Motor Maids Make Transcontinental Record — Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin

Today, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin remembers when the four ladies completed the first women-only cross country automobile trip on August 7, 1909.

From the next day’s San Francisco Call newspaper:

=====

Women Motorists End Long Tour

Mrs. Alice R. Ramsey Completes Her Journey From New York to This City in Maxwell

Driver and Companions Tell Interesting Tales of Their Experiences

By R. R. L’Hommedieu

A large number of automobile enthusiasts have watched with interest the transcontinental run of Mrs. Alice R. Ramsey of Hackensack, N. J.

This plucky little woman in her Maxwell car yesterday completed her tour, and with dust covered vehicle, was proudly welcomed to this city by a gathering of enthusiasts.

Many of those who have read of the party, consisting of Ramsey, Miss Herminie Jahns, Mrs. A. Atwood and Mrs. N. R. Powell, do not thoroughly realize what it means to cross a distance of over 3,500 miles in a motor car without a man along to do the heavy work.

Every mile of the way Mrs. Ramsey has been at the wheel of the Maxwell, but she loves her car, and, in return, as though appreciative, the automobile in itself gave no trouble.

But there were conditions to be met with, and some of them at the time seemed almost insurmountable, but ready for every emergency, the little car plugging on her way.

Equipped with a block and tackle the irrigation ditches of Wyoming were passed.

Mrs. Ramsey is loud in her praise of the clearance of the car, but when a rut obstructed the way the ax came in as a necessity, and it was wielded by a woman.

When the grades were a little steep the women folks applied their hands and assisted the sturdy little motor; streams were forded where bridges were gone and dust knee deep was wallowed through.

The gumbo of Iowa seems to remain in Mrs. Ramsey’s memory as a source of trouble even greater than the mud of Nebraska after a cloudburst, which was also encountered.

For the most part there seems to be but slight complaint as to the roads, although Mrs. Ramsey says that were she again to make the trip she would start later, in the season and would then miss some of the rain that wrought so much havoc with the roads.

The drive across the continent by Mrs. Ramsey and her sister motor maids is an object lesson that cannot be passed over without considering.

Heretofore most of such feats have been performed by women who give the impression of a certain amount of masculine composition in their make up, but in the quartette that arrived yesterday the impression was far different.

From the appearance, outside of a beautiful coat of tan, one would imagine that the car had merely been brought up from Del Monte.

It was dusty, but clean. It was not caked with mud, battered and scarred, but showed that it had received treatment much more considerate than would have been given by man.

Not only was the exterior of the car pleasing, but when the hood was raised and the engine set in motion it ran as sweetly and more smoothly than the day it left the factory.

“Maxwell”

Simplicity and Reliability Again Proven

In a model DA touring car Mrs. Ramsey drove her Maxwell car from New York to San Francisco over the worst possible roads, over steep grades, and made the trip, one of the most grueling imaginable, without a particle of car trouble.

A trip far more difficult than the Glidden or any other tour, and finished yesterday with a perfect score.

No mountains or grades too difficult for the Maxwell.

No gumbo too thick, no sand too deep for the Maxwell.

The only car for long or short tours.

The car for a lady to drive.

It is simply perfect and perfectly simple.

Get a demonstration in the same model as driven by Mrs. Ramsey.

Car on exhibition at the Maxwell-Briscoe Pacific Co. 352 Van Ness Avenue

Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Co., Tarrytown; New York

=====

The Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin shows with an image of Alice Ramsey with her beloved automobile.

Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin