New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-26
COMMENT ON SPORTS
THE VANDERBILT cur
American Tictory Cro1cns Donor S
Work for TnduStryS GrO1cth Here

Sr
cornnIfsbed Probably NJ. Vanderbilt had not "a
>..,sd an American machine TO achieve within fouT
r~ars The defeat of some 81 the best racing ma
chimes CT Europe. and the victory Of hoosr'so" o
Saturday was therefore al the more eratISiiIs -
hir, as II IS &c all who have the weifare OF 'ie
80 +e-e a. heart Roberts-n's victory was
eo,Iarelv won. and cars truly repTesen'a''e %
F-~ance and Germany were defeated by the amer
can racer The time Of the race, the best ever iu
,r s,,ch a contest in this country, compares 1aFor
abIz in view Of weather conditions. with the sPeeu
...es,a5 abroad and the race was marred by onIE
o7e thing Even the fences Of the ne" do'oI F0'
-var which vas completely vindicated as 'le Sceie
NJ rare did not suffice 10 keep the crowds OH lhe
- - - vas little less than miracle that
y, one vrss killed In the race itself new record
was established in another respect than that OF
speed for not single contestant or spectator "ds
hurt until the contest was over
Saturdays struggle was 10 the ful as interesting
as snv 81 TIE three that preceded it for the van
de-hlt trophy Close finishes, with possioillues OF
a shift n the last lap. have occurred IN All the
races but never that possibility as near 10
f--,;tinn as when Robertson was reported 10 nave
gone of the course in that last round Even as
word Of HIS trouble We had had news OF ~ NC
tnr,7dernz along in the magnificent lsotta ana me
erspense Of the moments during which Lyle m
,sba5 that rassed before Robertson swept by
shall never forget Robertson's margin OF victory
was greater by a feT seconds than that OF fieaIl'
when he won in 1908 but * was close enough IN al
,hrffI ~ the close finish and the huge crowd that
braved the nastiest OF weather al brought aooeo
Measure after the dark days when the strl1e ne
.vveen the American Automobile Association threat
ened 70 work the ruin o. both the Nanderhlit up
e,5 Grand Prize races For a time II seemed likely
thst 10 foreign machines or drivers would dare 10
enter the Long Island race, and that, similarly
American makers and drivers would stay cut OF the
Savannah contest
Ts,.- -be fe1t IS happily over The race Sat
rlr5av was a truly international one, and on
THANKSGIVING Day the best cars Of America VIII
again face Eu-oPes speediest machines
: boodoo seemed 70 pursue some cars in the race
Everything went wrong for Lewis Strang. and the
car that gave the Isotta such a stirring hght Two
weeks ago. when i ran with the neclalllcd-
snoothness Of 4 good watch, was out OF the race
before II could turn a wheel Then there were the
two Mathesoa racers A refinement Of the cooling
apparatus nagni3ed tiny accident into disaster
for Chevrolet his second lap, after a splenolo
first round. and Ryall in the other car. was put
OFT Of the by the carelessness Of the helpers
At his supply camp on the fourth round He stopped
on the way around for gasolene and the men VINO
emptied the big cans into the tank spilled so nuch
OF the that It spread - the exhaust Inc
fluid took fire at once. and Ryah drew UP 70 me
Erandsiand with his blazing and ruined be-
meath him
I was nv misfortune miss the pleasure and
excitement Of an interesting and bevilderiug
White Steamer ~ what may be described, in racing
parla-oe. by a neck otherwise five minutes It was
ny good fortune, however. that took the sure II
someuhat slow method Of reaching the parkway by
ran instead Of accepting seat offered 10 me by
friend n his Simplex car as otherwise would have
missed. my lasting disappointment. the start Of
that wonderfully thrilling struggle He wanted 70
get horse" but couldn't. so walked miles and
hunted up say il vas all my fault although
an quite sure did not build the Simplex But
what IS more 20 the point, the gathering Of that
army Of motoring enthusiasts for the start Of a
race ct such unseen7ly hour wonderfully i'm
pressive and strikingly convincing Of the remark
able hold that automobiling as a sport has taken,
and 7 an thankful the lesson was not lost TO me.
AEter figuring proninently-knocking at the door,
50 70 speak-for several years. * was in sense
quite fitting that Miss Kate Harley. Of Fall River
should finally win the coveted title Of champion
woman golfer Of America All through last week 8
tournament az Chevy Chase, replete with sur
prses Miss Harley the one contestant al all
times equal TO the occasion. Although semi
fnalist az Wheaton in 1919. and again at Marion
the following wear. besides finishing well up in
the last championships OF the Women's East
err Golf Association, Miss Harley, strangely
enough has never been taken seriously. That in
measure explains the OF surprise when Miss
Harley defeated Miss Mary p Adams IN the second
round. likewise the gasps % astonishment resultant
from her victory over Miss Margaret Curtis, the
title holder on the following dav. Never before
country has PLAYER shown such 4 consistent long
game as Miss Harley did throughout the week
Rarely were her tea shots of the line. Even moro
remarkable were her full second shots especially
with wood Whenever distarce was needed Miss
Harley resorted 20 her driver. and the way she
picked the balls up of the turf would have done
credit 10 q Nardon Her full swing. timed 70 an
exactness that seemed almost mechanical. drew
forth general admiration and many veteran golfers
pronounced Miss Harley's swing the finest they had
ever
II passing word of praise IS due Mrs 7. H.
polhernus the Richmond County Country Club
woman who was runner-up. Although favored by
tle easy ride Of the draw, Mrs. PoinemUE Until the
fnal round did all that was required Of her. Mrs
olhen1us has not been regular contestant IN tour
rar7ef7ts but in 1905 Apawamis she the low
score medal the qualifying round. She has in
The past cancelled This advantage by poor hitting.
but little fault could be found with her work
the greens az Chevy Chase As for the course, It
seems TO be the general desire among the women
70 psay Their championships over links Of standard
length and bunkered according 10 the latest ideas
CHEVY Chase was lacking IN beth these require
r-erte As had previously been brought out, and
later proven by the scani entry list women not
keen bout assuming tho role Of golf missionaries.
and 10 their own inconvenience, carry the light Of
the game to parts unknown They have already
expressed a wish have the championship held over
a Philadelpha course next year Possibly, after
the recent object lessen the United States Golf AS
soclation officials will decide TO pay more heed 10
the wishes Of those most vitality interested.
The roe.:se season OF 1858 fraught with many dis
appointnaerts and much uncertainty. has only five
more eays - run. TIE Metropolitan Jockey Club
viii open gates at Jamaica tomorrow, and
with racing also Thursday snd Saturday Of this
week and Monday and Wednesday Of next week
the curtain will be rung down. The meeting is