The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-02-17
SOCIETY ATTENDS
AUTOMOBILE SHOW
Affair a Decided Success,
With Record-Breaking
Attendance.
CAPACITY OF HALL
TAXED TO LIMIT
Banquet for Exhibitors and Of
fcialS Closes the Days
Festivities.
By HARRY WARD.

Society Day will be an annual fea-
ture of Washington automobile shows.
The custom of setting aside one day
and evening of show week for the pur-
pose of entertaining notables was estao'
lished yesterday and proved the biggest
kind of a success. The attendance was
so large that passage through Conven-
ton Hall was difficult. When the ticket
takers got through counting up the days.
receipts they found that more than 5000
people had visited the show. This is a
new record for attendance at an auto
mobile show here.
It was a notable gathering Of motorists
and near motorists. Chang Yin Tang,
the Chinese minister, and several mem
bers of his suite, were interested spec
tators throughout the evening and gave
close attention to the various exhibits.
The racy little torpedo roadsters seemed
TO appeal strongest to them.
The unwritten rule established by the
exhibitors of prohibiting ladies from sit
ting in the cars on exhibition was
waived, and the exhibitors Wed with
each other in getting the most hand
somely gcwned ladies to grace their
cars
awarded to the Overland booth, where
the Misses Edna and Gladys Roger,
Miss Catherine Lockwood, Miss Helen
Dick, and Miss Marguerite Hamilton
held court.
Some of the Visitors.
Among the thousands who attended
yesterdays show during the afternoon
and evening were Robert n. Harper,
president of the District National Bank;
J. Castle Ridgeway, Robert Callahan,
5r., D. J. Callahan, Paymaster and Mrs.
Heap, George Howard. Mr.. and Mrs. R.
B. Caveriy, w. H. Rapley, Mrs. Stilson
Hutchins, A. G. Chaplain, Cy. Cum
mings, Arthur L. Mitchell, jr.. of Bos-
ton; NJ A. Colbert, Miss Claire Wright,
Harry A Kite Mr.. and Mrs. Edison
Bradley. H. Bradley Davidson. Jonah
Kalanianaole, the Hawaiian delegate;
G. Bowie Chapman, Senator McCumber
and party: Senator Burkett, Represen-
tative Loud and Miss Loud, C. Bascom
Slemp, Mr.. and Mrs. Harrington Mills,
George E. Hamilton, Mr.. and Mrs.
Joseph Strasburger and the Misses
Strasburger, Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene A.
Jones, Hon. Marion Butler. DR.. and Mrs.
Eugene R. Nichols.
Banquet at Cafe Republique
Promptly at II o'clock the show was
closed, and the exhibitors and officials,
together with many friends, motored
to the Cafe RepubliqUe, where a SUP
per was served The decorations OF
the dining room were appropriate to
the occasion, huge tires, horns Of many
sizes and styles, and motoring apparel
of all sorts being used to good effect.
The affair was informal and contrary
10 expectations there were no speeches
although It is known several OF the
thigh brows' in the automobile world
had labored for hours preparing some
remarks for the diners.
Harry Z. Field, president of the
Rambler Automobile Company, of New
York, arrived at the show yesterday.
THE Washington dealers are certain,
ly to be congratulated on the splendid
show they have produced. said Mr.
Fields The interest manifest in auto
mobiles by the public Indicates that 1911
is going to be the banner year or the
industry. 1t is my belief that instead
Of having an overproduCtiOn of automo-
bi!es, many of the leading makers, par
ucularly those who manufacture the
medium and high-priced cars. will be
oversold."
Matheson Racer on Hand.
Show visitors yesterday were much
interested in the big six-cylinder Mathe-
son racing car that stood outside Of
convention Hall. The machine was sent
down from the Matheson factory, in
Nilkesbarre, Pa, to the Pope Automo-
bile Company. Driven by Charles Basic,
this car finished second in the last
twenty-four-ho race at Brighton
Beach. During a part of the race the
car averaged fffty-nine miles an hour,
marking the fastest time made during
the Observation-Disclosures race.
Assistant Sales Manager Paul Smith,
of the EMF Company, makers Of the
Emf go" and Flanders 90" arrived
In Washington today. He is making a
15,OOO-miie tour among EMF agencies.
This is one of, If not the longest, con-
tinuous "whirls around the circuit"
ever mapped out by any motorcar sales
department. Mr.. Smiths itinerary COW
ers Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City,
St Louis, Milwaukee. Oklahoma City,
Dallas. San Antonio. New York, Wash
3ngton. New Orleans, Minneapolis. Co.
Iumbus, Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta,
Memphis, Louisville, and intervening
territory.
He is not making this extended tour
for the purpose of closing contracts for
. EMF ''3n'' or Flanders ''20' cars. but
10 pacify the clamoring dealers and ex-
plain to them personally why it is i'm
POSSIBLE, even with the EMF Com
panv's great manufacturing facilities, to
manufacture over night. as the dealers
would like to have done, 1900 cars
which constitute the company's orders
for 1911.