Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-04
FORTUNE SPENT
ON AUTO TRIP
COST or $4,000 REQUIRED FOR
RECORD RUN
Machine Travels a Distance Of 1900
Miles in Fifteen Days, Two
Hours and Twelve
Minutes

II cost over $4,000 to make the auto
mobile record from San Francisco 10
New York. and the end Ia not yet. The
car that made the wonderful 4200-milo
trip across the country lin is days 2
hours and ~ minutes is still trying to
cut ten hours off the best time from
Chicago TO New York, and before II has
completed its 6000-mile run nearly $10,
600 will have been expen 1ed for the
mere purpose OF developing the eff
cheney of the automobile and the gem
eral improvement Of the sport and the
trade
IT seems a lot Of money to risk in
such an undertaking, where failure
would spell almost complete loss, but in
view of its success the cost will likely
return two-fold.
1t is an achievement that means more
than money however. No automobile
enthusiast who Is ready to spend s10,-
600 can put 1t out arbitrarily and re-
ceive a record in return. 1t Is a mat
ter Of experience and knowledge Of road
and touring conditions that tells when
to speed and when to run slow, where
to turn to right or left, and, most Of
all, when to stop.
The failure to know this at one juno
ture of the recent trip cost thirty-5ix
hours delay and 5000 in money. With
an ordinary man there would likely
have been several Of these instances
that in the sum total would have meant
disaster.
The largest expenditure connected
with such trip is not in the purchase
or equipment of car, but in the price
of the knowledge necessary to under
take the run. L. l.. Whitman, who
drove the automobile across the coun-
try, receives for such a trip s2500, a part
of which is dependent on success
Q. >. Carris, who assisted him and
was almost as important factor in
the success, received a little over half
that sum. To find men equipped as
these two men were would be extremely
difficult at any price.
Whitman acquired his knowledge in
two former trips across the continent
and in numberless runs of shorter dura-
ton over sections Of the road. Carris
made the complete trip once before and
various shorter trips.
1t was expert knowledge therefore
that was paid for at the rate of 100000
q year. There were four mechanicians
who received $10O month, while were
they engaged by a private party they
would command great deal more.
To equip the car was only one small
part of the expense, which ran UP be-
bond $4,000 in addition to these salaries.
In the first place, transportation of the
relays from point to point by rail re-
quired a considerable outlay.
Only two men we're in the car at @
time, yet six men made the trip from
coast to coast. The other four not ac-
tually operating and directing the cur
were transported by rail from relief
point to relief point.
over the rails, too, was sent COM
plete outfit for the repair of the car in
case of accident. This included an en-
tire set of four wheels ready to be af-
fixed should accident cripple the regu-
lar wheels in use.
A complete extra running gear with
duplicates Of every part was shipped
with these wheels from point to point
1t required agents to handle these goods
and see to their prompt receipt and dis
patch from station to station in addi-
ton to the operators. and the plan was
so well arranged that the gear was