The Washington times., 1906-08-03

"A TAN, dlnleJC young man wearing a
gray suit and a Panama hat register
ed at the New Willard Hotel as Barney
Oldheld. On one finger Of his left hand
blazed a huge diamond which the clerk
gazed at with constant growing aGmira-
ton.
Oldfeld is an unassuming young man
and wears his hcaors lightly. He was
modest in speaking OF himself and the
dangers incident 20 this speed mania
called sport IN winning the frantic
applause OF its admirers.
Yes, l suppose you would call racing
a dangerous game when compared with
baseball he remarked. but il does
not have the casualty list that football
produces each season A few drivers
have been killed but then. every sport
has its victims. and with the new meth
DDS OF oiling tracks this is rapidly being
eliminated. 1he cause Of most acct
dents is making the turns. either tie
tires wear through and burst or II f.
from trying 20 pass a competitor IN T..
dust when one becomes blinded and
choked and crashes through the fence.
Passed Too Soon.
AT St. Louis / tried to pass my man
too soon. Had ! used the judgment that
I do now the accident would not have
happened, 1t IS my practice now 70
observe which way the wind carries
the dust and to pass 10 the clear side.
though there are days when there IS
no veering Of the dust at all, and then
II is feel your way. ! usually feel my
way so closely that the heavy pick up
from the wheels tells me where the car
Is.
Il was doing this at St. Louis. a.
could not see an inch ahead or me-
when a piece OF stone picked up by
the wheels ahead Of me crashed through
my goggles aud 1 was blinded. All ! re-
member after that was shutting of my
power and slammiug on the brakes. I
landed about $50 feet away from my
car and was picked up daZed. while tie
poor fellows seated on the fence where
I went through were literally torn TO
pieces. Since then I have refused 10
ride race where the policing was not
sufficient 10 keep the turns clear Of
spectators.
Needs Police Protection,
7 am promised plenty OF police pro-
lection at Benning and will see that this
IS enforced. II is bad enough that
rider takes chance without taking the
4lNE5 OF spectators also. HtleElti L'lS. now
ever. though they realize that il may
be fatal 10 post themselves at the turns. |
insist on occupying that position. and I
Will confess that It IS the most fasci- |
mating point OF view. The cars swerve /
and lurch around the end OF the track
and careen in the most violent manner.
This Is scarcely perCCptible from the .
gTandstdud. and al the last Vanderbilt
Cup race / stationed myself on the
turn OF the Jeric5 pike, nor was l dis
appointed. Il was al this point that
LanCla crashed into Christie and an
other car turned completely turtle
Il. however. did not station myself
at this turn TO see accidents. but % see
the manner in which the foreigners took
the turns. trying 20 CLEAN from their
method an Improvement % my own orig
inal style and must confess that ] was
disappointed. I consider the American I
driver the driver par excellence and the !
fact that theE DO NOT win the long dis /
tanCe events IS due 10 The cars For /
the long races quality. as well as price. :
is more noticeable IN the foreign car