Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19


OF the Barnard Motor Company. agent
for the Stoddard- Dayton automobile.
the use OF convict labor on good roads
work The proposition Is the result Of
attempts In Wisconsin to turn all convict
produc ton into the binder twtne manu-
featuring line.
In advising farmers to buy automobiles
a farm journal published at Chicago
makes the point that lone wishes he can
now buy an automobile with a body so
m nutes. be changed from the regular
touring car type to such form that one
can easily haul sacks Of grain. crate
containing animals or milk cans, etc"
Much interest has been aroused In the
south In the proposed construction Of q
road from Knoxville, Tenn. to Middles-
boro and Pfheville. KY. and on to en-
cinnatt. This road would be throu h
eastern sections Of the two states, and if
constructed would open to automobilists
splendid route for touring. It has
been proposed to use state convicts In
building fine pike between the points
named and as those in charge Of road
development In both states seem to favor
the plan there is guod chance OF its
going through.
It is estimated by those who have made
a close study OF the motor truck business
during the last six years that there are
approximately 10000 motor trucks and
delivery machines now in service, of
which very large proportion-probabl bly,
80 per cent-are trucks of from one to
seven ton capacity. There are by careful
count 1870 active builders of motor trucks,
delivery wagons and other forms of in
dustrial motor vehicles in America, and
of this number thirty-six are manuiac-
turing gasoline trucks Of from three-ton
capacity up: ten build electric trucks OF
one-ton capacity or more and the rest
make trucks Of from one to two-and-a-
half tons. Assuming that the average
value of motor trucks, ranging from 200
to 1900 pounds capacity. is approx
mately $1,000. which is a conservative
estimate. the 10000 such machines, in
service represent an investment Of about
$50, 100000 in power vehicles alone.
The Savannah, Ca, Automobile Club is
said to be endeavorng to get both the
Vanderbilt cup as well as the Grand
Prize race for the Savannah circuit this
summer.
A race between Bruce-Brown or Hem
cry against Navarro Is being arranged
to be held on the Florida beach at Day
tona next month. a purse of 5000 may
be put up.
Since 1899 the progress of automobilism
has caused a decrease of To- 3S In the
number of horses in Paris. The census
of the horses in the city taken in 1910
gave a total of 20, 1853. In 1899 the num-
Der was 91,o61.
The secretary Of state in California
got letter few days ago from Napa
hot fc yuryfa hla III rn6
that the figures 1901 in their automobile
license tag totaled 13, and that she re-
fused to ride in the car until another
number was had.
One OF the cars of the first good roads
educational train ever operated by an
eastern railroad, which has been making
an extensive tour of Pennsylvania, con-
tains the same exhibits used by the
United States public roads bureau at
the AlaskaYukon exposition.
The race for the Automobile Club OF
America grand prize gold cup is to be
held October IA. The place is not yet
given, but in all probability is to be Sa, !,
for October Is on Long Island last year;
but was postponed until November II to
be held In Savannah.
Magnetos should never be tempered
with, for 1t is very easy to put them out
of commission, especially if they be of a
high tension. It is said that more mag
netos go to the repair shops because some
one has been experimenting with them
than for any other reason. All the mag
neto needs is a few drops Of oil once a
month, but the bearings should not be
flooded.
X x X
During the winter the steering gear OF
A car requires more frequent inspection
than at other seasons The soft snow I'M
poses stresses upon the front wheels more
severe than those commonly encountered
either In soft mud sand. while the
snow stains are continuous instead Of in
termittent as are those imposed by mud
or sand On this account the joints OF the
connections are far more likely to work
loose in winter than in summer.
There are 997 600 families in the United
States with an annual income Of 5000
or more. AS many of these are able to
support an automobile the field Is by no
means as liable to be exhausted as some
pessimists would insist.
According to Motoring Parson," who
has written to the Manchester Guardian,
at Manchester, England, ''motors are do
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