Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-16
WRATH OF AUTO
MEN TO PHOENIX
KNOWS no LIMIT
WARDS IN HOSPITALS GIVEN
AWAY FOR 81 PER
ANOTHER AT $5 PER HAS NEW
ROOM EACH NIGHT
Consensus of Opinion Is That 1909
Witnessed Last Run to Phoenix
That Will Ever Be Made
from Los Angeles

If the starter of the howls that are
ascending skyward set the wheels of
anger in motion, it was as nothing
compared with the tempest that RACES
now among those unfortunates who
visited the munificent, generous hOspi-
table capital of Arizona territory, as
owners, drivers or mechanics of auto
mobiles upon which they had expended
thousands of dollars to make ready for
the entertainment of the people of the
statehood seeking borough to the east.
The fact that the victorious Nil-rent
brothers paid $3.50 for a bed for Mon
day, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs
day evenings without meals is cOnsid-
cred as another friendly joke of the
Arizonans extended by the bonifaces of
Phoenix hotels.
A volume entitled What I Think
About Phoenix" by D. NJ. Lee, would
be an exceedingly warm and thrilling
book for the library, but it's pages
would have to be religiously guarded
against falling into the hands of the
very young. Lee was extended the
hand of hospitality to the extent of
$5 per day for the week he was there.
But he enjoyed the novelty of having
a different room each night, which was
probably done to show him how much
he could get for a "V'' in the terri
such effete places as Los Angeles
Bert Latham, too, handed over a
goodly sized wad of the Lord Motor
Car company's cash, which will take
some time to regain in the sale of au-
tomobiles.
And the howls that are now to be
heard-howls of real anger, too-are
not confined to the automobile profess
sion at all. Others who, unfortunately
TO- v4att l1o
city Of the finish of the road race, are
filled with genuine wrath, and this
statement may be sincerely believed,
that it is a dangerous matter to men,
ton next years road races to Phoe-
nix"
mot for all the money in the world
again." says one. I'VE could stand for
the rough roads, for the damage to our
machine, but never again for the man.
ner in which we were treated by the
hotels of Phoenix"
"To Phoenix next yeari" says an
other. "Well 1 should say not. We
are willing enough to test car with car,
but to be held up as we were; sent to
hospital wards blocks away TO sleep,
with a tallow dip for our light; no
water to use in performing the neces-
sary morning ablutions, and then be
sandbagged for four and five dollars
a DAY! wen, guess nut. 0Ol lhdl
once. Never againl"
Another philosophical and argumen-
tive soul, growing redder every mo-
ment as he spoke, analyzed Phoenix
hospitality thus: "Well, why shouldn't
they have throttled us? You see Phoe-
nix is a horse-owning, horse-racing
town. Since gambling has been closed
by the territory, horse racing is one
of the features of the gambling spirit
as,Ias1 Fa,d
the purpose of bringing the crowds
to the city and the opportunity of go
ing through the pockets of the visitors
and placing the contents in the cash
register. And the great American game
of whist, played in Phoenix style,
which consists mainly of five cards,
pinched at the corners with 'squeezers'
will be rejuvenated in the good old
territorial capital with gustos of
laughter, as the remembrances Of the
Los Angeles automobile victims are re-
called shoveling over their coin, while
the players call for two gimme
three and I only need one,' leaving
the other four or five whist players
to guess whether it is ur of a kind
or a bobtail fiush.'
Such are the prevailing opinions of
large number interviewed yesterday
on their visit to the end of the road
COuleSl.
There is one really funny story told
of another victim who humbly ap-
preached the cashiers window of the
hotel and asked meekly for his bill,
and who had already been informed
of the rates" that prevailed for visi-
tors. The invoice for room and meals
was handed him by the proprietor. He
glanced at the total, then at the land
lord.
"Cuess again." said the guest.
"What's that?" replied the boniface.
'I said guess again." came back the
responsive boarder. ''you missed en-
tirely; I have another $40 bill left"
The consensus of opinion is that 1909
has seen the last automobile road race
that will be run from Los Angeles to
Phoenix. There are other roads, not
so dangerous to life and cars, quite
as severe tests of endurance and where
the hospitality Of the city is not con-
veyed through eXtortionate hotel bills.
Those going there this year are
wrathy and dead sore.