| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| Prologue | [1] |
| I. Traffic in New York | |
| My Efforts to Become Americanized—Reflections on New YorkTraffic—Dissertation on American Roads—Coney Island—Equipmentfor the Journey | [5] |
| II. New York to Philadelphia | |
| Companions in Distress—"The Playground of the World"—AmericanProclivities towards the Superlative—A Lapse intoPhilosophy—Introduction to the "Detour"—The Good SamaritanRewarded—Philadelphia—Adventures with a Garage Proprietor | [12] |
| III. Philadelphia to Washington | |
| Prosperity in New England Villages—Motor-cycling de Luxe—Peregrinationsof a "Tin Lizzie"—Insights into the Inner Lifeof an American Highway—Humouring a Negro—Self-consciousScruples—Illuminated Signs—Hotel Life in Washington | [22] |
| IV. Exceeding the Speed Limit | |
| Experiences of Brick Roads—Approaching the Alleghanies—TheLust for Speed—And Its Consequences—Queer Methods of Enforcingthe Law—Stranded | [32] |
| V. Across the Alleghanies | |
| Soliloquies of the Humble Poor—The Subtleties of AdvertisementHoardings—Corn in Egypt—The Peregrinations of an EnglishSovereign—A Whiff of Good Old London—Appreciation of Naturein America—Lizzie Reports Sick—Lead, kindly Light—Auto-suggestionas an Aid to Sleep | [42] |
| VI. The Dixie Highway | |
| I Make the Acquaintance of the Ohio River—Lizzie developsAcute Indigestion—The Irony of Henry Ford—I administerFirst-aid—Hero-worship to a Rag-and-bone Merchant—A New Use foran Old Tree—The Ubiquitous Columbus—The Friendly Tram—TheDixie Highway—Eulogy to the City of Dayton—My ExtravagantTaste for Cake—An alfresco Meal—A Final Burst ofExtravagance—Home Once More | [51] |
| VII. Cincinnati and Onwards | |
| Cincinnati—A Memorable Day—Aspersions on an AmericanRepair Shop—Chess-board Roads—The Humour of DecoratedTelegraph Poles—Soliloquy on the Pike's Peak Highway—Effectsof State Boundary Lines—Indian Corn—A Luxurious Bathe—Indianapolis—The3 A Club—What Constitutes a Good Road | [60] |
| VIII. Indiana and Illinois | |
| How Dirt Roads are Cultivated—A Brush with a Road-plough—HowFlivvers "get through"—A Bad Patch and a GoodSamaritan—The Subtleties of General Merchandise—I attract aCrowd in Springfield—Taken for a Movie Actor—Future Citiesof Illinois—Illinois River—The Mississippi at Last—I sleep on aRailway Embankment | [70] |
| IX. Stormy Weather in Missouri | |
| Hannibal—Infantile Automobilation—Rain in Missouri—I getAnnoyed—Railroads v. Highways—Kansas City | [83] |
| X. Results of a Breakdown | |
| Kansas City—I visit Lizzie on her Sick-bed—I visit an Editorin his Lair—Kansas City gets My Story | [89] |
| XI. The Santa Fé Trail | |
| Westward Again—The Santa Fé Trail—Mosquito Nets—Into theGreat Prairies—I sleep in a River—Pie—Prairie Towns—In aThunderstorm—Colorado Reached—The Map proves not Infallible—ADetour to the Heart of the Rockies—Rain Again | [94] |
| XII. The Royal Gorge of Arkansas | |
| A Strange Dwelling—I am Taken for an American—Supperin Style—Sleep in Style—Breakfast and Lunch in Style—The SunOnce Again—Housebuilding at Speed—An Appreciation—TheRockies—Pueblo—Pike's Peak—The Royal Gorge—The Lust forTaking Pictures—Picturesque Names—The Worst Road in America—AMud Bath—The End of a Perfect Day | [106] |
| XIII. In Southern Colorado | |
| Strange Mountain Forms—Trinidad—A Flivver to the Rescue—TheRaton Pass—A Wonderful View—At the Feet of the Rockies—APhantom Road—Prairie-dogs—Companions—Lizzie sheds aSprocket—A Tiring Search—The Biggest Thing in Mud Lakes—Wagonmound—Argumentwith a Linemaster | [118] |
| XIV. New Mexico | |
| Adventures with a Railway—Stuck Once Again—Assistancefrom California—House-hunting by Caravan—Las Vegas—AWonderful Ford—A Mexican Village—Lizzie Clean Again—TheTravelling Tinsmith—Santa Fé at Last | [132] |
| XV. Santa Fé | |
| Santa Fé—Adobe Architecture—The Art Museum—WhereAmericans Hustle Not—In the Limelight Again | [148] |
| XVI. The Rio Grande Valley | |
| Departure from Santa Fé—La Bajada Hill—Albuquerque—TheRio Grande—Indians—The Morals of Mountains—Socorro—Campingin the Mountains: A Farmyard Episode | [155] |
| XVII. The Petrified Forest of Arizona | |
| Magdalena—A Strange Metamorphosis—I Sport a Camp Fire—AStrange Sight—The Petrified Forest of Arizona—Holbrook—Lostin the Arizona Desert—Mosquitoes Again—Winslow—An IngeniousAnti-speeding Stunt—That Cylinder Again!—A New Use for OldSign-posts—Meteor Mountain—The San Francisco Peaks—Fairy-land—Flagstaff | [163] |
| XVIII. The Grand Canyon | |
| The Lowell Observatory—Wonders of Mars Hill—PtomainePoisoning—Flagstaff Dwellings—Towards the Grand Canyon—AWonderful Ride—The First Approach of Loneliness—The End ofthe World—The Greatest of all Natural Wonders | [178] |
| XIX. The Mohave Desert | |
| Lizzie Comes to Grief—Etiquette of the Road—The Tragedyof Peach Springs—Kingman—Desert Vegetation—Yucca—The Artof Rut-riding—The Tomb of a Town—The Colorado Needles—AMarvellous View—Oiled Roads—Ludlow | [192] |
| XX. I Reach the Pacific Coast | |
| Comrades in Arms—Lizzie begins to Complain—Death Valley—AnUnfortunate Caravan—The End of the Desert—The CajonPass—Los Angeles is Startled | [210] |
| XXI. Los Angeles to San Francisco | |
| Los Angeles—Friendly California—Towards 'Frisco by Night—IDream a Dream—The Californian Missions—The SalinasValley—The Last Sleep—Lizzie gives it up Again—The Strugglefor 'Frisco—4,950 at last! | [224] |
| Epilogue | [241] |
[LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS]
| TO FACE PAGE | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of the Author | [Frontispiece] |
| A Common Occurrence | [26] |
| An Awkward Stretch of Road in Indiana | [74] |
| The Midnight Couch | [74] |
| The Oldest House in America, at Santa Fé | [150] |
| The Art Museum at Santa Fé | [150] |
| Pueblo of Taos | [158] |
| The Rio Grande, New Mexico | [162] |
| A Petrified Leviathan | [170] |
| Lizzie in the Petrified Forest, Arizona | [170] |
| The Trail to the Grand Canyon | [178] |
| The Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff | [178] |
| San Francisco Peaks from Flagstaff | [178] |
| The Bottom of the Grand Canyon | [188] |
| Cactus Trees near San Bernardino | [206] |
| In the Mohave Desert | [206] |
[PROLOGUE]
One bright morning in June—to be exact, the thirteenth (the significance of that number will be apparent later), in the year of Our Lord 1919 and in the year of American Prohibition 1, a small assembly of mechanics, passers-by, and urchins witnessed my departure from a well-known Motor Cycle Agency in New York.
The machine, a perfectly new and very powerful motor-cycle, was dazzling in her pristine beauty. No spot or blemish could be seen on her enamel of khaki hue. No ungainly scratch or speck of rust marred her virgin form. Her four little cylinders, gaily murmuring as the engine joyfully sprang into life, seemed to hide a world of romance as if they were whispering to each other of the days that were to come, the adventures and experiences they were to encounter, and the strange lands they were to see. The purr of her exhaust, healthy though muffled, smooth and even in its rhythm, was music in my ears. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever, and to those who know the call of the open road and who love to feel the rush of the wind and the glamour of speed, such was this machine. Although she was in reality but an organized combination of various pieces of unfeeling, soulless metal, without even a name, and known only by a sordid number embossed on a tinplate provided by the Law, she was soon to develop a character and personality of her own. She was to play the rôle of sole companion in the weeks and months to follow. There would be times when I should curse her profanely and at the same time love her passionately. I pictured vast prairies and deserts where we should be alone together, far from the haunts of man or animal or perhaps of any living thing—times when it would depend upon her to bear me on to civilization. So I trust, reader, that you will not think I was waxing too sentimental on that memorable day in June.