The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
AMONG The AUHOMODLISTS.
WHY CAPE MAY CLUB HAD NO
CUP RACE ENTRIES.
G.. .. swain says Steamers Ne and ,. n.
wilkins ordered Failed IN Trials and
Were Not Delivered ~ Promised
Hames Mr.. STANLEY In Public statement.

HlAFnea Nr. Staniey ruDuc sSsacnhuh''
rv.r aimee the onlciaI closing Of entries on
Jnlv 1 for the Vanderbilt cup race without
ths two nominations that had been expected
from the Cape May Club there
has been considerable curiosity regarding the
rsason why the two P~hiladelphiAns concerned.
charles J. Swain and John n. wilkins. Jr, did
/, moi make entries IN they had announced they
s,ouId They are members OF both the Auto
I ,robilp club OF Philadelphia and the Cape May
Artomobile club and their first Intention was
70 enter their Vanderbilt cup candidates
through the Philadelphia or ganization, This
vas impossible. however. az the club had re-
.igned its embership in the American Auto
mobile Associati ion. and the deed Of gift OF the
,un reouired entries to be made through clubs
1bat are members OF or affiliated with the
American Automobile Association They ac-
rordingly made arranEem Pnts TO enter their
sars through the Cape May organization,
which action Was widely heralded and this
added to the perplexity OF those who did not
Ia Lnov why the entries were not forthcoming.
Mr. swain vest erday issued the following
.,atenent from his ofice in Philadelphia:
"pr eliminary negotiations for the purchase
or two STANLEY steamers guaranteed to do q
mile in thirty seconds and capable Of standing
nm for the Vanderbilt cup race journey were
made by Mr.. wilkins and myself with MT.
stanley early in May The cars were to be
tuned ND for the meet at the Read Vile
Mass track and following directions from
Nr Stanley himself we were on hand at
Readyille on Decoration Day to witness their
performances fully expecting, as we had been
!. sssured. that the cars would come up TO
guarantee. Here Is an interesting portion OF
Mr.. Stanley's letter written to me before !
left for the races;
We are very much pleased that you
are coming on for the races. as we are conf
den, we can show you something interesting,
rhere will in all probability be six starters
in the race and the starters are divided Into
Two classes. One has II. l.. Bowdens 90
horse-power Mercedes. billiards. 80 horse
mower Napier and Frank Durhin with one OF
The Vanderbilt cars STANLEY steamer). The
I'd other section has an so horsepower Mercedes.
uith Downev az driver: Harding's 80 horse
n mover De Dietrich and the other Stanley
"A car driven by Fred Marriott. We were very
much disa appointed when the entries were
"A published that they did not enter the 80
NJ 4. horsepower Darracq which won the Wander
81 bnt race last year, as we desired very mucn
" 10 defeat il. You can see from the above
n Int that we are up against IL in a manner
m .uitable 20 test the power OF the cars.
M I'VE entered one OF the cars In The hill
r climb az Worcester, and the day before the
race took the car up and went over the course,
" but We concluded that it would be very poor
Judgment 10 20 into the race the next day
Il "a A car OF nat power II uElNCu ~ WurH
near its capacity would very likely have been
N smashed M, with possible serious injury
10 the driver. and II we had won the race II
M would not have done lis any good. or you
either. stevens with his DarTacd ne negotiated
the hill IN minute 2-5 second and one OF
our little model Ii cars was second to II
~ In time. VI Though not in the same race, In
minute 9 rs seconds. When you consider
that the cars you have purchased have just
X| ..f,o tha Dtpa that the model III CAF haa
Won can ina CINE what would have hap
pened if il had been let loose up a hill like
that
The motoring world knows what happened
hat day, continues Mr.. Swain. Mr.. wilkins
witnessed his so-called world beaten lead
Bowden's Flying Dutchman for two miles,
|@ only TO be ANONYMOUSLY Tapped on the ninth
X circuit. Marriott drove my car against the
w Junior Fiat with the same result, only that
the Fiat when well In the lead, broke down
~ and Marriott took the heat. Then Marriott
W refused 10 20 against the Mercedes In the
final. as il was apparent that the car would
not hold steam. Mr.. stanley had Insisted
from the outset that we should enter the cars.
as he admits In his own letter we had pur-
chased. In the Vanderbilt cup contest. and
We had siRnined our set purpose Of so doing
from the outset of negotiations. and. notwtrh-
standing their Disappointing showing on that
day. he said 90 MIR. wilkins, Go right ahead as
though the cars are a success. What we
need is forced draught and that we will have;
You make, good with the entries and viii
wrote MIR, Stanley upon my return TO
Philadelphia asking him two or three pertinent
N questions as to the feasibility OF the torce1
draught and limited carrying capacity OF
gasolene and water, and this letter. as l
Forwarded 70 Denver, Col. where Mr.. stanley
! had gone entirely unbeknown to Mr.. Wilkins
or myself. We went ahead with our arrange
fed that our cars would not only be on hand
for the elimination trials, but would come q
The IL s s,slaaSce y Pta Se Mao aG fssp ss.I hssi ioS tS SS0n
W appeared at a regular meeting OF
the Cape May Automobile Club and assured
represent the organization II entered for the
unanimously passed there and then chel-
, were filed out and two checks for $1,000 each
we're drawn to cover the entrance, tees,
| the entries closed, and as a final p~recaution
] teegraphed Mr.. Stanley asking when we
might expect the cars, and II everything was
Remsmber, we had had no word from
him after his sweeping assurance at Read
T'le, sRd my STt9sIse Gsn from pe 1ma ~ stS NAV
4 enter cars. See letter. Then came q letter
Col, in which he stated that owing TO lndls-
position he had been obliged to leave hurriedly
Tor the west and expected TO remain mere
y until fall. Here is the vital feature OF the
communication. 80 far as we and our cars we're
Tin reference to the machines I fear. ow-
| ing to my absence and the fact that my
4 brother will be away more or less this summer
we shall be unable 10 complete them in
season for the Vanderbilt races. Hence, OF
cOurse, you are under no obligation to buy
them. / fear this will greatly disappoint
II you and Mr.. Wilkins, as. Of course, 10 does US.
There II no doubt but the machines can do
all that we expected Of them when we have
time to put them in shape
by receiving the telegram In time we had
I saved our entrance fees, but with telegram
Il and letter we had lost what counts for a
Il nundredfOld more tn! condolences OF many
q. friends. The fact that the club intended
challenging fer the Vanderbilt cup with our
Isl Ars had been published broadcast, and there
. we were thrown down at the last minute
j by the man upon whom we had placed every
n reliance and In whom we had had every con-
N ndence. OF course We were sorry for Mr..
Staney's illness. but. having committed him
s self so far, he should have carried through
the project. We have written him since
n then stating that TO protect ourselves and our
club something must be said for publication
and fully explaining our position in the dis
4 appointing ahair. but have not had an an
swer."
Charles p. Duryea. who won the first auto
mobile race ever run In this country. on
Thanksgiving Day in 1895, says that automO-
! bile makers should place the motor bet ween
the rear wheels instead OF In front, IA IL the