An article in the San Francisco Examiner of August 29, 1915, commented on the forthcoming journey:
	The feat accomplished by Miss Anita King, the Paramount-Lasky girl, in driving to San Francisco from Los Angeles in the notable time of 17 hours and 55 minutes last week is to be followed this week by the start of a much more notable effort, the crossing of the continent in three weeks or perhaps one day over that period. The "Koast to Koast Kissel Kar" is to be used. Kissel branches all the way along the route have been notified and at many places Miss King will be welcomed by delegations of owners. At Oakland several owners are to meet the ferry which carries the young driver across the bay and are to escort her well on her way toward Sacramento, the first stop. The point of chief interest about the trip, perhaps, outside the fact that a woman is to undertake the task, is that the run is to be made over the Lincoln Highway. Previous runs of this character have generally elected the Southern or the Santa Fe trail. The daily schedule to Chicago follows:
	Sacramento 123 Laramie 120 Truckee 117 Cheyenne 124 Fallon 107 North Platte 146 Austin 118 Grand Island 163 Ely 157 Omaha 155 Fish Spring Ranch 144 Boone 166 Salt Lake City 147 Cedar Rapids 128 Green River 100 Dixon 185 Rawlins 125 Chicago 104 Eighteen days 2,457
	"On highways like those around Pacific Coast metropolitan centers this mileage would be easy. On highways such as Miss King will encounter the situation is different. It is not going to be an easy run, but if the Kissel Kar varies from schedule only ten minutes in 486 miles, as was the case in the run from Los Angeles, the variation will not cause loud complaint." (12)
Although Anita was prepared to go it alone on her travels, cooking her own meals and camping out on the desert as well as changing tires and repairing her car as needed, she remained unfazed, declaring with confidence: "Why can't women break transcontinental records as well as men? I am out to snatch a few honors as well as to show the men folk the sturdiness of what they call the weaker species when it comes to grit and perseverance. I'll show them, too." (13) Tuesday evening on the stage of the Imperial Theater, Anita stood beside her car while San Francisco Mayor James Rolph's secretary handed her a message to be given New York's John Purroy Mitchell. Afterwards, Anita told the audience why she was undertaking her journey. (14)

Copyright 2003 William M. Drew

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