The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-11


Aggregate retail sales. -. $Ss50O,UOO
Aggregate wholesale sales 81, SOC, 0OO
Average price of cars sold Sz'l9O
Sales. of tires and ccessories$4 600, O00
Attendance for week. 14O,OOO
Average daily attendance -. ~ OO
Chicago, Feb. 11.-Unparalleled in
the scope of its exhibits, the splendor
and good taste of its decorations, the
throngs which were in hourly attend
aiace and the volume of resultant
business, the seventh annual Chicago
automobile show came to a triumph
ant close last night.
Scenes of untrammeled jubilation
marked the final hours "A few lfnger-
ing sales and contracts not yet closed
evening wore on, the general an1ma-
ton increased. The smart set had
honored the farewell ceremonies by
an unusually large and distinguished
representation. Fitting homage was
paid the motor car. enthroned for
single week in the Coliseum and First
Regiment armory.
Suddenly a youngster seized the
bulb of a particularly raucous-throat-
ed horn. The vicious "honk" which
followed was the unpremed1tated
signal which turned pandemonium
loose. Demonstrators, statesmen. even
millionaire factory owners, welcoming
opportunity to relieve the strain or a
tense week of history making com
mercial operations, fought for the post
of honor at each instrument OF warn
ing in the Coliseum Sirens, gabriel
horns, octave tubes of thousand
Sradations of tone, emitted their bold
est notes, mingling in dlscordant
iangle of sound. From the armory
could be heard the echo, IKE the oln
of a boiler factory.
While the uproar was at its height a
missile thrown high into the air
punctured the silk envelope of the
oil bag
with loud report.
Reluctantly the sound died away as
the minute hand indicated the ap-
proach of the hour of II, and as the
last of the merry crowd which had at
tended the obsequies filed through the
exits to board their waiting cars
motor or street-random squawkS in
distant corners gradually ceased al
together. AS the echoes died away an
army of workmen possessed the two
exhibition halls and the process OF dis
mantling the greatest display of motor
cars which America has ever seen be-
gan.
Statistics-incapable of falsehood-l
boldly sounded the note of supremacy
of the Chicago show. During the sew
en- days that the display was open TO
the public a, 900 cars, reaching AN ag-
create valuation of 81, 10000 were
earketed OF this number 1900, re-
falling at an average price of nearly
$4,000 were sold direct to the persons
who viii use them, making total
income of $3,500,00o to the exhibitors
from this source. The remaining sales
reaching a total valuation of $780,
took the form of contracts with agents
for delivery during the season. These
contracts were made for allotments of
from ten to fifty cars each, with fsolat-
ed instances running either above or
below these limits.
In addition to $11,OOO,OOO of auto
mobile sales produced by the show, ex-
of tires. parts and accessories,
who were numerically even stronger
than the. carmakers, estimate that the
show was worth not less than $4,000
600 to them. AS their future contracts
took. for the most part, less definite
and binding form than automobile
contracts for future deliveries, the ac-
cessories exhibitors expect a consider
able amount Of indirect benefit from
the show which did not accrue to
them in the way of immediate sales.
No automobile show ever held in the
United States was attended by a great
er part of the American public than |
that which ended last night, accord |
ing to the figures of the management. |
The attendance for the week was esti- |
mated last night, before the receipts of
the final record-smashing night had |
been entirely computed, at 100000, |
indicating that during the thirteen |
hours that the doors of the Coliseum |
and Armory were open each day an
army of nearly 10000 persons assisted |
in magnifying the fame of the auto |
mobile.
And all this despite the hostility of |
the weather man. Snow, wintry winds |
bitter blasts sailing down the tunnel |
which connected the Coliseum and
Armory, singing breezes that made
life miserable for the chauffeurs-all
conspired in vain to hand the exhibi- |
ton q black eye. Sales multiplied, |
Missourians merrily took trial trips in