Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21

Matters of Interest in Auto
mobile Circles.

''Old Steady" is manipulated by Percy
Megargel
The which reaches the Lewis and
lark exposition at Portland, Ore first
will win for its driy er 81 600. AS this is the
first automobile race across the continent,
it is said to be attracting widespread at
tention.
The racers have long. hard road to
travel" said Mr.. John c. Wood, The Wash
ington manager of the Oldsmobile Company,
to Star reporter last night, but we look
TO see the journey accomplished in forty
two days from the day of the start. May 81
Mr.. Wood handed the reporter the fol-
lowing report he had received from the
trans-continentaI racers:
Both old Scout and Old Steady are
in good condition, but roads are almost I'M
passible We pulled through ninety-three
miles Of the stickiest kind of black Illinois
mud on Tuesday, and will not be able to
reach Davenport before Friday noon. On
several occasions both cars have been in
tie mud up to their bodies. making 1t neces-
sary to use blocks and tackle to aid the ma
chimes IN pulling themselves out.
1T was circus day at EarIsville when
Old Steady, driven by Percy F. Megar-
gel and BARLEY Staunchfieid, stopped for
gasoline at the village store. Immediately
there was stampede from the circus
grounds and the little seven-horse- power
Olds runabout, that had carried its occu-
pants 11J0 miles In eight days was the
center of attraction. Mud is hub deep al
most all the way and it takes every ounce
Of power that can be developed to make
Roadway at many places. Farmers IN this
section of the country are unable to work
their fields on account of The mud, and
crop prospects are very poor. Reporters
and photographers still follow our tracks,
and the appearance of our machines Is evil
dence to them of the difficulties we
countering in our trip. All of us are well,
and the party on each machine Is confident
that he viii win the prize offered for the
first man into Portland.
X X
The Buick car is becoming popular with
local automobilists. it is said, and many
of them can be seen these fine days Gid
ing along the concreted streets of this
city. The Buick is the highest horsepower
car made in the United States. 1t is of
the French type, and of light weight. The
local manager, Mr.. John G. Wood, says he
is selling about six Bucks a week to Wash
ington men.
A seven-horse- power Oldsmoble rum
about has been packed by Mr.. John c.
Wood for shipment to faraway Mukden
at the scene of the Japanese-Russan war.
1t is destined for Mr.. ]. w. Davidson,
United States vice consul at Mukden. and
will be shipped soon as the embargo has
been taken off
Washington Automobiles have been in
formed that it is now planned to have an
automobile racing circuit, just as the trot-
ting associations and bicycle organizations
have been conducting for years. The plan
Pre- posed is to nave certain events at each
one of these meets which will permit
motor car owner to have re- every week
during a couple OF months of the racing
season II will be under the rules of the
American Automobile Association.
x X
New York state now has a law a re-
suit of the bill being signed recently by
Gov. Higgins, which is of interest to auto
mobile owners and garage men. just as
much as it is to corporations in whose in
terests it was primarily introduced. 1t is
an act to amend the penal code prohibiting
the corrupt influencing of agents, employees
servants by paying them commissions
or giving them bonuses or discounts of any
kind. 1t is expected to put a stop to the
inroads that cnauffeurs have been making
the salesrooms and garages by demand
ing commissions for recommending or stor-
ing cars
The latest revised schedule of coming au-
tcrCbile events in this country is as fol-
lows:
May 25-Worcester, Miss, hill-climbfng
contest.
May 27-3o-Ch!cago, c. A. c. race meet at
Washington Park
May 30-Yonkers, n. Y, Empire City
track opening race meet.
June 3-Brooklyn, Brighton Beach race
meet.
June 10-New York Morris Park race
meet.
June 17-Yonkers, Empire City race meet.
June 24-Brooklyn, Brighton Beach race
meet.
July New York. Morris Park race meet.
July S-Yonl1ers. Empire City race meet
July u-TourinS car contest for Glidden
trophy
July 15-New York Morris Park race meet
July 29-New York, Morris Park race meet.
August 5-Brooklyn, Brighton Beach race
meet.
August 12-New York, Morris Park race
meet.
August 10 to October 15-Race for W. X.
Vanderbilt, jr., cup.
August 19-Brooklyn, Brighton Beach race
meet
August 26-Yonkers, Empire City race
meet.
September 4-Brooklyn, Brighton Beach
race meet.
September 9-New York, Morris Park race
meet.
The War Department has ordered another
WInton car for use by the signal corps,
United States army. One of these cars was
first used at the Manassas maneuvers and
the other at the Camp Atascadero maneu-
vers, since which time they have been in
practically daily use under the Severest of
conditions. At Manassas one of the army
mechanics took the car entirely apart and
put it together again without the slightest
assistance, and found upon completing his
work that the ran as perfectly
though it bad just come out of the factory
1t Is expected that the car will be delivered
al Fort Myer in few days.
The Professional Chauffeurs' Club of
America had a smoker in New York on
Tuesday night and toasted Police Commits
sioner McAdoo because he has equipped the
bicycle police with new white hats, which
enable the chauffeurs to tell policeman
at a greater distance than ever. 1t was
really interesting to hear the enthusiasm of
the drivers over the new white hats.
Soon there will be nothing left but the