Evening star., 1902-08-30

from Paris, London and Vienna even. The
cross roads and roads running parallel to
the route were alive with touring auto
mobiles, carrying gracious, smiling fem
lnlnlty as well as goggled "firemen." AS
ior the villagers and peasantry of two ex-
tremes-philosophy and giddiness-such
races make a time of joyful change and
hustle.
True, all public circulation over the af-
fected highways is cut aft, and the gen.
uarmerie patrols the course to make sure
that the arbitrary decree is respected. But
the population takes a holiday-and what
a holiday, The villages are all en- feteI
Ihe populations are stirred to their depths!
Inc main streets are decorated illu-
minated alive with mirthful and hard
drinking Belgian country people. There are
music and hard dancing in the evening
There are accidents and a continual hub
nuo of excitements through the day. Along
the route the knowing yokels pick up rae
ing Jargon with facility and talk OF horse
powers and pneumatic tires
Rr-rraa-rraai
Here comes another racer, They have
seen his dust far down the road on the ho-
r1zon Attention! He comes like cyclone!
Clear the way! Pull in that child The
JOY of living has come to the remote town.
Beneath the spreading shade trees at the
cross roads, where the guard of the fields
in his blouse and cooked hat cried "Atten-
toni and the red-faced. fierce -nnusta ched
soldier-polfceman fourishing his sword
danced from one side of the road to the
ONt'Ni' We sat "dltulIlS lne utNIi-enSlnSS
go smashing past us into the dim distance
We would know them by their great
Whlte-painted numbers. back and front
Ihere went Baron de Crawhez on the very
lap before his "sledding' breakdown. His
long and supple Panhard. painted dark
blue, dashed past like some outrageous
beast engaged in running down its prey.
Aristide. his faithful mechanic. was lean
ing far out on the left side, counterbal-
ancing the effect of a slight turn in the
road-two miles back! Behind them came
chasing Rene de Knyff. his great beard
blowing in the air and his mechanic
Adolphe, huddled down. not to resist it,
There is dark rivalry between the two
mechanics. who are brothers; and one of
them will some day kill his employer in his
zeal to pass the other
here goes Vanderbilt!' cried my COM
panions. We saw a dark blue Mors ma
chine fit past
There goes Jarrott. the Englishmanv'
HIS nfsnstrouS Panhard-which was to come
OF the winner-passed almost slowly
that time, at scarce more than forty miles
an hour, We could see that he had his
mead covered with a knotted handkerchief
50 all day long they flew past-each one
passed each spot along the route six times
And as they flew into the distance we got
what We came fora sensation, an emotion.
an agony even of nervous strain commune
Gated to us by these impassive modern
gladiators who call themselves ''firemen''-
'.chauffeurs" go laundering crashing
through the dawn into the early morning,
onward, onward. flying clouds of dust that
DO not stop as the sun scOrches the white
road and they become heat splashes of cy-
clonic sWiftness. boiling. sputtering. sweat
ing, splitting steam and fame, on, on, i'm
passively into the distancei
Will It Do TIP
The Automobile Club of Great Britain and
Ireland has bound itself to get permission
for one of these terrific international races
to take place next summer. Now that the
first enthusiasm Of Paris Vienna Is past
the members in charge of the plan foresee
great difficulties Even the most sanguine
ad 1T that little is to be hoped from the
bill which Mr. Scott Montagu will endeavor
to push through when parliament assem-
bles; and yet without such bill there is no
power In England capable of overcoming
the hostility of local governing bodies and
the country people.
Eyes have been turned in the direction of
Ireland where the whole country is not so
thirly settled and the roads are less used.
1t is reflected that the Irish are a very
sporting people, and that it would be very
f1atterng to their pride to see the cham
plons of all the world competing on their
roads for "the Irish Cup" \ run from
Dublin to Waterford and back or from
Dublin to Cork and back would seem to be
most suitable.
Failing the Irish plan the English auto
mobilists will have to offer course some
thing like that of the Circuit OF the Ar
dennes; and already they have inquired of
the Automobile Club de France if there
would be objection to a circular route of
not hess than fifty miles in circumference.
This would resemble very closely the fifty
threemie laps of that terrific race in Bel
gium-won by an Engiishman.
If it comes off the English people will see
something extraordinary. The most rapid
express train of the Paris. Lyons and Midi
railroad takes seven hours and thirty-two
minutes to go from Paris to Lyons. Yet
Jarrott, the English winner of the Ardennes
cup, made the same distance in five hours
and ttfty-three minutes, The distance be-
ing 31S miles. this was better time than
ffty-three miles an hour-and it includes
the time taken by each one of Jarrott's
stops! And note that the flying express
train, which would have been disqualified
for changing locomotives, would have been
passed by two PanhardS, three Mors, one
Gobron-Brille, one Mercedes and one Oar
racq automobile!
STERLING HEILIG.