The San Francisco call., 1909-02-08
Many Autos Make Clean Scores the Mid1ter Endurance Run
AUTOISTS GIVEN
MASKS OF MUD
Contestants Encounter Bad
Roads During the Run
Around Bay
By K. e. PHommedieu

The midwinter endurance run of the
Automobile Dealers association was an
event never to be forgotten by those
who took part in the contest. It was
a decided novelty. being the first time
that it was tried in California Here
tOfore The club events have been held
during the season when the roads are
cry and pleasant to travel over. The
following Of such plans caused those
who do not favor the automobilists Of
the day 10 claim that the motor car was
a fair weather vehicle To show that
such was not the case the local dealers
association planned the event which
was held yesterday.
Each year when the Glidden tour is
held in the east stories reach the coast
or the frightful roads the contestants
have to encC unter. These stories ap-
peal to the California automobilist as
mere jokes. for when he does his tour
ing in the summer the roads are good
and he does not know what it is to en-
counter heavy going transforms and
all that SO 70 make up summer in the
east
ALL KINDS OF WEATHER
Those who took part in the contest
Yesterday can now realize what their
brothers have TO put up with in the
east AS curtain raiser most Of those
who took part took their cars TO the
starting line in storm that was ac-
companied with thunder and lightning.
Then as they were sent away down the
county road they encountered a fog
that came in from the ocean. This was
followed by an hour Of cloNdiness.
When the sun broke through IL was so
warm that the heavy coats had TO be
cast aside. AS the cars neared May
field the beauties Of California scenery
woke up the most prOsaic. To the left
was the coast range of mountains set in
the deepest Of ultramarine blue, capped
by veil of the whitest of clouds.
while the foothills and the floor of the
valley were decked in greens of the
early spring. AS a tone TO it all was
the somber brown Of the plowed
telds To lend a strong contrast to
he foreground were the fruit trees
Just budding into blossom. At Noun
tain View, 10 give the whole a tropic
atmosphere the orange trees were seen
loaded with their golden fruit
ANOTHER PICTURE PRESENTED
After checking in at san Jose the
course led up TO the other side of the
ebay. At the Garden City there was
another picture presented to the mo-
torist in the city is was warm as
any summer day, while up where the
Lick observatory punctures the sky
snow The curtain was often rung
down on those beautiful scenes when
a passing shower would cloud the
heavens.
When the roads between San Lorenzo
and san Leandro were reached another
side Of the weather possibilities in
California was revealed There was a
hailstorm that lasted for some time and
was followed by the warm sunshine
again. From this point the automobil-
ists encountered several showers until
Oakland was reached.
strange 10 say. when the competing
cars started home over the same road
they had almost q perfect day. only
having 10 drive through two showers.
These were the conditions overhead.
but il was different story under the
wheels.
BAD ROADS ENCOUNTERED
Leaving the city the roads We're pass
able and out the automobile bouIe-
rard time was made up. but then the
trouble began. Passing over to the
county road and down that highway
until Lomita park was reached il would
be hard 10 find worse roads than were
encountered. They were almost i'm
passable and disgrace TO san Mateo
county.
After reaching Tanforan the going
was better, and really fine along Bur
lingsme until the town Of san Mateo
was reached, when the automobilists
had to turn off the county road and
20 through the town owing to bad
roads. They We're almost as hard to