The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, August 04, 1977, Page Page Five, Image 5
4 August 1977 Summer Nebraskan Page Five st or the tale of a: Model T Arizona bu Today, an intrepid, CB-equipped traveller can drive from Nebraska to Arizona in a little over a day. In 1919, that same trip took Emil Johnson six weeks. The automobile has dominated transportation since World War I. In the modern world of domed motels and two hundred horsepower engines, the Model T age seems almost as removed as the covered-wagon days. ; Johnson, a retired farmer living in Wahoo, summed up the changes: "In those days a trip was a real adventure. You couldn't just jump into your car and drive off." His own adventure started as a matter of necessity. Emil and his new bride Helen hoped to homestead near Casa Grande, Arizona. In September 1919 they loaded their Model T.Ford with tools, food and their dog Jack and set out on a combination permanent move and vacation. , Whatever name you give your expedition, one thing is certain. It was slow. The Model T was not the fastest of Mr i-r -r r.t it ' "7 ft The house that Johnson built. cars, and the roads prevented even that slow vehicle from reaching top speed. Except for certain city streets, the roads were unpaved and barely improved dirk tracks in some places. "The worst roads were in the petrified-forst area. They seemed to be made of big rocks and old, petrified tree chunks which really tore up tires," Johnson said. Even when the roads were passable, the complete lack of directional road signs (Nebraska erected its first' in 1924) made choosing a route hit or miss. A wrong turn often led to embarrassing encounters with irate bulls and painful meetings with local mudholes. Fortunately, a company based in New York and Chicago published the Official Automobile Blue Book, which offered aid to the lost. The book contained road maps plus detailed instructions for finding routes, much like the directions used in sports-car rallies today. Here, for example, is the Blue Book route from Omaha to the outskirts of Council Bluffs: Mileage Total 0.0 4.5 7.1 1.6 Leaf-hand diagonal road; bear left with double line of poles. '9.2 2.1 Fork; bear right with travel and poles. 11.0 1.8 Fork; bear slightly right with travel - and poles. . The Blue Book also noted that Omaha was the largest producer of butter in , the United States and that it hosted the government's only balloon school. In the far west, the directions often became less specific. Near Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Blue Book calmly advised: y "La Bajeda, end of road. Turn right with travel!" "I just followed the tracks to Domingo," said Johnson of this cryptic notation. The Blue Book also listed garages in each town, a good thing, considering the frequency of breakdowns. In the mountain passes of Colorado, the steep grades kept oil from reaching the front connecting rod (oil pumps were not used on Model Ts). So the Johnson's connecting rod burned out. Luckily, a small post office at the top of the pass carried Ford parts. The Model T was so common, and breakdowns so frequent, that many small businessmen kept parts on hand. Other problems developed so often that Johnson simply carried replacements alorg with his tools. The Johnsons camped near a mountain stream the night of the breakdown. The next morning Emil woke up at sunrise, replaced the rod and ate lunch. They were back on the road by noon. The Model T used a planetary transmission, in which a miniature solar system of sunwheels, planet wheels and ring gears shifted speeds controlled by three small pedals on the floor. There was no conventional clutch. Felt brake bands contracted to lock the appropriate gears to their shafts, transmitting power to the rear wheels. Friction caused the felt bands to wear down every 300 miles or so. Johnson frequently replaced the bands, an annoying job but cheaper than rebuilding a modern clutch. .,- w , Bands and rods took time and energy to replace, but some breakdowns created greater hazards. In the Colorado Rockies, Johnson met a wealthy California vineyard owner and his wife. They sat stranded on the roadside in their Cadillac, victims of a sheared rear wheel hub. Emil rose to the occasion, and wired the wheel back onto the axle. "It worked just fine," Johnson recalls, "Except that the driver couldn't use the brakes on the downhill slopes." At least the repair worked well enough to see the couple into the first garage along the rocky road. Near Casa Grande, Johnson's Ford sheared a hub so badly that no baling wire miracle would repair it. Emil walked into town for a mechanic, but it was Sunday and no service stations were open. Emil found a mechanic in a cafe. He drove Johnson back to the car, drank a cup of coffee, and fixed the damage. Total cost for parts and labor: $10. .-4 -w ..'-'' " ":' ' 5.5 Intermed 0.0 OMAHA, NEB., Douglas & 16th Sts. Go east on Douglas St. Cross long iron bridge over the Missouri River 0.5. 4.5 COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA., Broadway & Pearl St. Straight thru with trolley on Broadway. Avoid road to ... . t f. d n right at targe oriCK cnurcn : 1.0 Fork, where trolley goes to right; T'W bear left. Changing a tire. Johnson travelled from Coloraod and Pyoenix with the vineyard owner. The Cadillac, even then an expensive car, had a better carburetor and a stronger frame than the Model T. At Raton Pass in northern New Mexico, it towed the Ford up the steep grade and saved another connecting rod. v In those days travellers often banded together. Friends helped with repairs and at the end of the day theyset up roadside camps. Along southwestern highways, campfire singalongs, cards and gossip lessened homesickness. Scenery also enlivened the trip. The Johnsons. drove and walked to the top of Pike's Peak. Of course, some members of the expedition felt differently. On a cold, . rainy night in the mountains, while wild animals howled in the distance, the Johnson's dog Jack crawled onto their cot and speni the night there shivering. In New Mexico the scenery changed from pine tree to ' cactus and mesquite. The Johnsons visited Indian ruins I and stopped at the Petrified Forest in Arizona, at least long enough to change tires. The trip ended near Casa Grande in early November. The Johnson said goodbye to their companions, who travelled on to find California, and incidentally, a divorce. But for the Johnsons, the vacation was over and the work of building a new home began. Emil returned to Nebraska in 1920. Since then he has returned to Arizona by car and plane. In spite of the grueling 50-mile days and amputated rear wheels, he remembers the 1919 trip fondly. I enjoyed it," he said, "and the only night we were scared was the night our dog jumped into bed with us. By Mark Young i :::::::::::::::::::::v:v::x-:-i w i Ji' vXvv:-Xv.v.:.v.v-. 1 t IlL lI - V. vXvXv.v.w.v -av....;v' v.v- ? I ' . ...