Road shown in picture on the opposite side does not look so very bad but it was about the heaviest going on the trip. Ruts you see were made in the heavy shifting sands for which Michigan roads are famous. Traction is poor and resistance great. But with her five passengers the E-M-F "30" Pathfinder ploughed along at the rate of over 100 miles a day through this. And second speed gear was never used - high all the way. E-M-F "30" motor is a wonder at pulling at slow motor speeds - just seems to get down and stick her toe nails in and lug. If you haven't had that kind of demonstration in this car you don't know her best quality." The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Reference Glidden-P1 with questions about this postcard.

On arrival at Mankato, Minn., E-M-F "30" was carrying by actual weight, 1100 pounds of "Gumbo" - over half a ton, besides her five passengers. Dai Lewis said: 'I marvelled that any car could navigate so encumbered, but the "30" didn't seem to mind at all.'" The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Reference Glidden-P2 with questions about this postcard.

Winnebage City, Minn., is a live town eleven months in the year, but nobody thinks of going anywhere in April. Farmers marvelled that an automobile would brave roads (they called them that out of courtesy) that no horse drawn wagon can navigate at all. At the point shown in the picture there was a deep hole where a ditch had been dug across the "street". The mud lake looked as innocent here as elsewhere, so E-M-F "30" dropped into it with a bump that would have broken an axle on any other car." The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Reference Glidden-P3 with questions about this postcard.

Photographers are enthusiasts - at least Krohn, who accompanied the E-M-F Pathfinder was. Also he was popular with the crew - that's why he was able to induce them to look pleasant under circumstances depicted in the photograph. Just after a Kansas cloud-burst the streams became torrents and the experience of fording them was not soon to be forgotten. Meinzinger says E-M-F "30" revelled in it, for it was the first time her underworks had been thoroughly cleansed of the clinging Wisconsin clay and Iowa gumbo". The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Reference Glidden-P4 with questions about this postcard.

This time the Pathfinder was actually stalled. In crossing a stream, swollen by a Kansas cloudburst, till it submerged the road, E-M-F "30" dropped into a hole where a culvert had been washed away. You'll notice only the top of the front wheel is visible. Magneto was submerged and current "shorted." As soon as she was pulled out, however, the ignition system worked as well as ever and the party got safely to the next town - Williston, Kansas, before nightfall. It was the only time a cylinder missed fire on the entire trip of 2650 miles - and all four quit in a bunch! As may be imagined. The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Notice that this picture and the one above may have been taken at the same flooded stream.

Reference Glidden-P5 with questions about this postcard.

A river to cross - a raging torrent after a Kansas thunder storm - and no bridge. A stop; a photograph to prove it; a plunge and the sturdy waterproof E-M-F "30" rushed her five passengers over in a twinkling. Water was two feet deep, but it didn't reach the carburetor or magneto - Meinzinger says he knows how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea dry shod - they rushed it so the water had to pile up on either side and didn't get back until they were on the other side." The card also reads "Maxfield & Leahy, Agents. Bradford Co., Pa., Ontario.,, N.Y. Address, Naples, N.Y. or Sayre, Pa."

Reference Glidden-P6 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

Dobbin would have been called in to help, but the prudent farmer refused to risk his horses in this quicksand hole that he said was "bottomless" when soaked by spring rains. Horses would have sunk even deeper than the car and might have broken legs or so strained themselves at to be useless ever after. So resort was had to fence rails, the car pried up so as to get a kind of corduroy footing under her and then she worked her own way out. It was a revelation to the ruralites to see her perform. "

Reference Glidden-P7 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

Climbing grades of ten to fifteen per cent on a surface of slippery clay with rivulets of water coursing down the ruts is no molly-coddle task. No traction at all without chain grips and as many as eight pairs of chains were used in one day - cross chains would wear and break under the strain. Wonderful motor, that, in the E-M-F "30" - something has to come when you open the throttle! "

Reference Glidden-P8 with questions about this postcard.

Dai Lewis always has been and always will be the Official Pathfinder for Glidden Tours because of his imperturbability. Nothing ever ruffles Dai and while the others were prying the car out of a bad quick sand bed she had run into Lewis was bringing his notes up to date. They do say that his official report sent to Buffalo that night would have been unfit for publication where he referred to the roads, but his telegram to the factory said: E-M-F "30" was a wonderful car and surprised him by the way she negotiated what to other cars of twice the power and price would have been impassable roads".

Reference Glidden-P9 with questions about this postcard.

I do not know what the caption is on the back of this postcard. If you know, please send me an email with the exact wording so I can include it here (Reference photo Glidden-U10). I will continue to look for this card to add to my collection and add the caption when I aquire it.

NOTE: I do not have this card in my collection and would be interested in purching it if you have one you are wanting to sell. Please email me with the details and Reference photo "Glidden-U10".

The back of the postcard reads

Dai Lewis and the bunch are smiling - it was such a good joke on E-M-F "30" to get stuck at all."

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The back of the postcard reads

It was early morning but Campus Martius was packed with people to see the sturdy car off on her long journey. There were those present who said no car could negotiate the terrible roads of the seven States at that time of the year, but E-M-F "30" did herself proud for she surpassed all previous records - and they were made by cars selling for twice and three times as much. "

Reference Glidden-P12 with questions about this postcard.

The back if the postcard reads:

There were some beautiful spots, too - that is, they looked beautiful in July when the tour came through. The picture was taken in April and tho it was entrancing when the Pathfinding party got there, Dai Lewis said it was like every other pleasurable thing in this world - they had to climb a 15 percent grade for miles to get to it. E-M-F "30" does not mind grades, however - never was one that could stop her.

Reference Glidden-P13 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads:

Smiles show how the party felt, and as for the car, Dai Lewis wired us: "E-M-F "30" Glidden Pathfinder arrived six-thirty this P.M., finishing journey of 2637 miles, covering thirty-eight days of continuous driving over worst roads any car ever was driven. Driver, passengers and car fresh as daisies and ready for another trip."

Reference Glidden-P14 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

In the spot where the picture was taken the occupants had to dismount because the road seemed to have no bottom and with every revolution of the wheels she sunk deepe. There was a bottom, however, and when the wheels had dug down o it the chain grips got a hold and with a mighty lunge E-M-F "30" came triumphantly out of it. "

Reference Glidden-P15 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

Any kind of solid, or semi-solid footing was a grateful relief after the clay and quicksand the Pathfinder had been ploughing through in Wisconsin. The road shown is little more than a lumber trail through the forest; but the five passengers in E-M-F "30" felt as it they were on terra firma again and in an automobile instead of rolling on an ocean of mud in a "Sea-going-Hack." "

Reference Glidden-P16 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

There were hundreds of miles of this kind of going - it was in rainy April, you'll remember. "

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Wisconsin was heart-breaking. Roads for undreds of miles just like shown in the picture. Driving wheels would spin helplessly till the chains dug down to hardpan then she would forge ahead a few yards and repeat the operation. Never was motor, driving gear, axles and other parts subjected to such stresses, yet not a part gave out. E-M-F "30" is made of the best materials known to science and she proved up on these roads.

Reference Glidden-P18 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

When a traction vehicle sinks below the center of its wheels there is no hope of getting out under its own power - every revolution of the driving wheels but serves to dig the holes deeper. Photo shows E-M-F "30" in that condition. That was the one time when dobbin had a chance. But think what the car had to go through before she dropped into this hole - 451 miles of this kind of going! "

Reference Glidden-P19 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

Dai H. Lewis - the man in the long drab overcoat - has been Official Pathfinder for every important reliability contest that ever was. His knowledge of roads and of automobiles is great. The smile of approval shown in the picture says volumes for the E-M-F "30". It was positively wonderful how she plugged through mud and clay - went where lots of sixty horse powered cars couldn't have followed her and did it without apparent effort. "

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The back of the postcard reads

Never before had E-M-F "30" a chance to prove her prowess as on the day this photograph ws taken. It was in Wisconsin and the roads were a combination of clay nd quicksand. Some enthusiats from La Crosse came out 30 miles to meet and escort the Pathfinder to that city. The 60 horse power escort car got mired in the quicksand while E-M-F "30" went on through. Photo shows hearty greeting between the two parties.

Reference Glidden-P21 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the card reads:

"This is one of the only times on record that Official Pathfinder Dai Lewis took a hand at a rope. Dai's avoirdupois was a valuable aquisition to the line and served to keep the car from overturning in the soft clay. Driver Meinzinger, tired of the monotonous pull, pull, through clay up to the hubs, thought he saw better footing at the side of the road. Tried, but the wheels on one side dropped in ditch and there was nearly a capsize - strong spokes to stand that strain, by the way."

Reference Glidden-P22 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

You can't always tell by a photograph. This road doesn't look so bad, but when you consider it was all sand and soft, and the wheels sank 6 to 8 inches in it, you will appriciate that it takes a powerful car to pull through it on high gear. Not once was it necessary to shift even to intermediate. Twenty miles an hour was an easy average for E-M-F "30" with five passengers and 750 pounds of luggage. "

Reference Glidden-P23 with questions about this postcard.

The back of the postcard reads

Rainy April, the worst month in the year for touring, was selected as the time for laying out the Glidden Tour route. The scene on the opposite side was a common one - in fact it rained almost contantly, yet the passengers were always comfortable and always dry, for not once did the car stop or hesitate so from one stopping place to another there was never occasion to dismount unless to make a photograph. "

Reference Glidden-P24 with questions about this postcard.

John M. Daly