Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1920 — LOW COST TRANSPORTATION [ARTICLE]

LOW COST TRANSPORTATION

With railroad and Pullman fares mounting steadily upward, long distance travel by automobile is becoming increasingly popular. That the cost is considerably less by automobile than train is illustrated, by the experience of Dr. L. Paul Zahn and family of Los Angeles, who have Just completed a transcontinental journey of 9,612 miles at a total cost of $441.50 or $.046 per mile. As five persons were carried, this meant a cost of less, than $.Ol per mile per passenger. The trip was made in a 1917 Franklin touring car that had already been driven 43,000 miles, including three mountain trips. The party was back home seventy-five days after leaving Los Angeles, although the actual drivirig was confined to sixty days—the average drive for one day being 160 miles. The quantity of gasoline consumed was surprisingly low —536 gallons — considering the fact that the car itself was heavily loaded and that it carried five adults, in Addition to a 900-pound trailer. Even with this load, the gasoline average was 18 miles to the gallon—a cost of $.019 per mile. Other expenses were as follows: tires, $158.50 or $.0165 per mile; oil, 15 gallons or $.0025 per mile; repairs and all miscellaneous expenses, S.OOB per mile; total, $.046 per mile. Morocco planned the party in their own town; got the officials; let their police bully our sidelines; won the toss; had their eoach to oversee the best game of their history; refused every courtesy asked by our politeness reporter, but at that —hell wouldn’t have it, they couldn’t raise enough stench to skunk the worst team Rensselaer ever had, let alone the best.—THOMPSON & KIRK. '