Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03

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The superiority of American-made cars
Is said to have again been demonstrated
by an order recently placed with the
Baker Motor Vehicle Company by Charles
8. Francis. American ambassador to Aus
tria-Hungary.
The landaulet will be used for making
calls at the palace of Emperor Francis
Joseph, and. with its dignified appoint
ments and two men on the box, is ex-
pected to attract unusual attention in
the streets of Vienna.
X
Australia Is the latest continent to be
crossed by motor. III. II. Dutton of the
Automobile Club of South Australia. ac-
companied by a mechanic. has success
fully accomplished the journey overland
from Adelaide in the south to Port Darwin
In the north, distance of about 2,1OO
miles. Although hardly to be compared
with certain other transcontinenta! jour
neys, this performance is, nevertheless. a
sufficiently remarkable achievement. A
great part Of the country traversed Is
practically trackless waste. For 1,SoO
miles there are no roads. and the obsta-
"washouts," thick entanglements of scrub
and rough, boulder-strewn surfaces. The
trip established record In Australian au-
fomobiling. since the islanC-continent has
never before been traversed by motor
from sea to sea. 1t has, however. been
crossed by the same route by other meth
DDS and in less time. The motorists &C.
Cupied forty-two days in actual travelling,
the average daily run being nifty miles
Ten years ago a telegraph operator
named Mcdonald cycled from Port OAR
win to Adelaide in twenty-eight days
fifteen hours and thirty minutes. and Da-
vid Lindsay, the explorer. once went
through on camel and horse in thirty
seven days. Mr.. Dutton previously es-
sayed the feat. but when 1900 miles had
been covered he had to give up the at
tempt. owing to the Doggy nature OF the
country, the result of the heavy tropical
rainfall. The car was abandoned and
the travellers made their way back to Ade-
laide by packh0rse and train.
Robert w. Chambers. the novelist, is
one OF the latest converts to the use. or
rather the ownership, Of an automobile.
Mr.. Chambers has just purchased four
cylinder, forty horsepower car. Not the
least interesting phase of the matter is
the possible effect the use of motor car
may have on Mr.. Chambers future writ
ings. Heretofore he has confined his
for long Journeys and to horses for
shorter pilgrimages- 1t is true that he
has allowed a few of them to ride in
automobiles occasionally. but these in
stances have appeared more as incidents
than matters that have had any striking
part In his stories. with one exception.
Other authors have not hesitated to base
whole novelS-to say nothing OF short
stories-on the automobile, but not so Mr.
Chambers.
The first automobile which I built in
1908 and which is now on exhibition at
the rooms OF the Smithsonian Institute at
the way Of ignition and gearing that are
found on 1907 and 1908 cars said Ell
wood Haynes. the veteran automobile
builder. who was an interested spectator
the opening night OF the automobile
show at the Grand Central Palace in New
York city.
when I built my first car ] had never
seen an automobile and knew nothing
of the power required to run an automo-
bile. and. to determine the thing. / put
2OO-pound man on a bicycle attached to
. spring scale on a wagon and recorded
the pounds of pull at various stages of
progress. 1t Is great step forward from
that day to the present day with an out
put Of 500 or two day and one cylinder
to our present model at 5000 and our
present almost perfect motor"
Philadelphia is to have new hundred
thousand-dollar garage.
A newly organized taXicab company
has begun business in st. Louis, and a
line Is being started in Denver. Col
New York city has more automobiles
run at the public expense than any other
two cities In the world
Wheeling will have a taxbcab service
before the close of tho year backed by
Local business men.
The members of the Denver Automobile
Club will charter a special car to attend
the Chicago national show in February.
The police commissioners of Burling
ton. VT. are investigating different gas
oline police patrol automobiles.
The recently reorganized Topeka, Kan,
Auto Motor League has begun move
ments to remedy the deplorable condi-
ton of Topeka's streets.
Southern motorists have again taken
up the project of building an improved
highway from Savannah to Jacksonville,
by way of Brunswick.
A chauffeurs' registration bureau has
been established at the Denver Motor
Club. Chauffeurs seeking positions are
registered free OF charge.
The Indianapolis board of public health
and charities has asked for bids for an
automobile ambulance to cost not more
than $500.
Avoid overlooking your car. Tires will
not stand up under a greater strain than
they are designed to carry.
Never try experiments with the lubri-
cation Of a disk clutch; keep to the brand
of oil recommended by the makers.
AS q result of the recent rise in stocks
and bonds Wall street brokers are re-
ported to be again investing heavily in
motor cars.
company has been formed at Grand
Rapids. Mich. with $4,000 capitalization,
to produce and market a self-startinS de-
vice.
The Touring Club of France is organ
izing an automobile sleigh contest. which
will be open to ALL and will take place
at observation-disclosures USere), Janu-
AIRY "a.
The work of preparing Madison Square
Garden, New York. for tine annual auto
mobile show. which opens January Ii,
has already begun, and it will be prose
cuted vigorously.
Announcement has been made by the
Buffalo Automobile Trade Association
that its seventh annual automobile show
will be held In Convention Hall, Buffalo,
March to 8. 1909.
A reward of $50 for information lead
inS to the conviction of any person TAX
ing an automobile which does not belong
to them has been offered by the Motor
League of Rhode Island.
There ere SSeious preparations used to
preserve bright brass surfaces in winter,
such as radiators. lamps, levers. etc. but
the cheapest is common slab oil.