Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel], October 02, 1910, Page 2, Image 14

About Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
2
PLAN TO RESTORE
OLD 'WIRE ROAD'
Famous Highway Through Ozark
Regions Becomes Subject
of Novel Campaign
SPLENDID SCENIC FEATURES
'Under Three Flags' Trip of the
Flanders '20' Arouses
Much Sentiment
Backed in enthusiastic style by the
Springfield (Mo.) Republican in its
home city, and by the St. Louis Star,
J. A. White, a prominent motorist and
dealer in Springfield, Mo., is waging an
unusually interesting good roads cam
paign, looking toward the complete
restoration of the "Old Wire road" over
which, twenty-five years ago, passed
the caravan of settlers' wagons, carry
ing the hardy pioneers who formed the
advance guard of civilization in the
great southwest.
In its day, when the United States
government kept it in condition, th* 1
"Old Wire Road" was one of the most
famous highways in the country. Tra
versing the ridges of the Ozarks, it led
from St. Louis to Springfield and
thence to Fort Smith, Ark., and Dallas,
Tex. At St. Louis it communicated
with the national highway from ritts
burg. The two formed a famous chain.
All the way through the Ozarks the
road was favored with natural gravel
bottom, some of it constructed at great
expense to prevent washouts. In many
places the work of government en
gineers is still In evidence. As a gen
eral rule, however, the stalwart row'o?
poles carrying the successors of orig
inal wires which gave the road its
name, alone remain to point the general
direction. The old road itself has been
allowed to deteriorate to such a stage
that it is now unsafe even for wagons.
Tho bridges were washed away years
figo, and in some places the original
This is a "HURRY" Ad.
Several reasons why:
We delivered last week no fewer than eighteen of the
new Model 14 Buicks received ten days ago. Have you
received yours?
We have eight model 19, 30 h. p. Buicks on the road,
but six have already been sold. Speak quickly for the
other two.
We can make immediate delivery of model 10, 20 h. p.
Buick White Streak, in Toy Tonneau, Surrey and Single
Rumble types.
Buick is the car the people want, and we are doing our
best to see that they get it. Demonstrations at your con
venience.
Howard Automobile Co.
1142-44 South Olive Street
.ji.mMMj —„,-,.—„-. J
ASK ABOUT KISSEL SERVICE
KISSEL KAR
Licensed Under Selden Patent
EVERY INCH A CAR-THE CAR FOR YOU
Hi(^ _^r X*> «lth*r ttv^~pni#rn touring cur S(^
ifa?««»-^^ or foor-pagsengtr toy tonneau. -"""'^
$1850 Fully Equipped
F. O. B. Lot Angeles, Cal.
The Kissel Auto Company
C L. LEPPO, Manager Phones: 22836, Ddwy 2186
118 West Pico Street
i
For Sale or Exchange j
Whit" t-'t^ainrr. MnriPl (1, 7-pas.sfnijnr car, PUhJoctto In
tMKVtlon. (;u:irn:it -'-i\ In parfw^t condition. Owner going i
east. Will Hell for cash or take g clear lot or equity in an
up to dat" l.iiiiir-un v. Cur cost over .S4bOO ef|Uip|»-d. Phone
Main Kii"l for information and demonstration, or ii.lcli-oms,
with details, j;.ix 11, If. raid Office.
-«—^ • •■ r~XT\» I All <'"•" nd types 1., fit any nmki- of rim.
I Jf/imOrill i IFP^ I TIIE DIAMOND RUBBER CO.
UiaillVllU 11IC5 I noi-oa S . Main. 3Uiu 7UI, P7TM.'
Classy Knox Raceabout Finished
in the New Chameleon Grey
highway has been fenced in and ap
propriated by tha mountain farmers.
Attention to the present condition of
the roail was called by the "Under
Thn c Flags" trip of the Flanders
Twenty car during the past summer.
Reproduction of photographs of the
trip and the story told by the crew of
iln car stirred tho citizens of Spring
field to action. Mr. White was ap
pointed the chairman of a committee
to push tho work along. A party in
six motor cars was organized to make
the trip to St. Louis. After tremendous
effort, using the Information gleaned
from the crew of the "Under Three
Falgs' 'car, the trip was made over the
240 miles that separated the two cities.
With the information at hand Mr.
White has gone to work in real earnest.
Personal work has been done with the
progressive citizens of Union, Sullivan,
Holla, Lebanon, Riehland and the
smaller towns along the line. An effort
has been inaugurated to secure a wa
gon bridge across the Gasconade at
Arlington where the "Under Three
Flags" car ran over a railroad bridge
between two sections of a stock train.
The Frisco system—tho only railroad
traversing this portion of Missouri —
has promised to transport, free of
charge, road and bridge materials.
Property owners and township officers
LOS ANGELES HERALD: SUNDAY MOH.MNG, OCTOBKK 2, liHO.
have promised assistance. Tho Spring
field Republican has offered a hand
some trophy for competition In a tour,
to bo held as soon as the road is placed
in practicable shape.
A unique feature of tha situation Is
the unsolicited promise of John Hos
mer, a wealthy farmer whose 1600 acres
lie near Marshfleld, one of tha small
mountain towns along the road. The
"Old Wire Koact passes directly
through Mr. Hosmer's farm. In fact,
it was in one of the fords on his prop
erty that the "Under Three Flags"
car, after coming all the way from
Quebec without assistance, had to sum
mon nid for the first and only time.
Mr. Hosmer promises to boulevard all
the old road within his property and
is using his Influence with his neigh
bors to secure similar co-operation.
Since the "Under Three Flags'' car
d through he lias become a mo
torist himself and his farm now con
tains two Flanders "20" roadsters In
its equipment.
The general stirring up of the in
terest has resulted already in a con
siderable improvement on the "Old
Wire Road" in tho populated districts.
As soon as the systematic improve
ment is begun, next year, work will be
pushed, and Mr. White and his com
patroita feel that there 13 an excel
lent chance for completion during 1911.
In case this hope is fulfilled, the en
terprise will place at the disposal ot
motorists one of the most beautiful
tours afforded anywhere in the United
States.
NEW YORK'S CHAUFFEUR LAW
ELIMINATES INCOMPETENTS
Qualifications to Run Car Based
on Rigid Examination
The question of the Bupply and demand
(or automobile chauffeurs was dlscu»s«d by
Wi J. Foster In a lecturo given before the
Now York school of automobile engineers.
The lecturer gave some very Interesting
views on the subject, saying, In part:
"If the Question were put to them, there
I aro many owners and a still greater number
lof so-called chauffeurs who would quickly
! answer that the supply exceeds the demand,
basing their conclusion, for Instance, on tho
number of chauffeurs answering one news
paper advertisement, or on tho difficulty In
the finding of a position, and it would
be only natural for the average man to
take these statements as conclusive proof
of the situation; but this 'chauffeur ques-
I tion' is one of the most delicate and mls
-1 understood questions of the present day, and
1 only by studying the exact footing of the
I business, and the surrounding conditions, Is
' it possible to gain a true knowledge of the
subject.
"Ever since the beginning of the auto
-1 mojlie business, up to the pa^t month, there
! have been absolutely no restriction! as to
i tho qualifications of a man as a public
chauffeur, and the J2 sent to Albany aa
! rand him of a mere registration badge,
which the misguided public and owner both
recognised as a license, but which was
a receipt for the money received and
an assurance that his name had been reg
istered on the books at Albany as a chauf
feur.
"This led a larze number of men out
of positions, Incapable of holding a posi
tlon, duo to their laziness, neglect or dls
v, to try their hand at the 'chauffeur
business, 1 and havinu learned a little about
steering an automobile, they placed them-
I upon the market as competent chauf
fi is. They heard of the high salaries, easy
life, praft and simplicity of starting out,
an.l all these things led to countless num
bers entering the 'buslne**.,' with no more
qualifications to drive an automobile than a
«ii>-'i car conductor would have to drive
a twentieth century limited. The excellent
methods by which the secretary of state
has carried out the new Callan law. and
the manner In which the examinations, both
written and practical, have b« en c ■n.lucted.
, , n a great benefit to many owners
a large number of chauffeurs, iind
■ quests n is undoubtedly nn a
:,. . ; ..■:;t.-r man evei ■'■ ire."
MAKES TRIP TO SAN DIEGO
IN INTERSTATE TORPEDO
The accompanying photograph Bhow«
Mr. J. B. Morrow, In 191] Interstate
"Torpedo," during a recent trip to X;in
Dtego. The photograi h la taken on tha
road between Escondldo and San Dl
fter the hardest purt "f the jour
ney hid been past. Mr. Morrow made
tho trip by the Inside route and re
ports that vhilo many spots of bail
road were encountered, that there i*
a great deal of road work going on
almost the entire distance, and gome
of the worst spots are being remedied
rapidly.
In going over the Pow-wow grade
which la twenty-flvo per cent in reveral
spots. '11l road id in fair condition and
along the top of the mountain, an en
tirely new road i* being built, whicb
will be a great Improvement over the
present oni> and affords a magnificent
vit-w of tin 1 surrounding country.
J. B. Morrow and Party in Inter-State
Between Escondido and San Diego
• : , .^ ' ■ ■;^\<. j^giW;-\:§'. : .
DEATH WINS AT
VANDERBILT RAGE
(Continued from ra«e One)
ternnl tpjuries, from which it Is aouDt
ful if he will recover.
The killing of Louis Chevrolet
mechanician, Charles Miller, came as
the climax of a mad attempt of Chev
rolet to regain a load lost through fre
quent magneto and tire troubles. The
daring French driver, who earlier in
the race had reeled off round after
round at seventy-three miles an hour,
struck a bod rut while going with lull
power and landed on three wheels
only. He then found the car zig-zag-
King from side to side, unresponsive
to its steering gear.
Amid the shrieka of horror from the
hundreds assembled at the spot the
car plunged into the fence and swept
it away like BO much paper, then
ploughed deep Into a passenger-laden
touring car. The occupant! of the
touring car wore tossed high In the
air but all of them escaped death.
Miller was caught in the wreckage
and instantly killed, Chevrolet owes
his life to the staunchness of his steer-
Ing wheel, upon which he kept a firm
hold to the end. He was pulled out of
the debris with nothing more serious
than a broken arm.
The third death of the day did not
occur on the course, but in an acci
dent en route to the race. Ferdinand
d'Zubta, an automobile man, was the
victim. His wife was seriously hurt,
both legs being broken in the smash
up.
INADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS
From a sporting point of view the
race was thrilling. There is no doubt
it will go down in the annals of au
tomobiling as the most hotly con
tested long distance event ever held
over open country roads.
Judged by its cost in killed and
maimed, however, the race was a re
volting spectacle and a severe arraign
ment of the manner in which it was
conducted. Almost at once the inad
equacy of the precautions taken were
tragically made plain.
The horror of the Stone tragedy had
hardly passed when word came that
first the Lancia and then the Mercer
car had left the road and brought up
as scrap iron against telegraph poles,
injuring all four occupants.
As if this were not enough, Joe Daw
son, going like a cannot ball in car No.
25, ran full into the crowd that barred
his way at the westbound turn, and
sped on, leaving an apparently lifeless
body stretched across the road. This
man was Henry Haggerdorn, a clerk
employed by a local automobile firm.
It is believed his Injuries are fatal.
FORTV-ITVE MACHINES MINGLE
The strictest secrecy concerning this
sacrifice of human life was maintained
by all the officials during the race, as
was the case last year. Today's race
was run as a triple event, not only the
cars for the Vanderbllt cup competing,
but cars in two other detachments as
well. This brought forty-five machines
on the course at once,*and contributed
not a little to the slaughter.
The first of the two subsidiary events
—the Wheatley Hill sweepstakes—was
won by T. F. Galnaw, driving a Fal.
W. H. Pierce, also driving a Fall, fin
ished second.
In the Massapequa trophy race the
victory went to William Endlcott, driv
ing a Cole car. Mortimer Roberts,
driving an Abbott-Detroit, was second.
Of the thirty-one cars which started,
In the Vanderbilt ten were in the race
when the officials declared the contest
over. Those besides the first three were
Disbrow's National, No. 11; Mulford's
Lozier, No. 2; Fleming's Pope-Hart
ford, No. 17; Hearne's Benz, No. 7;
Mitchell's Simplex, No. 11; Harding^
Stoddard-Dayton, No'ls, and Dingley's
Pope-Hartford, No. 22, running In the
order named.
The accident to Harold Stone, whose
car had not appeared again at the
grand stand after the start, was ex
plained in whispers by officials about
the judges' stand, but was kept from
those In the grand stand, where Stone's
bride of a few weeks sat anxiously
waiting his passing.
NEW GARFORD CAR TRIES OUT
THE SANTA MONICA COURSE
H. V. Taylor of the Lord Motor Car
company wanted to find out for himself
last week just what the Santa Monica
road race course was like, so with a
clever bunch of performers from the
Los Angeles theater he put a new
model 40-h. p. Studebaker-Garford over
the course, and between the Palisades
and Soldiers' Home hit a pace of a
mile a minute, but most of the course
is in poor condition and much road
work is going to be necesary for
record breaking in the big race Thanks
giving day.
The roads leading from the city to
the beacli are all in poor condition,
and the Washington and Adami atreet
routes are closed to travel, but with
the characteristic apathy of mad
supervisors, the public gets no inkling
of it until the barriers are faced after
a drive of miles, and then the only
thing to do is to play around until
you perceive a hole you ran peek
through, and then "beat it."
The Garford is a sturdy and fast car,
and will come in for its share of public
patronage this season.
AUTOS RACE FOR CHARITY;
PHILADELPHIA PLAN NOVEL
Five charities win benefit b tha i'U-
Falrmount park lautomobile race, whioh
will bo helil on Saturday. October S. un
der tin' management of the Quaker City
Motor club.
They aro the Horn* of the Merciful Savior
for Crippled Children, at Baltimore avenue
and Forty-ninth street; the playgrounds
committee, St. Mary's hospital, the police
pension fund and Mt. Sinai hospital, and
they will share equally In the proceeds
from the Bale of seats and boxes in the
grandstand and parking places, which will
afford ■■• good view of the biggest auto rac
ing event of the year In this city.
$850 F. O. B. Los Angeles
Equipped with 5 lamps, magneto and batteries, gas generator and full tool equipment. This
model is ideal for the salesman who has some samples to carry or for the rancher who al
ways has something he wants to take home. This model furnished with the rear seat, making
a car, as shown below, comes at $40 more. The Flanders light delivery body (a
sample of which we now have on the street) can be attached right to this body without even
disturbing the front seat. This makes possible the three combinations—two-passenger run
about, light delivery, four-passenger car—for $1040 complete. .Watch for the Flanders light
delivery on the city streets.
$890 F. O. B. Los Angeles
Seats four passengers comfortably and when c quipped with top and glass front makes one ct
the niftiest small cars on the market. This car fully equipped with mohair top (your selec
tion), glass front, speedometer and tire irons, sells for $1025. A wheel base of 100 inches and
full elliptic springs in rear make this machine ride easy with either two or four passenger*.
$890 F. O. B. Los Angeles
Flanders racy type roadster—the type of car that made the run from Quebec, Canada, to the
City of Mexico, a distance of 4500 miles, in 40 d ays in the spring of the year, when the roads
were far from perfect. This trip has been referred to as the wickedest test ever made by an
automobile—and at that an "$B9O Flanders 20." •
It takes a pretty good automobile to average better than 100 miles per day on a trip of
this nature, where they often traveled where no other automobile had ever been and whera
the roads were almost impassable.
We have a few of these racy type roadsters for immediate delivery and would take pleas
ure in showing you what these cars can do any time you can take a demonstration.
Due to the fact that we have already delivered one hundred and fifty Flanders cars in
Southern California and that we are daily deli vering more, we are enabled to carry a complete
stock of parts, so that should you require any p art for your car you will not have to wait for a
shipment to come from the East. __ ....
Lord Motor Car Co.
1084 5. 1032 So. Olive Street. Main 5470.
INTER-STATE TORPEDO
REACHES CALABASAS
New Road Work Makes Driving
Over Fields Necessary
The accompanying photograph shows a 1911
Interstate "Torpedo" en route to Culubasau.
Fred WatHon, who took a party of five on this
trip last week, states that the road condition!
he found wore the most horrible that he had
ever met anywhere, mil an Mr. WaLtum hay
been driving cars In Southern California for
the last three or four years this must mean a
good deal. He flays that at one point In the
road where they are putting In new road ho
drove across open Held* for over ten miles,
and nt the approach to fords around tit*- Cal
abasas end of the trip make it a crime to
auk any car to go over them Ho nays, how
ever that the Inter State made, the trip with
out a skip, and white at times he thought the
car would be smashed to piece*, It camu
through in aa good order uo It itaxted out.
ifW^l Auto Repairing
V/ [J t/ 11 AIO) !WA<!|IIN-R WORt KBASONABZJD BATM.
.|| OOMPETTBINT KEN IN OHABOS JLT A.Li. BOOM.
All SIXTH STREET GARAGE
XT * ** U 4- 221-223 EAST SIXTH STREET
j\j 12f U I $• Fer Month for Day BMnf*l *»> hfW»M anA Dar. i
I O I Phone Heine FISSI. ■ WHITB BMM., Prop**
H||aßa^^l^M^l^Hßaaa^aaHH Ip H nanMH>njnBMMMHHHPMIB ««HHMMBMMMW«wMMr
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Tircstotic Greatest mileage tire" on
* » » w^^ ww- All sizes and types.
MM llt Tmm m^ - KUUBKB GO. *
R O KUIiaEB 00.
• •■■ ■»» i^l^ 8. Olive St. (Near Pico)
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