The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-21
AMONG The AUTOMOBILISTS.
BALTIMORE4NS TO TRY FOR
TROPHY ALL THEIR OWN.
Motor Car Line In New McxIcO-Sc0tch
Engineers Working on a Device TO Deal
with skiddins Concerning spark
Plugs and Leather Faced Clutches.

Baltimore automobiles are to have an
opportunity to contest for a touring trophy
all their own next year and thereafter. pro-
vided they are members of the
Club OF Maryland OF that city. n. NJ. Rowe.
a member of the or ganization, has donated a
challenge trophy for an annual contest to be
divided into three parts. the first to be of not
less than $50 miles. the second of not less than
$50 miles and the third of not less than 400
miles. When he offered to donate the trophy
Mr.. Rowe gave his reasons for doing so as
follows:
Il make this proposition for the purpose of
providing an additional attraction for men,
bership in the Club Of Maryland
and to cultivate a s~portsmanlike spirit of
friendly rivalry among the members of the
club. l also think such a contest will attract
the attention OF the public to the objects
and purposes of the club and to the pleasure
and enjoyments of automobiling. As for the
members of the club the tour will secure for
them and the general public an actual record
of the actual performances Of automobiles
under ordinary touring conditions.
1T is furthermore my desire in arranging
the tours to secure the friendly interest of
the general public toward the
and its ~votaries and to acauaint them with
the true character and disposition of law abid-
ing motorists. as well as to impress upon them
the fact that the better class of motorists have
no desire to require anything of the public
beyond a square deal and a reasonable
mutual regard for the rights Of others"
The Governor OF New Mexico pra Uses auto
mobiles in his annual report to the Secretary
Of the Interior: "A very successful motor
car line has been established between Ros-
well. Cha yes county, and Torrance. on the
line Of the FL Paso and Northeastern Rs ilroad.
putting the constantly growing sections OF
! the Pecos Valley in much closer communica-
ton than ever before with the rest of the
! Territory. These new lines Of communica-
ton and others which are in prospect ha We
caused a large influx Of settlers, and a far
greater amount Of Government land has
been entered by the prospective settlers than
ever before in a single year in the Territory's
history"
The State Board Of Highway Commissioners
Of Minnesota intends to make an effort to
have the time honored custom Of working
out" road taxes abolished by the State Legis-
lature and 20 make the payment of such
taxes In cash obligatory. The passage of a
law requiring all roads to be kept in repair by
the authorities Of the counties throu gin which
they run has been urged, and the lack of such
a provision has caused some confusion. An
| effort is to be made to have the State own
Its stone crushers and to have convict labor
| utilized In constructing ma roads
throughout the state. The automobilists
Of the State will do all in their power TO push
the passage OF these measures.
Two Scotch mechanical engineers VINO are
well known abroad for the number OF i'm
provements they have invented for loco
motives naye tnrned tneiT e{tention TO re
result is said to be a device which has dem
! onstrated It's worth under actual road condi-
pair OF wheels riSidIiyi Fixed to a solid rear
axle present material resistance to sudden
occur in skiddinG' The Improvement forms
q part Of the dlferential and gives the effect
of a solid rear axle as long as the steering
motion of the steering wheel in either direc-
ton, however. frees the outer radius rear
wheel. while the inner i Kept in rigid connec-
ton with the axle. The mechanism consists
Of two locking devices engaging either side
on keys or projections on the two portions
OF the axle. The locking device Is worked
by a simple arrangement Of cams and rods
| steering pillar, TESTS OF the device are said
TO have shown i 20 be practical in action.
worst when rounding corners.
The Automobile Club Of Maryland has
| decided 10 hold the local automobile show
in Baltimore from January 10 to 20. The
f 2IlceTr ,tt 2f R Rss S,S1ni armoTy n for the q Ss sbow
as IL has more space than any other building
OF the kind In the city.
An automobilist who has had considerable
experience SAYS spark plugs which are used
only a very small gap between the points.
otherwise il Is difficult TO get a good flame
for starting when swinging the motor BY
the crank. My advice IL. take out all your
sparkling plugs and set the points closer
more than I-Si OF an inch for the spark 10
jump" he. says. Oh you may say, 4
nave found by experience that a gap OF s-o4
20 S6t Of an inch has given best results
That may be so with accumulator aud coil
in ignition, but not with ma gneto. The
former gives a 'fatter' spark, when the engine
is running slowly than II does when aocel-
Grated. therefore a tively wide space
may be an advantage when running slowly,
and II not overdone In his direction will
probably fire as well as q smaller gap when
running fast. But II you have 5-84 OF an
inch. or even la OF an inch between the
points when using ma gneto, the probability
10 that the amount Of current generated when
you turn the starting handle. or when the
engine iA rRQuirod to run slowly. will not be