The Washington herald., 1911-02-13

His Gasoline Highness the Automobile
and part of his retinue moved majestic
ally into the big auditorium of Conven-
ton Hall yesterday, in preparation for the
National Automobile Show. which will
open tonight at 80 o'clock and close
next Saturday evening.
With an even 100 cars already on the
floor, most of them undergoing a thor
oJgh furnishing process at the hands of
attendants, Convention Hall presented
busy appearance yesterday afternoon.
Before moon to-day the number of cars
will be Increased to 160. and only lack of
greater floor area will prevent the swell
ing of that number to the two-Century
mark. Including local agents and manu-
facturers, the number of exhibitors of
cars alone will reach sixty.
Hauled Up Runway.
The work of installing the cars yester-
day proceeded rapidly and without a
hitch. The cars were brought up a steep
runway, erected in the court at the east
side OF the hall, by means of a donkey
engine and cable. once in the hall thsg
were quickly rolled to the spaces allotted
the various exhibitors, and men with fur
niture and metal polish and soft cloths
began the task of putting them on their
best appearance.
Many of the cars came from local
salesrOoms. while others were shipped by
express from Buffalo. y. Y, where they
have been on exhibition. Most of those
to be received to-day will be from the
Bison City.
In those on the floor yesterday the
widest variety of style was to be found.
The commercial machine representation
was comparatively small, but pleasure
vehicles, practically every well-knOwn
make and construction, were ready for
athe battery of admiring eyes.
Final Touches To-day:
This morning will be given over largely
to bringing in the last cars and putting
the final touches on the arrangement. No
little ingenuity will be required in plac-
ing the cars advantageousIy, as the floor
space will be none too great for the oc-
caSion.
This afternoon the decorators will get
in their closing touches. Huge masses
of ferns and cedar trees were piled up
yesterday ready for emplacement by the
decorators to-day. These together with
brilliant bunting and flags of all nations
will comprise the decorations.
With hundreds of pines and palms
clustered about the shining vehicles and
multi-Colored lights overhead rejecting
from the FURNISHED brass and nickel
metal work of the automobiles, the big
floor will closely resemble a well-attended
garden party when the automobile en-
thuSiasts of Washington are admitted
for the first time tonight.
To estimate the total amount of money,
labor, and inventive ingenuity that Will
be represented would be impossible. The
spectators will see machines costing as
low as 500 and as high as 5000. They
will see every generally-used American
made car, from the two-cylinder buck
boards that look like toys compared with
their more elaborate sisters. to the i'm
mense seven-passenger, six-cyInder tour
ing cars.
All Kinds OF Cars.
They will see all degrees of finish, from
the stripped exhibition chassis to the ele-
CANT limousine. Runabouts, roadsters,
town cars, touring cars. and limousines,
all will be there in wide variety
In addition to the cars, there will be
a large number of booths occupied by
sales agents or manufacturers of every
accessory OF automobiles or automobile
ing, from tires to oil, and gloves to lunch
baskets.
A prospective purchaser can buy his
car and its fittings, and plan out his
summer tour, even to picnic baskets and
itinerary, without leaving the hall. if he
so desires. And all of auto Washington
will be there at one time or another in
the course of the week.