The Washington herald., 1911-01-29

into MS participation IN automooiIe rae
ing.
During the May race meeting at In
dianapolis last year the big Pope-Hart
ford which Fox was driving blew a from,
tire and swerved of the track into the
fence Although the car was badly brok
en- up. Fox and his mechanician escaped
injury. When asked II he was hurt, the
dirt-begrimed driver replied:
Guess I've broken my left leg. It's no
painful. but it probably will cause me
some Inconvenience. because l can't gel
another one until I get home"
To those who did not understand thu
point of his joke the statement seemed tc
be most unusual to be made by an in
jured man.
Miller Brothers have taken the agency
for the Pierce motorcycle.
Frank Libbey Valiant, Of New York
City, former bicycle and motorcycle
rider, will to-day start on a long. cold
ride, the success or failure Of which will
have a great deal to do with the adop-
ton or rejection Of the motorcycle for
use in the regular army Of the United
States.
Regardless Of the weather conditions
prevailing at the time Of start, Valiant
leaves New York City at a. m to-day.
He will be charged by Col. H. X. Bailey.
| Twenty-ninth Infantry. stationed at Fort
| Jay, Governors Island, N. Y. to deliver
| the following letter to Maj Gen. Charles
L. Hodges, United States army. Federal
| Building, Chicago:
The hcarrr herens. Mr. Frank libby Valiant o,
New York City starts within q few days for Chr
cngo riding a single cylinder Emblem MOTORCYCLE.
with the ricw Of demonstrating its valne COD
MGR during actual hc3d srvice. Motorcycles are
usrd in foreign armies. tnt believe have never
| been used in service This tEa should demon
strate their vafuc for usc cnurhfs Mr.. Valiant
| will gladly boar any reply to this letter you may
| care to intruS with him.
AS will be seen. this test is being con-
| Quoted in the interests Of the War De-
partment to prove the efficacy of the mo-
! torcycle in all kinds Of weather. Motor
cycle corps from a part OF the regular
armies of Germany. England. France.
Italy. and Japan. but so far they have
never been seriously considered in this
country. II Valiant is successful in
reaching Chicago despite the unfavor-
able road conditions that now prevail
further tests will be made with a view Of
| forming corps OF motorcycle scouts to
be attached to the regular army sta
| toned al the various posts
Whether the trip can be made at this
time is problematical. and the outcome
will be watched with interest not only by
the military authorities. but by motor
cycle manufacturers and sports:nen gen.
orally. The distance between New York
and Chicago is 1O5O miles. but the roads
at this season Of the year are in terrible
condition and in the event Of freezing
weather Valiant Is likely to experience
severe hardships as we'll as considerable
danger.
A carload OF Fords will be unloaded
Tomorrow by Miller Brothers,
Claude Miller. Of Miller Brothers Auto
and Supply Company. local represent
atives Of the owen car. WIS yesterday
informed that the new Owen "4-50' car
which is being made by the r. NJ. Owen
Company will be exhibited at the Coli
scum show in Chicago. which is being
held this week. for the first time. Some
OF the striking features which make this
rrodel pre-eminently an ideal touring car
are that it is equipped with 4e-inch by r
inch tires on both front and rear wheels
left hand drive, with double drop Frame
the latter with UNDERLYING rear springs
giving the car as low a center of gravity
as on the standard 36-inch wheel cars In
order that maximum resiliency and a
transmission is mounted on a wooden
frame.
At the Detroit automobile show a COM
mittee was appointed to look through
the various exhibits and make a report
as to the most attractive display A
blue ribbon was to be awarded to the
winner, and the prize went to the Odds
Motor Works. This exhibit was COM
posed of five cars. In the foreground
was an Oldsmobile Autocrat tourabout.
painted dark red with black stripings.
Next In prominence was the Autocrat
touring car. The remainder of the ex-
hibit consisted of an Oldsmobile Limited,
an Autocrat limousine, and an Olds-
mobile Special.
In spite of the general impression that
the magnetic, which is now so universally
used as a system Of ignition on automo-
biles, sSa French invention, it was the |
child of the brain of a clever English |
electrician Of the name of Seaman" said |
Charles Splitdorf. Of the famous Split |
dorf laboratories. whose magnetos are |
running on over 100000 American and for |
eign cars. Seaman invented the mag
netos in England in 1854. and the first |
machine produced was of the generator
form and used to detect leaks in the cleo
trical current, and it was as late as 1905 |
before magnetos began to be used for
automobile ignition
I'VE are planning to have a big gather
ing of Washington agents here during |
show week." said A. Gary Carter, presi-
dent of the Carter Motor Car Corpora
ton, yesterday. Among the cars that
We will have on display will be a new
fore-door touring car"
John Larcornbe, jr.. Of the Motor Sales
Company. speaking yesterday of the
horsepower rating Of cars. said: People
often become confused when a model
So or ''40.' or whatever the horsepower
Of the car may be. is spoken of. 1 an
just in receipt of a letter from the Moon
Motor Car Company giving the rating on
q ~ by 5Moon motor at different speeds.
This car is rated as 30 The revolu