The Washington herald., 1911-10-22

auto
mobile Is to-day commonplace oc-
currence, and It is almost a safe predic-
ton that the majority of people who have
ridden in automobiles have at some time
or other been taken over a particular
stretch Of good road at this rate. Rae
ing drivers think nothing of doing a.
mile at a speed Of eighty miles an hour.
1t was only the other day at the Santa
Monica road races that the winner made
a new world s record, averaging a speed
or almost seventy-foUr miles an hour for
the entire distance. This meant that at
umes during the race he was covering
ground at the rate OF 100 miles an hour
Automobile racing sprung into exist
ence with the automobile, first as a.
means of developing the cars by subject
ing them to the gruelling test OF a race
10 discover any weak points and sec
ondly to advertise the machines The
American people demand speed in every
thing and racing was one of the best
modes of bringing home to them the
fact that this latest invention of man
could cover ground at an express train
speed.
First Race in 1877.
If you ask some one versed in auto
mobile data when the first race was held
he will more than likely say that it was
IN 1885, under the auspices of the Chi
caso Record-Herald, and that the win
nlng car averaged not quite ten miles
an hour for twenty-five miles.
Yet while every automobile racing his
tory written so far will agree with him
ne is wrong, because the first race Of
SeIf-propelled vehicles was held in the
United States in lS77-thirty- years
ago. says the Kansas City Star
In addition to the credit of being the
hrst motor vehicle race, the event has
the distinction of being the only road
race held under government auspices,
and also the first one in which a State
government was both race organizer and
dpnor of the highest prize ever given to
the winner Of any motor vehicle race.
That such a race was held many years
before the so-Called pioneers began to
realize their dreams of the horseless car
riaSe is fact that has been dug out of
the records of the State of Wisconsin.
after being buried and forgotten amidst
the spectacular progress made in the au-
tomobile business during the last fifteen
years or more.
State Prize of $4,000.
The race was conceived early in the
winter of 1876. 1t sprang from one of
those mighty gatherings at the country
stores when villagers sat around on
empty cracker boxes and sugar barrels.
discussing politics, live stock, religion,
and agricultural problems. The CONVEX
sation drifted 10 horseless vehicles. In
stinctively they moved away from the
cracking fireplace to give the subject
cool Oshkosh judgment I'VE have ma
they mused. Why not have the State
offer a prize for che best product?' And
it was rot long before the town politi-
clans had a plan that would forever
stamp Oshkosh as the leader in one of
the worlds greatest industries The legis-
lature fell for it and appropriated $IO,-
co.,
This was to be paid to the man or
men who would build a vehicle that
would propel itself without help across
2O0 miles Of roads running north and
south through the State of Wisconsin in
the most satisfactory manner and in the
shortest time. Thus IL will be seen that
the race was not between previously
built machines, but a speed contest be-
tween vehicles which were designed and
built for the particular occasion.
Under the legislative act, Gov. Smith
was empowered 10 appoint four judges,
or State commissioners, whose duty was
to declare the winner. The Judges de-
cided that the start should be made at
Green Bay and the route should carry
the contestants in a southerly direction
through the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh
Waupun, Watertown, Fort Atkinson and
GAINESVILLE, al which place they were to
turn to proceed north to Madison, the
capital Of the State.
Two Cars Finished.
Originally there were FIVE entrants. One
broke down on the way to the starting
point and failed to arrive on time. An
other did not get farther than the start
ing line. A third vehicle had practically
no chance. The contest, therefore, mar
rowed down to a race between a machine
that was built at Green Bay and one
built at Oshkosh by A. Gallinger and
two partners
The greatest excitement prevailed all
along the route. Thousands of persons
lined the roadways. Farmers drove many
miles to get a good position along the
course. Country stores closed up and
farm hands took the day of.
When the officials fired the starting
gun the huge vehicles plunged forward.
Dense clouds of steam and smoke OBJ
secured the cheering multitude Many
persons made an effort to follow the
vehicles, not knowing just what speed
they would be able to maintain. The
racers, however, managed to outdistance
all pursuers and II would have required
a pretty fast horse to keep up with them.
Good time was made as far as Fort At
kinsoa, when the judges called for a
stop and imposed upon the contestants
a side contest which they had not an
ticipated .
The Green Bay and Oshkosh machines
were the only two to reach this point.
They were required to haul gang plows
and to plow ssven acres of land. This
event worked the people of the entire
plo wing contest was arranged to take
place the following morning.
The difficulties encountered by the ma
chimes in this part of the race are not
set forth in detail in any of the records
of the event. They merely state that the
blowing contest was successfully con-
ducted, both machines having performed
the allotted work of turning over an
area Of seven acres. The same train or
procession of carriages was drawn to
Fort Atkinson by the self-propelled We
hicles, receiving the applause of immense
crowds along the line.
Contested the Award.
The following morning the start was
made for Janesville and Madison. The
last leg of the journey proved to be the
worst that was encountered on the en-
tire run. It proved fatal for the Green
Bay machine, for this vehicle broke down
within twenty miles of Madison, having
covered $50 miles under its own power, in