New-York tribune., 1908-07-05
TOUR TO TEST CARS
TWO TROPHIES At STAKE
annual Contest for GHdden Cup
WM Begin Thursday.

The fifth annual touring contest for the Ghddsn
trophy and second annual for the Hover trophy,
under the auspices Of the American Automooile
Association, will begin Buffalo on Thursday
Between fifty and sixty viii start at a. m
In the long and arduous competition. which will
period of fifteen days and distance Of
nearly 100 miles. through different states
The route this year is peculiarly circuitous. ex-
ceptonally arduous and particularly picturesque
In the course Of their travels the touring con-
testants will have tc five mountain ranges
in doing which they will encounter reads more ht
for the path OF wild sheep and goats than for the
refined sheep and goats OF the automobile facto-
ries, with their rubber shod wheels and delicate
mechanism After leaving Buffalo and going
Pittsburg the must travel across the Key
stone State up to capital Of the Empire State.
and then through all the New England states ex-
cept Rhode Island.
The tour this year for the first time is an
avoved out-ard-out contest 10 test the efficiency
and endurance of the different makes of cars en-
tered The tour originated in 1906 when Charles j.
Gfdden, the globe girdler, donated a handsome
trophy to the American Automobile Association. to
be a perpetual prize for yearly tour. According
to the original deed of gift, the prize was 70 be
for driving qualities, and was to 60 70 the ciuo
OF which the winning driver was a. member The
first year the trophy was voted, at the end OF
the tour Percy Pierce, of the Buffalo Automo-
bile Club The second and third years IL remained
in the possession of the Buffalo club, because Of
there being tie at the end Of the tour. and
club had explicitly won IL from the Buffalo club
This year new rules have been drawn up, and
everything possible done effect distinct winning
of the trophy by the forming the team of some
one club. Before the start Of the tour the Auto
mobile Club OF Buffalo will formally turn over the
trophy the touring board of the American Auto
mobile Association and the conditions require that
all ties be of.
The rules for this event have been charged eacn
year with the consent Of the donor of the trophy,
but the 1908 will be the first time IL has Of
fciaIy been called Touring Contest II ls the
first year in which the have teen required 10
carry Observers who will note every repair ana
adjustment and all that happens 10 the cars
Points will be forfeited all repairs and for fail
ure to run on schedule The conditions. the route
ard the schedule. together. are such that 1t
will A credit to every car that survives ana no
disgrace lose few points.
The trophy will be awarded the club whose
team loses the fewest points. and IT will be any
ones prize until the finish. because the worst DAY
of travel will be the last day, when the schedule
| calls for nearly hundred miles entirely over
| mountain roads. On this day any Of the weak
| brethren who have been staggering along are
likely to lose points galore, be left by the road
side The scenery will be glorious all the way ou'
| the going will be as vexatious the path OF the
most wicked Yet these strenuous conditions are
| what make this event the most important IN the
| country 70 the men and who want 10 kIlo"
the respecttye merits the different cars, not Iol
| racing but for hard travelling across country.
The itinerary of the tour, giving the places where
| the ov ernght stops will be made and the dstancS
| of each days run. follows: