Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-31
GOSSIP OF AUTO
FROM NEW YORK
SOME OF LESSONS TAUGHT AT
MADISON SQUARE
Gotham Show a Complete Success
from Selling Point, Many Dealers
Disposing of Even Their
Exhibit Cars

NEW YORK, Jan. 30.-Careful analy-
sis of the cars at the exhibit just closed
in New York shows that the automobile
has reached a point in construction SO
nearly standard that makers can de-
vote their experimental staff to the
finer working out of details. Just as
large matters are made from units-and
when large matters have reached set
tied conditions all energy can go to per-
fecting the units as such and not as
COmpOnentS Only-SO do we find auto
mobile construction today, as eXempli-
fed by the cars which were on exhibit
WEI find that the body is universally
protected from all road matter by mere
ly closing in the mud guards from their
back edge to the frame and by a like
closing in from the side frames down
to the running boards. Some details OF
rather large magnitude were noted in
the growing tendency to use either a
cross platform spring at the rear or
three-quarter side springs. Ignition,
that so important detail, has come to
the magnetic with frequently a battery
in reserve. Sometimes these are COM
bined, but the battery alone has COM
pletely gone out of use as such. Other
indications were the addition of these
makers to the SiX-clyinder ranks and a
like addition to shaft driven cars of
previously exclusive chain driven MAX
erS.
Never was there such a display of
motorcycles as at the Garden show in
New York. Eight years ago saw the
first serious attempt at placing on the
market a machine that was reasonable
in weight and readily handled. In that
year 1000 machines were sold of that
one make, and that stood as the record
for some time, not only individually
but. collectively, the make referred to
dropping down to 200 sales the year fol-
lowing. In that year there were two
other makes that can be recorded as
actual sellers, and these combined net
ted not over 100. Last year there were
no less than fifteen best sellers and one
alone stands forth with q record of
5000 sold. From this comparisons can
be readily adduced showing the magni-
tude of the industry. When it is re-
membered that the motorcycles go to
those who are directly affected by bust
ness stringency and business prosper
ity, it requires no great insight to pre-
dict the magnitude of sales for the COM
ing season.
The show at Madison Square garden
proved very successful from a retail
selling viewpoint. Agents at all the
makers booths took orders for immedi-
ate delivery, and in many cases the
show cars were sold outright At the
Pope Hartford booth every one of the
show cars was sold and many orders
taken for duplicates.
The world famed traffic regulations
of New York city are soon to be sup
plemented in the use of a device fol-
showing when traffic is to go ahead OF
to stop, and when it is to turn right
or left. This device is known as the
'fsti." and is in the form of a screen
carrying the necessary wording and
placed over the lens of the tail lamp OF
automobiles especially. A flexible wire
connects the screen with the drivers
seat and thus signals the driver back
of him as to his movements at all times
whether going straight ahead turning
right or left, or making a stop.
Casting cylinders en- bloc reduced to
plain English means casting then to-
gether. Familiarity we all have with
cylinders in pairs. two pair making a
four-cylinder motor; and cylinders
cast three together with two sets
grouped as a six-cylinder car; and
then the next step of casting four
cylinders tOgether. this being the condi-
ton that brought forward the General
1so of TIE word en- bloc It has beer
left to the makers of the Delaunay-
BeIleviIle cars to reach the zenith by
casting all six cylinders together