El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-04


will be held in st Louis this week which
will possess unusual interest to the
American public. The Automobile as
asociatiOn of America will meet Thurs
day in annual convention, and the
third National Good Roads congress
will convene on the same day. The
growing popularity of the automobile
has had a remarkable influence on the
question in the United States, and it is
fitting that the automobile interests
and the good roads interests should
meet together in their annual delibera-
lions. The wonderful Improvement IN
the roads of the United States during
the decade now closing is attributable
to the great amount of automobile trav-
ell throughout the country, and to the
enthusiastic efforts of automobile own
ers to induce the state authorities to
provide better highways.
Whitman's Achievement.
L. L. Whitman, who, on August Is,
finished an automobile journey from
New York to San Francisco in ten days,
fifteen hours and twelve minutes, tells
the story of good road Improvement in
most eloquent way. In 1903 it re-
quired 81 days to make this same trip,
and in 1904 it was done in SO days
When Mr.. Whitman completed his re-
cent journey he deducted four days,
ten hours and So minutes from the for
mer record, made by him in 1906. Thus
it will be seen that the running time
for the 1857 miles between New York
and San Francisco has been cut down
to nearly one-sixth of what it was only
seven years ago. While some of this
reduction is due to the Improvement in
the automobile, much more of it is the
result of the pioneering work of the
advocates of good roads.
Another long automobile journey,
ternationaI movement for the improve
ment of public highways, recently was
completed by Mrs. Harriet Clark Fish
er of Trenton New jersey. Mrs Fish
er is known as the anvil queen, being
one of the largest manufacturers of
anvils in the world. Last year she
started out on a globeg irdling tour,
taking with her maid and a man SER
want. In thirteen months she complet-
ed her trip around the world, $4,000
miles of which she made in her car.
During the whole journey she had no
serious accidents and although she
penetrated far into the uncivilized re-
gions of Asia, she experienced little
more difficulty than if she had been
touring in America
Prepare for Great Season.
The automobile manufacturers are
preparing for the greatest season in
1911 that the industry has ever seen.
The supply of 1910 models is exhausted
and the agents are now talking about
the advantages of the 1911 models. 1t
is estimated that there may he as many
as 200 900 cars turned out during the
coming season. The great difficulty
manufacturers will experience is in Sc
curing a sufficient supply of accesso-
ries for the equipment of their ma
chimes. 1t is feared that the business
of 1911 will be limited, not by the ca
pacity of the factories, but by the sup
ply of the accessories. There will be
larger number of low and medium
priced cars turned out during the COM
ing year than ever before. The popu-
larity of the automobile in rural dis
tricts has brought a demand for cars
ertailing at less than $1,000, and the
large majority of the new factories are
preparing to devote their attention to
the production of cars for this demand.
At a recent meeting of the Associa-
ton of Licensed Automobile Manufac-
turers it was decided that the system
of dating used in the designation of
models ought TO be discontinued and a
system of lettering substituted there
for. Heretofore cars have been spoken
of as 1907 models 1909 models and so
forth. This has resulted in an exceed
ingly low value being placed upon sec
ond-hand cars by purchasers. Under
hereafter, the machines of a given year
will be called model A, model B and so
forth. 1t is believed by automobile
dealers that this will result in second
hand cars having a sales value more in
proportion to their actual worth than
is the case today. OF course this is
based upon the assumption that the
buyers of secondhand cars are not in
formed as to the real significance of
the lettering system
Notable Auto Decision.
Perhaps the most notable legal deciS-
ion ever made in the automobile world
was that recently handed down by
Judge Hough of New York, affirming
the validity of the Selden patent. In
1879 George B. Selden of Rochester,
New York, filed an application for
patent covering automobiles driven by
gasolene. In 1895 his patent was is
sued. Since that time there has been
series Of suits pending, and the matter
now is to be carried to the court of last
resort. A large proportion of the au-
tomobile manufacturers of the country
have Joined the Association of Licensed
Automobile Manufacturers, and are
fighting the validity of the Selden pat
ent. 1t is said to be one of the fears
of the automobile trade that at some
future time there may be an oversup-
ply of machines turned out and it is
expected that this association will be
successful in holding down production
to at least the point of demand. The
Selden patent expires in 1912, and it is
probable that after that date there will
be a reduction in the prices of automo-
bi1eS.
One of the demands of automobile
owners today is for a device that will
prevent Joy riding" During thu last
year or two so many cars have been |
surreptitiously taken out by chafferrs |
and others for joy riding purposes that |
the owners are highly DESTROYS to have |
their machine SO equipped that it can |
not be done without discovery. All |
sorts of devices have been placed on |
the market, and the success that has |
attended their operation ranges from |
good to Indifferent. One of these quie- |
fuses on the desire to joy ride comes |
in the shape of a plug cut out switch |
with a lock attachment Another of |
fers locking attachment for the gear |
shift. Still another records the vibra- |
lions of the machine, and the recording |
instrument is SO locked as to prevent |