The San Francisco call., 1906-09-27
Signing Of Conditions
Will Prove Match !.
.siss Is Made. - as,
BY r. r. I'Hor11r11edieu.

The challenging habit has struck the
local automobilists. Max Rosenfeld and
c. A Hawkins. after a great days
sport at the last Del Monte gymkhana
games, while full of enthusiasm made
a match race between 1907 models of
the Peerless and White steamers. The
moment that the match was made pub
lie. there were others who wanted to
get in the limelight and take part in
the event.
There are many who say they want
to put up $1,000 as an incentive for a
good match. The more the merrier.
But the public wants to know that
there is going to be some fun. The
motorists do not believe it is right to
lead them to expect keen competitions
and then, when the time comes for
the contests to take place, compel them
to read that the principals could not
agree on conditions.
These events between bona fide tour
ing cars can do the sport great deal
of good. but when the matches "fizzle''
bad effect is left and the public will
cease to take an interest in the game.
Since there are SO many that want
to get into O race, with the little side
bet of $1,000, it would be well for those
who really mean business TO put up good
money and cease handling stage prop
erty. 1t would be a good proposition
for the intending competitors to sign
articles of agreement. This would put
a stamp of genuineness on the affair.
Undoubtedly every one who has issued
a challenge means business, but the
public will not be aware of this fact
until something is in sight. Every one
wants to see these races take place.
Not only the enthusiast but the pub
NJ a will ho xUa f0b bir,O ta
come.
1t is amusing to see signs posted in
cities and towns stating that automo-
biles must not travel faster than eight
miles an hour. This same restriction
is placed on horse-,-rawn vehicles. This
means that a vehicle must only travel
twice fast as the ordinary man
walks. 1t is easy to see that this re-
striction is a farce. One has only to
take up position on any of the thor
oughfares, outside of the congested
points, and time the vehicles 1t will
be found that ninety mine out of every
100 vehicles that pass will be going
faster than eight miles an hour. The
average citizen has no idea of speed
and could not honestly. under oath, tell
at what speed a vehicle is travelling
At eight miles an hour vehicle will
travel 704 feet. or little over two
laden truck it is safe to say that there
is hardly a vehicle that does not travel
faster.
Speed has been thoroughly tested in
the East. At point on one of the
prominent thoroug ghfares in New York
members of the Automobile Club OF
America found that every vehicle went
faster than eight miles an hour. The
test was carried further and a driver
of one of the street cars was made tc
run his car at speed required by the
law. The result was that about every
policeman at the crossings was order
ing the driver of the car to get q move
on" and go along faster. These are
points that the motorist should remem-
Der and which should be used when
they are brought up for speeding. es-
pecialiy in the towns around San Fran
cisco. where the police seem to think
that the automobilist is a natural prey
and an easy source of revenue
In speaking of travelling faster than
the law allows. there is a policeman
in this city who is a nightmare to those
who want to go little faster
than the law allows. This is E. f.
Gables, the mounted patrolman former
ly on Van Ness and Golden Gate ave-
fnues. MANY an auto driver has been
hailed to Police headquarters by Gables
for going over the limit. Gables is
now on duty on Fillmore street, and so