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BSS -2

She made a deal for $5000.00 and expenses with Willys Overland to drive a stock model car coast to coast with dealer stopovers enroute.  1910 had few, if any, female drivers and only a few adventuresome female passengers.  Obviously the trip would promote greater motor car useage and encourage a few females to learn to drive.  The Willys Overland plant at Toledo provided some black and blue moments in its cram course on engines, tire changing and emergency trouble shooting as Blanche explored the innermost secrets of the car she was to drive.  There was also the daily proving ground driving to improve proficiency.

On May 16, 1910, New York City's Mayor Gaynor triggered the starting gun, handed Blanche a bottle of Atlantic Ocean water, gave her his blessing and started her off on a 6-thousand mile 41 day safari.  True, the distance is not that great but the back tracking and zig zagging to dealers showrooms of the 175 Willys merchants added it on.  For perspective to the task this petite female was undertaking let us point out that in 1910 the total road mileage outside of cities and villages was a pitiful 218 miles in all U. S. of A.  For a few days Blanche's traveling companion was Amy Phillips, but the travel routine was too rugged so her sister Gertrude undertook the task.  Gertrude kept a detailed diary and later wrote a promotional piece on the trip.  Gertrude was unable to drive a car!

A shadow of the future fell over Blanche on the Saturday preceeding Memorial Day as the girls were trapped in a crowd of ten thousand in suburban Indianapolis.  The mob was frantically trying to see the marvel of the day..TWO AIRPLANES IN FLIGHT OVER THE SAME FIELD AT THE SAME TIME.  Pilots of the craft were Wilbur Wright and the famous brothers first pupil--Al Welch.  Blanche stormed at the delay.  She testily allowed that anyone perking around in the clouds in a glorified kite 'had to be a nut...a complete and absolute idiot.'  She met famed racing driver Barney Oldfield, drove her 'Lady Overland' around Indianapolis Speedway track then added a couple of laps in Barney's famed Green Dragon.