The San Francisco call., 1910-12-04
THOMAS IS Still
DOING GREAT WORK
Car That Made Long Journey
on the High Continues
Demonstration

Had 1t been possible for the E. r.
Thomas motor company TO enter its
nigh gear" car In the 1,000 mile reli-
ability contest of the Chicago motor
CLUB, the most strenuous test of its sort
OF the year. 1t is more than possible
achieved considerable fame, would
have established another long standing
record. Unfortunately, the machine
was not eligible for competition on ac-
count of the stand taken by the tech
nical committee that 1t was not stock
because of the removal of the interme-
gate gears, which, according to the A:
a. A regulations. makes 1t different
rom the Thomas cars regularly sold
10 the public OF course, this is a mere
seecihnaiicality, for this particular car is
1t Is shy two gears.
.bi not Sh being in the competition, the
technical committee as its official car
and through the 1850 miles Travelled 1t
carried +. E. Edwards and Berne
Nadall, who are also members of the
a9tomobile association, and DR.. Olson,
omclal physician of the tour; in addition
70 Driver George Miller and Mechanic
), Despite this heavy load, the car made
the trip entirely on the high gear,
although in some sections the road
conditions were not the best. Twice
on the run were the cars up against
stlH propositions in the way of sand :;
once during the second day near Pekin,
IL, where road conditions made most
them going to low. On the fourth day,
the steepest hill of the run was en-
countered. 1t was mile and half
long, with, a grade of from 10 to 1s
per cent. Not one of the cars made it
on high, but the high gear" car car
r1ed fiVe passengers over 1t and was
fravenns Is miles an hour at the top.
Leaving kankakee on the last days
run, another sandy stretch of road was
encountered, and several hills. made
treacherous by the condition of the
road.
Another noticeable stunt of the car
was between Quincy and Peoria, Ill,
on on the third days run. The last so
sandy roads of the worst caliber. In
some places the sand was from to 10
inches inches deep. All Of the cars were
had to buck the road again and again
on the low gear to get through, but
the nigh gear" car came through
without a stop.
for the tour-fast when it is consid
cred that it was generally the last car
to leave and had to work It's way
through a field of 80 before Miller was
able to open 'er up"
On the last day, the cry among the
d1Herent drivers was get the Thomas
car" but they never did. It was the
arrived in Chicago first at 4:2o. over an
hour ahead of any car. 1t was the
longest days run of the entire tour,
the 24o miles being covered in seven
and half hours. The last 100 miles
was covered in three hours fat
When the technical committee fn-
ished its searching examination at the
finish of the contest, the high gear"
car came out with a clean score. It's
motor was spinning just as smoothly,
its clutch working just as easily and
evenly and the transmission and other
vitals were without flaw. But a few
cars finished with clean scores.
F. E. Edwards, in testimonial let
ter which he presented to Miller. said
II must admit that before the start
we had some misgivings as to the abil-
fty of any motor car to negotiate the
hills on high gear during a run of such
length, when we knew there were mahy
steep hills.
we expected to go up some back
ward, but we didn't have to take a
second chance at any of them. as the
$40 took them all without a whim-
per-.
Emergencies test the ingenuity of
men in all walks of life as was demon