The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
THREE O|NE BOYS SHAKE UP NEW YORK Show the Old Timers a Thing or Two in Advertising BACK 24-HOUR AUTO RACE "BlIe" Plckens, Homer George and Fred Bailey Making a Great
 Success in the Sport.
 Ing Game.
BACK 24-HOUR AUTO RACE

New York. August 10-New Workers have just been treated to one of the greatest advertising crusades ever at tempted In connection with the booming of an amusement enterprise It was the work of trio of hustling southern boys who had charge of the greatest twenty four hour auto race this country has ever seen which began at the Brighton Beach track yesterday and ended today.
 From the heart of the tenderloin, Forty second street and Broadway, to the re- mote sections of the Bronx, Jersey and Long Island, the bill boards were covered with immense stands announcing the Brighton auto races and every space large enough to paste bill the size of u post age stamp was covered The bill post ing contract involved a matter of 5000 and the cost of the printing must have been equally expensive Everywhere one turned advertisements of the race met tne gaze, and in the one city where brains in the advertising line are at a premium, these southern men caused shrewd ad- vertising managers and daring press agents to gasp at their apparent reck- less disregard of dollars spent in their publicity crusade.
 Back of the enterprise are William
 
 whom lived in Alabama's s metropolis. and Frederick Bailey. who was reared in Nashville. All three have forged to the front in their lines of activity since leaving their southern homes.
 The Brighton Beach meet was promoted by the United States Motor Racing as- sociation.
 TSenty-four hour automobile racing has proven the most exciting of any of the dare devil exhibitions and has made thou sands of dollars for the promoters of the national circuit. The United States Mo tor Racing association Is the corporate name under which these three men work they being stockholders and directors of ths concern. Plckens looks after the technical and racing end Bailey the finances and George the publicity and advertising departments.
 Early in the season the three were given backing by big men in the theat- rical and automobile world but now own the corporation. having met with won derful success with meets in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul St. Louis, Wash tngton, Baltimore, Providence, Detroit. Cleveland and Pittsburg. They hold the franchise of the American Automobile association Cor the great National circuit and are now figuring on the promotion or the Vanderbilt cup race in October
 Pickens entered the automobile racing game at its start and with Tom Cooper. the famous cyclist of ten years ago, built two racing cars in Detroit in 1902. Barney Oldfeld was employed by them as a mechanic to oil and keep the cars in condition. A month later Oldield was given chance to drive one of the cars on account of Coopers illness and, real szinc the possibilities of the daring fel- low, Pickens took hold of him after a shrewd advertising campaign, exploiting his fence smashing stunts, made Oldfield famous the world over. Pckens de- signed and invented the autmobile race eilect in Elsie Janis Vanderbilt Cup" anL became half owner of the play a year ago.
 Three years ago Pckens and Oldfeld