Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip.
Submitted: Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 15:52
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Member - Au-2
Hi all, just thought I'd let you all know that there is a program on ABC, 4pm Saturday, featuring the first automobile journey across America in 1903. I first saw this show a few months ago and belatedly caught a rerun which started yesterday. Imagine driving an original/vintage car across Australia when there are no roads, only tracks for horse and buggy - or getting new tyres delivered by stage coach, after you've shredded most of the ones you've got - breaking down in the middle of nowhere and having to scare the living daylights out of a passing cowboy, whose never heard of a horseless carriage, to get him to tow you to the nearest town which only has a blacksmith. This guy, Horatio
Nelson Johnson, did this without 'sponsorship' of the car maker and with very little fanfare. Try to catch it if you can you'll never complain about problems on the road or with your vehicle again.
OzeSheila.
Reply By: Dave198 - Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 18:04
Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 18:04
OzeSheila, here is a little bit of information about Murray Aunger who did a similar thing in various parts of Australia at roughly the same era.
He had to abandon a
Talbot car near Tennant Ck, but came back the next year and reapaired it and continued on his way.
Site Link
How is your Odyssey ?
Dave
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Follow Up By: Willem - Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 20:01
Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 20:01
Yep Aunger and Dutton. I have a story somewhere...hang on will go look. Found it in the 4x4 magazine I attempted to put out in
Darwin at the end of the 1980's. Managed 3 Mags before I ran out of money..lol
Aunger and Dutton 1907
And then there was Michael Terry in the 1930's who drove all over the country in varioius vehicles including some of the
Canning Stock Route.
Cheers
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Reply By: Member - Au-2 - Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 19:44
Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 19:44
Hi Dave198,
I'm sure there was an Aussie doing something like it, we have never been backward about going forward as a nation.
The Odyssey is great, we are just starting to get the hang of camping in general again but the camper makes it so much easier. We used to got with the kids (4) twenty years ago and had a huge 3 room tent. Crowds would gather as we put it up thinking the circus had come to town. Once you get into a routine with the camper, everything just falls into place. We've only had it for 12mths, but the 3 of us can't wait to get away for our next trip. I look at some of the other camper trailers on the 'net and I really wouldn't want to swap with anyone. We consider it to be the best investment we have ever made.
OzeSheila.
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Reply By: Member - Au-2 - Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 20:55
Sunday, Mar 25, 2007 at 20:55
Hi Willem, you must have been busy trying to put out your own magazine, did you do all your own research, writing, editing, publishing?
Considering the fact that the makers of this show had no movie film and that the whole show is done from photo's and re-creation they have done a stirling job of this story. The man in the story is an M.D. which makes it all the more interesting, and in the next episode another bloke gets some sponsorship and sets out to beat him back to the East Coast.
I wondered after watching it the first time how many of us would be willing to take on such a trip at that time? I know that settlers back then had to do it the hard way, but I doubt that any would have done it just because they felt like seeing the countryside.
OzeSheila.
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