The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-20
THE VANDERBILT CUP.
What Makes George Robertson, the
Winner Of the Vanderbilt Cup in
1908, the Most Successful
American Motor Driver
Of the Day

American Motor Driver
Of the Day.
Julian Street il warm friend 81
George Robertson, the winner Of tho
Vanderbilt Cup last year, and prior "a
that event spent 4 week at Robertson's
training camp. He describes bis eS-
perienee in the July American Maya
zine. OF Robertson and the reason for
his success, Mr.. Street says;
TN appearance Robertson is a strap
ping, handsome yolingster, with a deep
chest and the limbs Of a Hercules. His
skin Is clear and rudy; his hair light
brown, wayy and close.cropped, his eyes
frank, blue and boyish, Energy and
good nature hang about him Ike an
aura, His smile IS wonderfully engag
ing and reveals a set OF strong white
teeth which any girl might covet, lie
Is the sort OF being one pictures as
springing out Of bed, fresh and ener.
getic as a child, on the moment Of awak
eningi plunging without SILVER into
icy water, and singing and whistling
as he dresses. All mel II must be won,
derful to feel like thati Robertson
keeps his car MS spick and span az his
person, and IL Is interesting to note
Gin view Of the fact that there are or.
diary chauffeurs who refuse to wash
and polish their machines) that though
there were twenty men on hand to help
him. he preferred to do all the work
upon the car himself. Through the long
tedious hours that followed morning
practice, he and his partner, Ethridge,
labored; cleaning, adjusting, testing
tuning up the racer. When they
brought her in, black and dirty, from
the fresh.oiled roads, they washed her
off with gasoline before removing the
CRIME from their own hands and faces.
One might paraphrase Gilbert'
"They polished up the motor 50 sue
cessfully
That now they are holders Of the great
v. O.
@For the Vanderbilt Cup Is doubly the
". G. Of American motoring.
Driving, Robertson gives one the i'm
precision that he Is a mailman, crowd
ing his car to her maximum capacity.
Nevertheless he has head and uses
it, His reputation as dangerous
driveris Of double benefit to him, for
il makes him a popular fayorite with
spectators. besides making less expert
enced and more timid drivers fear him.
He is one to be looked out for- furned
out for.
"Imagine yourself driving racer 1T
eighty miles an hour, taking the best
of the road and preparing to shut Of
for a turn = mile or 50 ahead Your
looks over his shoulder;
then he leans close to your ear AMI
bawls. Here comes Robert SOM Pres
entity you hear the below Of an engine
at your heels.
Fright mp behind usp howls your
Meanwhile yon are nearing the turn
You feel that you are being crowded
into ID fast You hear the pursu.
ing engine roar, as Robertson throws
his clutch in signals Clear the wavlf
You can't take the turn So fast; yet
YOU fear to shut-off, lest he collide with
You. His front wheels are within five
feet Of yOur rear ones. You think Of
things that he has done Perhaps you
hear him yelling something, in voice
that sounds thousand miles away,
what with the wind and the roaring en-.
gines You have heard that he threw
tools al men who interferFed with him.
You hope he knows that You don't
mean to interfere. The turn i close
ahead lie must be crazy to rush at
Il like this VIII he kin himself, or,
worse yet, kill youG Not II You can
help IT, And you can help it, b. turn
ing out, shutting OIL and applying
brakes. As you do So a gray streak
shoots TO yosr left, slpids the corner.
throwing wall Of dirt into the air, and
in another moment Is roaring of into
the distance, II takes nerve to block