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Show WITS TO DRIVE HIS TRUCK THROUGH TO ST. LOUIS That the Overland trail is eminently practicable as a transcontinental automobile auto-mobile highway, the importance of which for military purposes cannot bo estimated, was the Import of a statement state-ment made by M. W. Ferguson, a California Cali-fornia automobilo oxport, this morning at tho Weber club. Mr. Ferguson Is a member of tho San Francisco Ad club, now on route to St. Louis. Ho ar-rivod ar-rivod In Ogdon late Saturday afternoon after-noon at tho wheel of the big Moroland truck that carried baggage and gasoline gaso-line for tho party across Nevada and northorn California. That tho trial keeps close to tho railroad, he. said further, is also a good talking point, as this had proven advantageous to tho California party on tho present tour. In ono particular Instance parts for a broken down car had been ordered or-dered from Ogden Friday night and had been delivered Saturday at the point of delay. The Moroland truck, Mr. Ferguson stated, had mado a fino record, keeping keep-ing up with tho main caravan at a speed of between fifteen and thirty miles per hour until Iho touring cars began to need help In getting over the wet and heavy road. It was then pressed Into service as a "tug" and thus lost ground. The truck also proved a good trail breaker, making a track sovon Inches wide down to solid ground for the belated touring cars to cross over boggy places. "Under good woathor conditions," the chauffeur declared. "I am confident confi-dent I could drive the Moreland over the Overland trail in Nevada at an average speed of at least twenty miles per hour, its limit being forty-five miles." Tho truck weighs about threo tons and its load weighs about 2500 pounds. A year ago Mr. Ferguson was in Franco, having taken a consignment of automobilo trucks Into the war zono, and was within sound of the firing fir-ing line on tho French front a number of tlmos. He related several incidents inci-dents in his experience while there to Interested listeners at tho club tills morning and gave them a fair Idea of how nows reports from the war zone are shaded. "Among other things," he stated, "I learned that the automobile is vastly superior to trains for tho moving of troops. In France virtually all of tho troops are being moved to and from the front line trenches every four days In automobiles and I believe tho United Unit-ed States government would do well to consider the motor vehicles in the samo light." Mr. Ferguson is now waiting orders from his company whether or not to ship his car to Denver. "I would much rather wait in Ogdon until the weather settles, as it can't, always bo this way," he said today, "and then drive the car on to St. Louis, as that Is what I started out to do. It is hard driving, I'll admit, but there is no satisfaction sat-isfaction in failure." |