Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-29
CRAWFORD WINS
TO OXNARD AND
RETURN EASILY
DEFEATS GRlDER'S FORD WITH
HIS OWN IN 5:33
Grider Breaks Down and Is Delayed
Badly After Passing His Adver-
sary Eighteen Miles Out
of City

The most exciting contest between
automobiles that has been pulled off
in this section of the country took
place yesterday morning and right on
schedule time, as told in The Herald.
IL. j. Crawford won the race, and made
an excellent showing in doing so with
his little Ford, although 1t was also a
Ford that he sent down to defeat, and
thereby becomes the owner of the car
of Charles Grider.
None of the meets of the big A. A. A.
sanction proposition was ever more
faithfully and methodically carried out
than was this race to OXnard and re-
turn between two Individual owners Of
private cars.
Promptly as the watches showed the
hour of 6 o'clock the little car of CraW-
ford's plunged into the dawn and dark
ness of morning at a clip that showed
that Crawford knew his car was just
right. The big policeman but a few
moments before who had peered over
the shoulders of the crowd assembled
to see the midget car away was asked:
How about those lamps; can we take
them off, as 1t will be light in few
moments?" Sure, take 'em Off" said
the cop. In a minute she was stripped
of these unnecessary appendages, hood
and side lamps, and at the word 'go"
Grider saw his rival depart with his
engine working like the piece of
mechanism in an Appleton time stop
watch. Down Broadway he disap-
peared In the darkness, well within the
city ordinance, but hardly likely at the
eight-mile gait.
Ten minutes later, and on the very
touch of the second hand, Charles
Grider shot his car into the high"
and he, too, was away after his little
rival. Orders car was an example
of value to Harris Hanshue. He never
III ID 10, gIu
racing shape and condition than was
Orders little Ford. Her fabrication
was perfect, and the blue flame she
shot from her port holes was a sight
for the most envious automobile
drivers eyes.
The next heard Of either of the cars
was from OXnard.f where the garage
telephoned the arrival of Crawford's
car at $3.50. having made the run to
that place in two hours and fifty min
utes and at S:53 was on the way back
again to this city. Nothing was heard
of the car of Grider until the return
of Crawford TO the office of The Herald
to be checked in and the time of ar
rival was exactly 1888 a. m. Grider
was not heard from and still had ten
minutes to beat Crawford or at least
tie him, and Grider still believed that
Grider was close on his heels coming
in. but no Grider showed up till the
ten minutes ndu paSStui anu Lncll SUN ,
when Referee, j. Keough gave the de-
cislon to Crawford.
Time wore on until 1 o'clock, and
still nothing was heard from the miss
ing car, but ii was learned later that
Grlder had had some misfortune with
his car which delayed him. and he did
not arrive back in Los Angeles until
$3.50 Sunday afternoon.
The car of Grider must have been
jogging along some, for eighteen miles
from Los Angeles on the outward trip
he passed Crawford and waved him
good wishes as he also stopped a short
time later and the Crawford car went
by him, but when within three miles
of OXnard Grider commenced to have
trouble with his car, and he did not
arrive at Oxnard until 9:40, as certified
TO by the OXnard garage, and met the
Crawford car on its way back just
outside of the limits of OXnard, still
believing that he could make the trip
and still beat Crawford, but. alas, "the
best laid plans o. mice and men gang
aft aglee," and Grider did not get
away from the Oxnard garage until
10:3O, fifty minutes being lost there.
Both contestants evidently knew the
methods of the other for both cars
had been put in the pink of condition
for the race. Crawford had with him
one of the nerviest mechanicians In the
country, a young and fearless fellow
named r. Kaplansky, while Grider took
with him one of the pick of the Ford
company machinists, Fay Mills, who
rendered material assistance to Grider
in the working Of the car-but 1t was
fated for Crawford to carry off the
machine.
on his return to Los Angeles Craw-
ford attributed the success of his car
to the thorough and excellent work
done upon 1t by r. M. Potts, a ma
attfnraO1nfla nf tho
highest caliber, who devoted hours to
the revamping of the little machine
that carried off the honors.
Mr. Grider was a caller at the office
of The Herald last evening and recited
the events that had delayed him, and
could not speak too highly of the game
ness of his adversary and the most eX-
cellent work done by his mechanician,
Fay Mills. Mills, so stated Grider had
climbed out on the hood of the car and
gave her water while tearing along at
the rate of thirty-five miles an hour
utterly regardless Of his own safety
and with the sole object in view of
winning the race for his driver and
employer,
ford can outdo him in the racing busi-
ness and declares that he can take an
hour off Crawford's time with perfect
ease.
The principals in this unexpected and
interesting contest are private owners
and business men simply of this city,
not addicted to the racing bee. Grider
is the real estate and insurance man,
with a large clientage over the territory
through which he passed yesterday,
while H. C. Crawford is the owner Of
the big secondhand automobile bust
ness on South Flower street better
known as the Alert Automobile com
pany, and certainly the name Is we'll
chosen, for he and his little car We're
alert enough yesterday to win the prize
of Orders car.