The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-07
GASOLINE

Chicago was the rendezvous last week
of more has beehs' than were ever
drewn together. Pop" Weston came into
Chicago on his great tramp rom Port
land. Maine, TO Chicago, beating his rec
ord Of forty years ago, From the side
lines N. IT. Van Sicklen. probably the
greatest Of the early amateur riders OF
picycles; Dan Canary, the greatest OF
field. the greatest automobile driver of
history. Ind John L. Sullivan, still the
champion of bare knuckle fighters, with
Jake kiirain, whom Yours Truly" beat
In his memorable bare knucKle fight in
Mississippi. watched the triumphant prog
ress OF the 69-year-old veteran with the
utmost interest. Incidentally, all of the
exponents OF other lines Of sport pondefed
upon the feat of Weston and turned over
In their own minds tho possibility Of a
duplication Of their own feats of former
days forty years after the contamination.
The problem to John L., 70 Barney, to
N. f.. to Dan and the others was too
much.
Barney oldfeld wants to quit racing
and is anxious to secure a snug berth with
some concern. manufacturing
automobiles and anxious to exploit them.
But Barney finds the matter not so easy
after all. The champion of drivers on au-
toInobile tracks was rather disposed to be-
iieve that when ne announced his com
plete retirement from track racing, the
securing Of a berth in the manufacturing
field would be rather easy. Barney did
not find this the case and has been rather
puzzled of late, As a matter OF. fact, the
factories OF this country reward faithful
service by ~delegating faithful workmen as
tition they may elect to enter. Every fac
tory has men grown old in their service
and anxious to see the country. These
men have, without a doubt, stepped from
minor positions in the factory to positions
Of trust, and having grown up with the
car the makers feel that rewards should
be paid them rather than be paid to an
outsider.
In contests this year little Arthur Kumpf.
Of the George N. Pierce Company, has
been quite a notable figure, and his re-
tour, in which be took the position of
Percy Pierce, who had driven In every
previous contest. and in other contests,
has beer the commentator of the com
any Kumpf, although but a lad of II
years of age, has stepped from the posi-
ton of Office boy successfully to the posi-
ton of stenographer and from that to
operator. In the latter position he has
been delegated to important places and In
every instance has handled his car with
consummate skill. No younger driver ever
cess 1t is quite natural that the George
N. Pierce Company and other hrst-class
companies, with young men of the calibre
of Kumpf, should took to their own we'll
trained forces for their workmen rather
than engage outsiders, even though they
be as prominent as Oldfeld, who has GER
tainiy won his spurs: Barney will catch on
with some maker who has not builded his
working force to the proper point of per-
lection. But we1l-trained operators who
have served their apprenticeship In the
factory, from the ground up, will not be
set TO one side for others, ever though
they have won the greatest honors posi-
BILE to man In the automobile world.
Undoubtedly the ak of the times is the
late endurance run, or economy run. or
whatever the test might rightly be called.
of the Chicago Motor Club. Nc contest
of modern times ever drew competition to
such a fine point and Ii is odds on that In
all future contests patterned after that
held at Chicago, the drivers will look to
every little nut and bolt on their machines,
will see that every glass in. their lights
things In 1000 have been done before
they make the start. Men drove through
the Chicago Motor Clubs reliability con-
test with an conndene eoa maze every con-
finished with a smile of satisfaction cover
ing their faces and with a smile which
knocked out that tired look which came
every morning. Their cars may AVE run
perfectly from the start to the finish, they
probably had had not the slightest trouble
throughout the trip and in truth had never
seen a note made by their observer.
But when the 600-mile journey had been
completed and the cars had been run into
the garage. subject to the inspection of the
inspectors. the trouble began. Inc men
who had charge Of the technical features
Of the run went over every nut and bolt in
the machines and when the drivers came
down to go over their cars with the COM
mitteemen they found so many things
wrong that their smiles turned to scowis
and they came from the garage with red
faces and a scowl. The scowl changed to
smiles after that for every one got theirs
and the perfect scores melted into nothing
ness regularly. No contest of modern
times ever drew as much attention OWNS
to the stringent rules of the Motor Club
and its able technical committee. and all
contests may be run hereafter along the
same lines. It's not fun for the makers.
but the results OF this Chicago run show
absolute reliability, and that is what the
public seeks. When the Chicago tour rules
have been adopted for the m tour Of
the American Automobile Association it is
odds on that perfect scores will be rare in
deed.
The proposition of Emanuel Cedrino to
light out the question of Neutrality-suspicious.
supremacy at Ormond In a twenty-four-
hour race to be run during the six days
following the Ormond meet, four hours
daily, meets with the commentator of
others interested in the matter. The Fiat