, “which’ meant a possible ‘freezing” and par- alysis of his vitals if his demand be not heeded—and our chauffeur ‘knew the' babes must be making their ‘best speed toward destruction with a couple miles ' start.. Hilarity was' noticeable for 'its lack in the party as this time we took the back track In pursuit of the lost babes. “Speeding” in the broad daylight with a,firm, ‘well- known roadbed beneath the tires may be exhilarating and exciting; ing” at' night in pursuit of away. car, over an. uncertain and un- known country is exciting, but—. ,The| /[ lost babes made good' time,’ stralning -every nerve -to catch us, and:just as & RLAT y they neared the fatal spot, seeing our madly approaching career, were driven to the verge of nerves for fear of not being seen by the strange auto- mobile coming up in the rear. By @i of rhouvtings and frantic Yootings e convinced them of our identity, and both machines and occupants, ‘ex- hausted and fuming, made for the near- est farmhouse to recuperate the steam enveloped autos. Here we received the cheering information of a good road and twenty minutes’ drive to the long-yearned-for hotel A group of Mexican cewboys wel- comed us as we bore down uponjthis same hapless inn, with a - chorus of true cowboy vells, but the romantic and the picturesque had lost their charms, and our souls hungered for no further novelties in the chapter of the day’s incidents than the homely meal and = comfortable ‘beds, which were speedily ours. 3 We awoke to the musical patter and drip of an early morning shower, and after a, hasty breakfast departed in the midst of the wonders and delights of a California showery day,: with its beautiful cloud panoramas,.fresh’ rain- swept air and clear. sparkling. vistas of scene. On every dripping -bough there seemed a tealhere«jl © songster, and as the way lay through: winding canyons and up and down twisting grades, a fresh aspect of the com- @ination of mountain and sky was constantly presented. They" briet drenching showers beat - futllely against the curtain-shrouded car and ALL AVAILABLE PRECACIIONS who were as safely housed as in thelr own homes. Later the brave suam woa the contest and in the perfeot balm of the caressing airs, laden with the scents of the oak and sycamore groves through whichywe wound 1t was a joy to be alive. Last night was a thing of oblivion and we vowed the acme of bliss was an automobile tour. All through rugged San Diego County we twisted up picturesque ascents and down precarious grades, | with the exception of the run across Escondido Valley, at which town was our noon stop, and the discovery of a most unaccommodating hotel and a most excellent restaurant. The new Poway grade, a marvel of tortuous turnings, was climbed in the early twilight, and ' lone Miramar, calmly seated on her plateau, was skirted in the gathering dusk. Then “the lights of San Diego,” announced our chauf- feur, and far in the distance twinkled the silvery constellation that marked the ‘southern city by the sea. One more grade, a plunge into the gloom af Mission Valley, a quick, strenuous climb up the sheer side of the southern slope and we are on University avenue, the paved street smooth and level be- | neath oiir tires, the electric lights siz- zing above our heads and the clang of the street cars warning us of our re- turn 'to ‘clvilization, its comforts and 1ts perils. The -run is one to be remembered land one not to be missed by lovers of the Southland and of that awesome ‘combination of servant and master, Nnmm,