The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-01
For the Glidden Tour
Pethfnding Car on Route
Between Washington and
Ottawa, Can.

Following the route laid out by the
( offfcials of the American Automobile
Association for the eighth annual tour
for the Glidden and Washington tro-
fphips. June rs. the Stevens-Duryea
Epathfinding car that will blaze the
trail for the tourists from Washing
/ ton. ID. c., to Ottawa, Can. entered
! Springfield about 1 O'Clock Thursday
afternoon. The car with its dust
| covered crew, was met first at the
Hartford bridge by Stevens car con-
tanning c. A stein and Duff1eld Miles
of the Stevens company and newspa-
permen. Then at the Enfield post
/ office ten cars. containing members OF
the Automobile Club of Springfield,
3 officials of the Stevens-Duryea Auto
/ mobile and Fisk Rubber companies OF
I Chicopee Falls, were lined up to ex-
tend a welcome 10 the trailnakers.
The pathfinding crew left Water
bury Thursday morning at $50 o'clock
and made good time in spite OF the
rather rough road encountered after
kleaving the Clock City. 1t was ON
Monday morning that the pathfinder
/ trip. and from that time on the
B weather and the roads were unusually
good. The only bad place OF highway
4 encountered was at Havre de Grace,
Md, where the roadunakers had laid
a bed of clay and sand. which, when
kmake a very fine highway, but which
not been laid long enough to
harden.
Harlow Hyde, press representative of
the Stevens, company, with George s.
De Lany Of the factory force, went to
4 Waterbury "wednesday night to meet
the pathfinder
Leaving Dnfield after photographs
had been made of the entire fleet OF
/ cars by Official Photographer n. Laz-
arnick and w n. Mitchell. Photo
! grapher for the company, the path
finder took the lead and the rest Of
! the cars fell into line for a more or
less dusty trip to Springfield. Arriv-
ing the party stopped at the Hotel
Kimball where the Stevens company
had ordered an excellent dinner for
the crowd. About % men sat down
TO the tables and E. A. Lerche, pres
ident of the Automobile Club Of
( Springfield, presided az POSTMASTER.
& About an hour was spent at the Ia
bies, and before the party broke up
HAIRY G.. Fisk of the rubber company
Eof that name. presented each of the
4 members with carnations.
The long sitting of cars attracted
considerable attention when it came
into the oity, and again when the party
pulled out about 2:30 o'clock. The ten
cars that escorted the pathfinder into
the city also accompanied ii as far as
Palmer. and there the trailmakers
We're given rousing send-off.
It is not only a compliment to the
Stevens-D uryea company to have one
of it's cars selected for the difficult
and important work of mapping out
the route for the annual Glidden tour,
/ but 1t is also a recognition of the
merits of New England industry All
companies look longingly for the path
finding job. for this work is consider
ed real and legitimate form of test
for the reliability of car. 1t will
be the duty of this car and it's crew
70 lay out the most interesting itin-
erary seeking the best roads and no
tells. finding and eliminating the poor
est. In this way the pathfinder must
take all the bumps. suffer all the
hardshipe, that the Glidden tourists
may take their annual trip in comfort
and with the least expense and wear
on their cars. Accurate data must be
kept and signs posted where needed.
Luther Young. one of the most re-
liable drivers of the Stevens COM
pany, win pilot the pathfinding car
which is model IA, 48 horsepower,
six-cy1fnder torpedo of the 1911 vim
tage, and as pretty a model as the
company ever turned out. The men
who do the trailnaking are: E. l..
Ferguson, touring authority. who
has laid out every Glidden route for
eight years Howard Longstreth,
chairman of the touring board of the
A A A: s. NJ. Butler. chairman of
the contest board of the association
the man who makes the rules that the
Glfdden tourists must obey or be dis
qualified and y. Lazarnick the Off
cial photographer for the trip. Anoth-
ar well known local company that
figures prominently in this trip is the
Fisk Rubber Company of Chicopee
Falls. for the pathfinder is equipped
with Fisk denountable rims and tires
49,