The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-11-03
GLIDDEN TOUR OF 1911 BIG o.
JEcT LESSON

4
tourists have been received all along
their way through Virginia and North
Carolina, lies in the evidence it gives
of the advancing spirit of the
south, which in these days welcomes
every agent of progress. The south
has not needed to be shown the i'm
portance of the automobile, but I'M
doubetedly the demonstration afford
ed by the tourists is opening south
ern eyes to greater possibilities than
have been realized before.
This years Glidden route is
through natural winter-touring coun-
try, leaving aside all commercial con-
siderations. The wretched condition
of the roads in Virginia-wretched
not only from recent storm effects,
but from faulty surveying and con-
struction-would certainly be a dis
couragement to tourists. But the ex-
perience of the Glidden party has el-
ready proved it's worth as an object
lesson. Local good roads agitators
find their position so strengthened
with their neighbors that it is plain
there will be much less difficulty
from now on, about overcoming false
ideas of economy and making the
highways of the state what they
should be in region with so many
attractions for motoring.
The splendid roads of North Caro-
lima cheered the tourists greatly after
the tribulations of the early part of
the week The 13S miles of Thurs
days run were such excellent going
that when the noon stop was made,
more than 80 miles had been covered
and everybody got to Charlotte-the
end of the days journey-by the mid
die of the afternoon. Without road
racing, the cars easily covered 81
miles in the first hour out of Winston
Salem, whence the tarted in the
morning
1t was a procession of survivors,
however. Only fifty-odd of the six
ty-four cars that left New York
week ago checked out from Winston
Salem, and those that failed to do so
were officially counted out of the con-
test Presumably the pounding and
wrenching of the two previous days
! were responsible for the disabilities.
The score posted Thursday night
showed seven cars withdrawn
Though more than that were thought
not to have checked out) and the re-
naming 81, only II had perfect
scores. Of these, two were Stevens
Duryea's. The Stevens-Duryea team
made notable record from the start,
and has not lost minutes time by
stalling in fords or on mountain.
grades-troubles which have cost
many entrants heavily
The round the campfire" talk of
the last few nights when riders and
drivers have come in mud-splattered
| and weary from the most difficult
running any Glidden contest has ever
encountered, has brought out many
| interesting "reminiscences that tell
strikingly of the progress of the
motor car in the past fifteen years
which is to say since its beginning. 1t
is significant. that the cars which
showed the way in those early days
are still along with the head of the
procession
Somebody dug out a number of old
clippings the other night, when the
talk was running on the extraordin-
airy road difficulties that had just
been passed. One of them gave an
account of the "horseless carriage"
contest in Chicago on November %,
1895, when j. Frank Duryea's "wag-
on"-the Stevens-Duryea of those
times-won the prize of $4,000 and a
gold medal, and covered itself with
glory, by getting over the 54-mile
! course in 10 hours and % minutes.
SThe performance was remarkable"
said the Chicago Times Herald" in
that the race was run under the great
est difficulty. Chicago boulevards be-
ing deep in snow and slush. The
Duryea made the run from the start
ing point to the Auditorium, eight
miles, in an hour"
The second entrant to reach the
finish-a "motorcycle"-was an hour
and thirty-five minutes behind the
winner and the two or three others
that got in at all arrived about four
hours later.
When John Brisbane Walker organ
ICED road race from New York City
to Irvington-on-the-Hu six
months later, six wagons" were an
tered. The judges included General
Nelson A. Miles, Chauncey NJ. De-
pew, and John Jacob Astor, and were
specially interested in IAN exhibition
of the control of the new vehicle