The San Francisco call. [volume], November 17, 1912, Image 57

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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

                
AUTOMOBILE
NEWS .
SECTION
SOUTH STRONG
FOR INTERCITY
ROAD CONTEST
ios Angeles Motorists Eager to
Hold Race From Home Town
to San Francisco
Project for Annual Event to
Supplant Phoenix Match
Meets With Approval
LEON J. PINKSON
WHI San Francisco come to the front
and support the project for a road
race between this city and Los An
geles?
iThis question is now being freely
adsked in motoring circles between this
city and the orange belt metropolis,
and if the local enthusiasts come out
In favor of the run it is most cer
tain that one of the best and most
interesting automobile contests ever
recorded In motor car history will take
place. The run will not only stimu
late increased interest in the automo
bile, bat will do much to bring Cali
fornia and her glorious roads before
the motoring public of the country and
will attract hundreds of motor car
tourists to this state.
Strange as it might seem, it is gen
erally believed in the east that but a
few miles separate San Francisco from
Los Angeles. This wrong impression
would be quickly corrected when the
press of the country would tell of the
600 mile intercity race, and these ac
counts would also create Interest in
the fine mountain and valley country
by the course.
The Los Angeles boosters, ever alert
to bring their section of the country
into the limelight, are working hard on
the intercity race project and are
anxious to secure the co-operation of
San Francisco in order to make the
event a national classic and one that
would rival in point of interest even
the Vanderbilt and Grand Prize events.
It was first suggested by the south
erners who advanced the idea of hold
ing the run, that the coast route be
selected, but It is now generally agreed
upon that a course coming up the San
Joaquin valley by way of Bakersfleld
and Fresno and then crossing the
Pacheco pass Into the Santa Clara val
ley and up the peninsula to San Fran
cisco Is the more preferable. It is
argued that some of the valley cities
would douhttless give prize money for
the first cars to reach the respective
towns, and with a substantial prize
for the final victor of the event the
race would be one that would attract a
big field of entries.
Th© southerners point with pride at
the success of the recent desert races
en Los Angeles to San Diego to
Phoenix, and firmly believe that an
event of the same character between
San Francisco and Los Angeles would
be a far greater success.
The tentative plans for the Intercity
run provide that the race be started
from the southern city about June or
July of the coming year and end in
San Francisco. It is then suggested
that the race be repeated in 1914, with
Los Angeles as the finish, and a third
race be run in 1915 from the south and
to finish in the world's fair grounds.
Some idea of the interest that would
be displayed in an Intercity contest
may be secured from the reception
given Charles Soules in his recent
record breaking drive, when he clipped
40 minutes off the Los Angeles-San
Francisco record in the 1913 Cadillac
car in which he finished second the
week before in the Phoenix desert race.
When Soules reached Bakersfleld the
whole town turned out to greet him.
The streets were lined with people and
the police, instead of arresting the
Cadillac man for fast driving, were
giving their attention to keeping the
roads clear so he could go faster.
At Fresno it was the same story. The
chief of police there sent an automobile
load of police out on the road to meet
Soules and keep the road clear through
town. It was the same story in every
town. The people were with the
speeding autoist and helped him in
every way.
Don Lee, California Cadillac distrib
uter, who has been advocating a race
between Los Angeles and San Fran
cisco for the last few years, Is more
than ever In favor of the contest, and
6ays he will enter at least two cars in
the race whenever a date is agreed
upon. He says the southerners are
anxious to call the contest the Panama-
Pacific road race.
Discussing the race, Lee says: "Such
an event would be without doubt the
greatest automobile race in the history
of the motor car. It would attract
•worldwide attention to California and
would also be a good thing for the
dealers. The cars would go through
our territory and not across a barren
desert, as they do In the Phoenix race.
"The people up the valley would be
strong for such a race, and it would
be an easy matter to raise a purse of
$20,000 in the valley towns. Los An
geles win donate liberally, and I am
sure San Francisco would also be gen
erous. It would be easy to obtain per
mission to race over the roads."
NEW MANAGER FOR
PATHFINDER COMPANY
Barry Cool, formerly of Los Angeles,
who has just been appointed manager
of the northern California branch of
the Pathfinder Motor Car company,
with headquarters in San Francisco,
has assumed his duties and is most
enthusiastic over the prospects for the
coming season In this vicinity. Cool
was formerly manager of the Hudson
agency in Los Angeles ami was also
associated with the Cadillac and Lozier
people. He is anxiously awaiting the
arrival of the first of the 1913 Path
finder models and will then begin an
active sales campaign.
GRAMM TRUCK AS
BRAZILIAN OMNIBUS
The lack of railroads in some of the
South American countries promises to
open an entirely new field for motor
trucks. Where steam and electric rail
roads have not penetrated and local and
interurban transportation is proving a
serious problem, the motor truck fills
a long felt want. The Gramm Motor
Truck company of Lima, 0.. recently
shipped a two ton truck, which is to
be used as a 20 passenger omnibus, to
Brazil, where a firm of Americans has
undertaken to establish a transporta
tion service.
Motorcycle* Replace Horses—Farm
ers near St. Joseph, Mo., who recently
lost their horses by an epidemic are
replacing them with, motorcycles.
Motorists of Southern California Eager to Have Northern Enthusiasts
Support Plan for Los Angeles-San Francisco Road Race During 1913
Barney Oldfield as he will appear 1
at the wheel of his Christie in to- \
day's meet at Tanforan.
OLDFIELD TO RACE
TODAY AT TANFORAN
Court Refuses to Restrain Pilot;
Exciting Speed Program
Promised
Barney Oldfield won a decisive vic
tory over Bob Burman in the superior
court yesterday when Judge J. M. Sea
well refused to restrain the veteran
driver from holding his exhibition
meet at Tanforan today. The row be
tween the two racing pilots drifted
into court In Friday when E. A. Moross,
manager for Bob Burman, applied for
an Injunction to prevent Oldfield from
holding his speed carnival, alleglr.g
that the latter had failed to live up to
a contract made in Texas in 1910 to re
tire from the racing game and from
using certain makes of racing cars.
The hearing of the petition yesterday
morning resulted In the judge denying
an Injunction and in sarcastically com
menting that there appeared to be little
merit in the suit.
Oldfield, who was certain of a vic
tory, did not stop in making his final
arrangements for today's exhibition,
which promises to be a lively and ex
citing meet. Oldfield will endeavor to
set some new dirt track records with
his 300 horsepower front drive Christie
car, which he says is the fastest ma
chine in the world today.
The Christie presents a wierd, un
canny appearance and shoots in and
out of the short turns of a dirt track
like some mad beast of the menagerie
escaping from its keeper. On the San
Jose track, muddy and dangerous, Old
field, on last Tuesday, lowered the
world's record for the mile distance.
The car is so powerful and the ex
plosions of the engine ao terrific, it
can not be cooled sufficiently to travel
more than two miles.
Oldfleld's part of the program will
overshadow the other six events so
far as sp«d and the spectacular are
concerned, but the competitive events
are filled with many noted drivers and
fast cars. Earl Cooper, the sensa
tional Stutz pilot, who won two of the
big races at San Jpse Tuesday, has his
oar tuned faster than before and de
clares he will show the way home in
three of the races. Fred Malone with
the big Benz, Harry Goetz with his
Cino Whirlwind, Gaston Maurice in his
Renault, Edwards in the R. C. H.,
Schmltz in the Buick, and King In the
Maxwell are some of the entrants in
the six events.
P. J. Walker, official A. A. A. repre
sentative, will referee the meet. John
Hammersmith and William Kllnger
will be chief timers, and Frank Carroll
will wield the starter's flag. W. L
Hughson, Ed Brlneger, Chester Weaver
and Sid Starr are scheduled as the
judges. James Coffroth, Tom Jones, H.
O Harrison and Don Lee are the other
timers. The first race will be called at
2:30 p. m.
Arrangements have been made ior
special trains and electric cars to Tan
foran. „ „
The program will be as follows:
Event No. 1-Five miles, open to nonstock
cars. 230 Inches and under. E. C. IL. drivenby
A J Edwards; Buick. driven by J. W. Schmidt,
Maxwell, driven by "Whirlwind" King.
Event No 2—Five miles, nonstock, °P«. to
cars, 450 coble incbes displacement and/lnWr.
Prince Henry Bens, driven by Fred Malotw.
Cino driven by Harry Goetz; Stuti driven by
Earl Cooper; Bnick. J. W. Schmidt.
EvenrNo. 3-One mile against Tanfonu. track
record Barney Oldfield. driving 300 horsepower
Christie; Gaston Maurice, driving Edward MaJer s
Beoault "Select Kid." _„.,.~v
Event No. 4—Five miles, free for all nonstock.
Earl Cooper, drying «■*: Harry Go * t !L l i r ' Tl J*
Cino Whirlwind; Prince Henry Ben, driven by
Fred Malone; Buick, driven by J. W. Schmidt.
Event No! 5-Two mile exhibition against
world's circular track record of 1:^ 3 - s _™"°*
by Oldfield at Cleveland, September 14. B»rney
Oldfield. driving Christie; Qaatou Maurice, driving
Renault "Select Kid." ,
Event No. 6—Twenty-five miles, free-for.su.
cars 450 inches and under. Earl Cooper in £tutz
Harry Goers, In Cino; Fred Malone. in Prince
Henry Benz; J. W. Schmidt, in Buick.
BIG MILEAGE RECORD
FROM FIRESTONE SOLIDS
P. C. "Holland, a local hauling con
tractor, has just sent a most flattering
letter to Manager Bell of the local
branch of the Firestone Tire and Rub
ber company, in which he tells ef the
splendid service that he is getting from
the Firestone Solid tires with which his
trucks are equipped. He says that in
the hard and rough work his trucks
are subjected to he Is getting an un
usual mileage out of the Firestone
equipment.
Marlon Car for Police Official—The
Marion Motor Car company has just de
livered one of its small touring cars to
Corporal J. C. Fields of the San Fran
cisco police department. Fields is plan
ning to make a number of short tours
In- the new car in the near future.
THE CALL
SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1912.
Burman s high powered Benzen Blitz racing car (upper). Harry Coelz in the Cino whirlwind (lower left); Earl
Cooper in his Stutz car (lower right). These cars and drivers will appear at today s meet at Tanforan.
EAST SHOWS KEEN
INTEREST IN FAIR
The whole country Is planning to be
here for the 1915 exposition. Such, at
least, is the opinion of Mr. and Mrs.
John Tonningsen, who spent the sum
mer motoring about the eastern states
and part of Canada, carrying an expo
sition banner on their car. "Wherever
they went the flag attracted attention
and questions as to the great fair were
flung at them from all sides. Usually
the questioner wound up by declaring
"I'll be there In 1915."
The Tonningsens received their car,
a 40 horsepower Haynes, at Montclair,
N. J., where they were staying with
relatives. They traveled in it to every
watering place of note in that vicinity,
and declare New Jersey's roads are un
surpassed in this country. '.
"Everybody seemed to be enthused
by seeing a car from California," says
Mrs. Tonningsen. "If the enthusiasm
shown by the people all through the
New England states and eastern Can
ada, especially Quebec and Montreal, is
any criterion of the crowds that are
going to come here In 1915, we will not
have house room for one-tenth of them.
"The roads In New Jersey, New York
and Massachusetts are in excellent con
dition. Most of the main roads are
asphalt. Pennsylvania is still behind
In respect to roads, but they have
started and in another year there will
be no difficulty in going from Phila
delphia to the battlefields over the
Llginoir grade to Pittsburg, and from
there the roads are excellent west
ward."
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|| * 13J9-23 VAN NESS AVENUE AT SUTTER STREET Phone FrankUn 8650
TIRE MEN WILL
HOLD CONFERENCES
The most Important conferences since
the establishment of the Pacific coast
branches of the United States Tire
company will be held during the last
of this month and the first of next at
all the large cities In this territory.
J. M. Gilbert of New York, the presi
dent and general manager of the
United States Tire company, will reach
Seattle November 21, and the confer
ences will start there. President Gil
bert will be accompanied by J. D. An
derson, the general sales manager,
Anderson visited the coast branches
and agencies a year ago, but this is
the first trip of the company's head
official.
They will be met in Seattle by C. A.
Gilbert, the western district manager,
who will be with them for the entire
trip. These conferences will be at
tended by the branch managers and
salesmen.
The Portland conferences will be held
November 23 and 24, and from there
they will move south, spending the 26th
and 27th in San Francisco. The 29th
has been set aside for Fresno, and from
there the route will lead to southern
California.
The Los Angeles conference will last
throe days, November 30 and 31 and
December 2. December 3 will find the
United States officials at the extreme
southern end of the state, where con
ferences will be held In San Diego.
NOTED RACING MEN
IN BURMAN CAMP
Bob Burman, the world's speed king,
will make his first appearance in this
vicinity'at a race meet to be run at
the Emeryville track In Oakland a
week from today. Burman will drive
his famous Blitzen Benz, the fastest
car in the world. In addition to the speed
king, Joe Horan, for several years the
star of the Lozier team, with Ralph
Mulford as team mate, will also be
seen here for the first time on the
coast. Horan will drive the celebrated
Mercedes of Camile Janatzy, rated at
200 horsepower. This is the car with
which the celebrated Pole drove his
sensational kilometer at Ostende, Bel
gium, in 16 2-5 seconds, which lowered
the kilometer of Oldfield, made at Day
tona, and which Burman later placed
at 15.88.
Tony Janette will pilot the 120 horse
power Benz with which Bruce Brown
won the Grand Prix at Savannah.
Janette was a team mate of Bruce
Brown and of Wagner In the European
Grand Prix, run in France last June.
Harkins of the Chadwick team,
who with Len Zengle, took down the
Fairmont park race two years ago, will
pilot a speedy racer with a record of
5:14 for 10 miles at Daytona, Fla.
This car also won the Fairmont park
race and was used in the last Grand
Prix.
Walter de Coursey will pilot the Dar
racq 100 horsepower monster with
which Wagner won the Vandervilt cup
race and with which one year later
Hemery did the same trick, and with
which Demogeot covered two miles in
less than one minute at Florida.
Bob Burman, speed £rng, in his
conventional racing garb in which
he will appear next week-
NEW DRESS FOR
LATEST REO CARS
The 1913 Reo cars are coming out In
a new dress. The latest models to ar
rive have been finished in a beautiful
Brewster green, with fine red hair
i striping:. In speaking; of the change In
finish, Norman de Vaux, head of the
Reo-Paciflc company, coast agents for
the Reo, says: "The Reo factory has
changed the color used in painting
its cars. The last few years It has
used the black with French gray run
ning gear. The latest models which
we have just received, are finished in
Brewster green. This again shows the
close attention to detail and a keen
appreciation of up to date refinement."
VTO ■i Furnished Complete—No Extras to buy
i ''^v^yijayifTy'iFSnßiM
What's the Matter With
the Car You Own?
In what detail Joes it fall to satisfy?
Does your car lack speed, power, safety, easy riding qualities, luxurious finish, or what is the
matter with it?
If you are not entirely satisfied with your car, it must he for some one or two reasons which poa
have definitely satisfied in your own mind should obtain in the new car you own.
All Shortcomings Overcome designing in 97 American and European
. -™T « factories, they have overcome in the
in Thl» Car JV W HUDSONS every objectionable
No matter in what detail you are detail that had obtained in the 97 models
seekine better service than that which which these men have had a hand in
you have on your last car, you should o b " i! ,Ji ng » of whlch there were OVer
look further than that particular feature 200,000.
in the car you buy. No matter which car you favor, no
~, »t utmcAMc v Ma. v so matter what objection you want to
The New HUDSONS, built by 48 overcome> fi V, t of all the New
expert engineers, are not unsatisfactory HUDSONS, for you can find no objec
in any particular, such as obtained in tion to t j, em based upon any automo
cars previously built. ijjle knowledge you may posses*.
Because these 48 engineers combined They are as elegantly finished, as
in building it, these experts having completely equipped, as we know how
gained their knowledge of automobile to make them.
What These 48 Men Therefore it haa the best quality we know
wnac I new* mo men produce Every detmll of to de .
nave Done veloped to the hifhest degree. The car is
The HUDSON "S7" it electric self-cranking entirely 0 *&"
and electrically lighted. It is fully equipped; <"* controlled from the da**. All oUtng places
has 13-Inch upholstery, top, rain viaion wind- are conveniently located.
shield, a motor which develops 37-43 horse- The price of either the Five-Passenger Touring
power, speedometer, dock. 36 x 4-inch wheels. Car. the Torpedo or Roadster models is *XB7a,
118-inch wheel base, tools and other equipment. f. o. b. Detroit.
See the Triangle on the Radiator
S. Q. CHAPMAN, Distributor
324 VAN NESS AVENUE, San Francisco 2017 BROADWAY, Oakland
WALLACE BROTHER?, San Jone ARNOLD BROTHERS. Sacramento
"WALLACE BROTHERS, Stockton E. W. JOHNSON CO., Fresno
1913 "55" Fiat
The masterpiece of the most famous
factory in the whole world has arrived
and is on exhibition at the local sales
room. Come in and see it. Demonstra
tions by appointment.
Fiat Motor Sales Co. of California
Van Ness Avenue at Jackson Street
Telephone Franklin 7147 -
FOR SPORTING
NEWS SEE
PAGES 57 TO 60
NEW LOZIER CAR
IS WELL RECEIVED
Manager Keip of, Local Factory
Branch Gives Details of
"Light Six"
"la view of the fact that California
has had nothing: but advance announce
ments regarding: our "Light Six" we
are certainly more than agreeably sur
prised at the enthusiasm which has
been shown," says Manager F. B. Kelp
of the local Lozier branch. "The addi
tion of this model makes our line quite
complete and has filled a long felt
want.
"The 'type 77,* as the new member
of the Lozier family has been desig
nated, Is the latest creation of Chief
Engineer John G. Perrin of the Lozier
Motor company of Detroit, and em
bodies absolutely all the latest 'eatures
in automobile construction. The motor
is of the new economical "small bore
and long stroke" type, a design which
on account of its exceptional power,
flexibility and economical properties
Is fast supplanting all others In the
minds of most of the prominent Euro
pean designers.
"The 'type 77,' while smaller than
the Lozier with which all motorists
are familiar, will have the same sym
metrical lines which have always made
the Lozier so distinctive, and in addi
tion to these lines the car is fitted with
the new stream line body, which la
the latest conception in body design
at the Lozier factory and Is bound to
meet with the approval of the public
on account of its unusually gracefi»'
appearance.
"In designing this car Mr. Perrin and
his associates endeavor to give to the
American motoring public an automo
bile which will be exceptionally light
and economical and yet have the power,
speed and endurance necessary for
work of any kind.
"This car is the product of three
years of careful study and experiment
ing by Mr. Perrin and now that he has
accomplished his purpose in such »
satisfactory manner he will spend th*.
next three months in Europe making
further search for design or suggec
tion that may improve the Lozier.''
CHINESE MERCHANT IS
A STODDARD OWNER
Sing Woo, a wealthy merchant fr»«»
Shanghai, China, recently orderei at
1913 Stoddard-Dayton "48" seven pas
senger touring car from the Standard
Motor Car company of this city. Con
siderable difficulty was experienced in
explaining the various features of the
car to Woo, who speaks very little
English.