Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-25
GENIUS WHO WILL
PILOT THE DARRACQ
0LDFIELD PICKS CAR FROM
THE JUNK PILE
With Customary Skill In Judgment,
He Finds Rare Jewels in
Mechanic and
Driver

Standing at the side OF a freak of a
car at almost any hour of the day at
the w. r. Ruess Automobile company's
warerooms may be seen gray-eyed,
mild-mannered, unassuming fellow in
a khaki suit, his face and hands be-
smeared with oil and grease, a smile
playing at the corner of his mouth. as
with apparently affectionate look he
gazes at this freak of mechanical ge-
MUS. He works away at his machine.
never noticing the multitude which has
every day been stopping at the place
TO take a look at this car at which the
mildmannered workman is busily en-
gagged.
This man is said to be one OF the
most perfect mechanicians in the coun-
try. The machine is his every thought
His brain racks every bolt and nut
in his car in the attempt to make her
Just a bit better than she Is now. Every
nook and corner of her every part is
as familiar as the crevlce of his Dur
ham tobacco pouch and book of cigar
ette papers. And this man. for some
reason, has found the appellation
which adheres to him all over the
world of the "Wild Dutchman." 1t
is good -natured, big-hearted Ben Der
scher. Ben is the driver of the fastest
racing car known to the track and
called the Darracq.
Ben Derscher belongs literally to
Barney Oldfleld, for Derscher is one of
the most loyal employees to Barney he
ever could have. He is in love with
his machine. 1t is his joy and pleas
are. He cares for nothing else. Born
without the spark of fear in his make
up. he has earned the title OF wild"
from his daring driving ability, and it
is one of the hardest tasks Oldfield
has to hold Derscher down to what a
track will stand. Ascot park and the
paved Indianapolis speedway look
alike to the "Dutchman." If turned
loose he would just as soon send the
Darracq around Ascot at ninety-mile
gait as at twenty
Do you know that every tine the
Darracq goes to or returns from the
racing events in which she appears 1t
is the first duty of Fred Shaw of the
big racing Knox to extend to Ben
Derscher and his ear a friendly tow
line and tow the car back to the
garage through the city, she being so
fast and so inclined to run away with
even a gentle tickle of the throttle that
Oldfield never permits her to go
through a city's streets under her own
power, and the Dutchman gloats over
this fact.
The Herald man rode with Derscher
on this terrific speeder the other day
and had a little confidential talk with
Ben, and, to tell the truth, endeavored
to put up job on Oldfield In quiet
way 1t was suggested to Derseher that
possibly Oldfield might forget to tell
him not to take such daring chances,
and Ben promised not to say a word to
Barney, but would give the little car
a chance to show herself, and that
possibly he might give the chance to
the big Benz to take a rear seat among
the slow people,
Acting upon this inward suggestion
Ben last night presented himself with
one Of the most gorgeous uniforms ever
seen upon race track and this after
noon when that broad smile which the
foreigner always wears appears behind
the wheel of the Darracq, the public
may expect to see a dress uniform
that would make the president of Mex
ioo look like a Weary Willie, even
when clad for official occasions.
The public will today see what the
Darraeo IS. and the splendid Judgment
of machinery which Barney Oldfeld
possesses. The Darracq was the wiz