The San Francisco call., 1909-11-22
next AUTO EVENT
BIG mud PLUG"
Chairman Howard Will Hold the
Contest as Soon as the
Roads Are Bad
BY R. R. L,HoMMEDIEu

The next contest of the local motor
lists will be the mud plug. Charles s.
Howard. chairman of the runs and
tours committee of the Automobile
Dealers association of California, said
yesterday: The next event that the
dealers will hold will be the mud plug
which last year was held for the first
time. The date of the event depends
on the condition of the weather and
roads. 1t will be held just as soon as
the roads are at their worst. Last year
many complained that the time limit
was too long This year we will make
It fast enough for them. II will be
test of the winter qualities of the cars"
NEW ORLEANS. Nov. 21-Barney
Oldfeld. in his 200 horsepower Benz to-
.::. day broke the fair
OIdheld Breaks grounds track rec
Track record ord for one mile,
when he made the
distance in 81 sec
onds, clipping 1-5 of second off the
record made last February by De
Palma. The event of the day, the
100 miles race, was won by Ray Har-
roun of Chicago in Marmon in 1:47 IA
Another San Francisco motorist has
returned from trip in the interior of
Auto Business opinion opinion that the the
GOOD In south be record break
Ing one in the
automobile business.
W.. j.. Hughson, president of the
Standard motor car company and west
ern agent for the Ford car, has just re-
turned from Los Angeles and other
points in the southern section of the
state, during which time he visited the
agents for the Ford. In speaking of
his trip he said: Conditions through
big business in the motor car delivery
this season. Our agents in the interior
are all doing good business; in fact.
selling more cars than ever. This is
especially true in the vicinity of Los
Angeles, where the sales now amount
to twice as many as they did last year.
The people in the southern part of the
state are buying more cars than persons
here. This, 1 believe. is partly due to
the fact that they have better roads
there than there are in this territory.
j. F. McLain, the local representative
of the H. H. Franklin company, has
Much Lumber factory stating:
Needed for Autos. of lumber is in
the stock the H.
H. Franklin manufacturing company
finds 1T necessary to keep on hand to
for the laminated wood chassis frames
which are feature of Franklin auto
mobiles. Every board of white ash
used in making a Franklin chassis first
yard. Some Of it is kept two years.
"A recent Inventory showed that
future use, yet two years would find
the supply exhausted if no more were
purchased. The white ash comes from
several districts of New York state, in
the center of which. the Franklin fac
tory is located, at Syracuse, and from
some parts of Pennsylvania.
The white ash of the Franklin au-
tomobile makes frame not only of
light weight but of great strength.
Easy riding, gained by the use of the
laminated wood frame and full elliptic
springs, is a quality for which Franklin
motor cars have always been known
NOTES OF THE AUTO
There have been rumors for several
days past that J. c. Matlack. vice presi-
dent and general manager of the Mich
elm tire company, Midtown n. J.. was
no longer connected with that company,
and while no authority for the in
the story. which was generally discred-
tied, now proves to be a fact. Matlack
has confirmed it personally. but re-
fused to make any comment or explain
alton, and also declined to say whether
he would continue in the tire trade or
whether or not he had formed any
business plans. for the future.
The Automobile club of st. Louis.
which withdrew from the American
automobile association about two years
ago, mas returned 10 membership In
the national organization. The Detroit
motor club, another of the large and
energetic clubs in the west, has applied
for membership. Still third evidence
of growth and willingness to CO.
operate with the American automobile
association in its efforts for good roads,
good laws and favorable touring con-
ditions in all parts of the country has
gone from the Pacific coast. where the
membership of the California state as
sociation has jumped from a few hun