The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-04
Notes.
Good Road News
and Trade Matter


are the deciding factors in motor car
sales--importance of seemingly sec
endary points In design.
1t will probably surprise prospec-
tive motor car buyers to learn that
novelties OF design and construction
are not considered as Inducements TO
The purchase of one make or anoth-
err half as much as time-trisd fea-
lures are. As Mr.. Simms. one of the
citys chief authorities on things au-
tomobile. puts IL. The cars that have
made good have done so because
their designers got down to bed rock
at the start They studied and ex-
perimented until they hit the right
mechanical principles. and then they
stuck to them.
New things may be talking points
and a clever salesman can often gel
away with Them, said Mr.. Simma
when he was asked what novelties
would distinguish the new season.
product. but it's the good old reiia-
BILE things that do their duty without
constant tinkering that make satisfied
motorists.
Take the clutch A. an example,
Mr.. Simms continued. It's Appar-
entity a small thing-just one OF the
.tnnards' that 10 oat of sight and
should be out of mind rs well. On
a good car. it is: but language fails
to convey an appreciation Of the trou-
bles to which poor clutch can give
rise
There are mighty few cars on the
market today that have been built
with the same type OF clutch for
eight years. But such In the cass
with the Stevens Duryea. It's q null
tipie-disc. dry-plate clutch, originated
by ]. Frank Duryea in 1904, and Its
absoiute reliability and smooth action
have been an important factor in the
success OF the Stevens-Duryea since
then.
Eight years ago the clutch was a
pretty troublesome part of the car.
II had as many moods as Maud the
Mule said Mr.. Simms. "You
never knew what 1t was going to
grab, and catapult the car against
something, at the same time biting
pieces out OF the rear tires, or to slip,
as smooth as oil. and leave you
stranded II you happened TO get
stuck In q mud hole. the clutch either
slipped ard left yea theirs, OF. you
burned the facing OF Of II entirely IN
trying TO pull out
II have seen an owner dump 4
pound OF powdered rossn on the
clutch of ss.eee imported car to
make IL take hold. Any mctorist who
has experienced the shortcomings OF
the ordinary clutch can't say too
much for the Stevens Duryea- It's
mighty simple, toc--just eight smooth
steel plates contracting with seven
other plates faced with asbestos on a
woven wire foundation. The only
change made in il since 1900 is ir
the friction facing. First |. was leath-
er; then cork inserts, in 1907. and
when the asbestos-wtre fabric was in
vented, this was adopted. This makes
/, practically indestructable.
.If you want to realize how i'm
poFtant this Stavens-Duryea 10. look
around and see how many differen.
clutches are used. and likewise how
many have adopted the Stevens-Dur.
yea principle In TIE last few years,
said Mr. Simms in conclusion.
Tp-to- Date Newsboy.
Walter Gee IL probably the only
"newsboy" in the United States who
delivers his papers with an automo-
bile.
Recently. Gee. who has 1900 Gus
toners In and near the city OF West
Haven, Conn. discarded the horse
outfits he had been using for year,
and purchased Ford model T tour
ing car.
Heretofore, each afternoon Get
sent out his horse-drawn rigs. each
accompanied by six boys. who LEFT
the papers on the customers door.
step. He used TO leave the newspaper
ONCE about ans o'clock each after
noon and was seldom through before
o'clock.
ming board OF his single machine, M
leaves the once at the usual time
But he seldom la later than $50 II
finishing his route