The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-11-24

ALLAN IA, 0d.--l he CROW us nave
dispersed since the automobile races
and the city has assumed its ordinary
appearance, plus a bad headache.
Many opinions are being expressed
as to the success of the races and
the show. The general consensus
might be summed up in the old hack
neyed phrase about zones biting off
more than one could chew" or being
Just a leetle too smart"
AS a consequence, it may be stated
with almost every degree of certainty
that it vii! be many years before
another national automobile show
will be held in Atlanta, or any other
southern city. for that matter.
This was the first time show of
ats magnitude had been held outside
of Chicago or New York. All the
leading domestic makes Of machines
we're represented, many Of them hayz
4ng gone to great expense to get
up an exhibit. The exhibits, in fact,
left little to be desired, and were
far ahead of anything in the automo-
bile line seen before in this section.
But the Georgia crowd refused to
give up fifty cents on ordinary and
dollar on special days merely for the
privilege of looking at automobiles,
no matter how unique the design or
how late the model. There were a
number of sales, but they did not
come up to the expectations of the
exhibitors On the whole, the show
did not prove a paying proposition.
The truth was simply that it was too
big thing for Atlanta; and the town
could not support it, particularly
when the racing attraction was on
for the same week.
Bad Taste in Their Mouths.
And yet, many of the visitors, par
ticularly the Georgia crowd (there
was more kOwtowing to those who
came from a distance), left the race
and Atlanta with a bad taste in their
mouths, and it is doubtful whether
they could be got to come out and
spend their good money on another
race held in Atlanta.
Ii llIC HI 81 BldNCs II NtAo Inv u > III
that 81 general admission and an
other 81 for seat in the grandstand
was a rather excessive price to
charge, particularly when no return
checks were granted, and practically
only one kind of soft drink beverage
was allowed to be sold within the
grounds. The apparent effort to
make the whole affair an advertise
ment of a popular proprietary bev-
erage was generally resented. The
programme and entries were with
held from the daily papers, because
the officials of the Atlanta Automo-
bile Association wanted to make the
folks pay 10 cents for the programme
at the track.
For these reasons, and because
they thought that the A. A. A. were
trying to make the whole investment
back in one year, Atlanta people
stayed away from the races and let
the visitors attend. People simply
felt that they could not afford the
expenditures made necessary by a day
at the track.
The hotels charged their regular
prices, except they put four in
AOOA1 at 91 W 20 CdCllI IASlcdQ I'll
one or two in room at these prices
In number of boarding houses
people were charged whatever they
would pay. If they had the courage
to kick the price was Immediately
lowered.
That benevolent corporation, the
Atlanta Baggage and Cab Co, tried
to get rich all in one week, by over
charging everybody. In ordinary
times they Will deliver a grip for a
dime. During the auto show they
wanted a quarter. Thus in countless
little ways were the ''rubes' who
were attracted to Atlanta "stung."
They made their way homeWard with
proud recollections of the fastest au-
tOmobiling the world has ever
known and sad recollections of what
it cost them. They will talk of