Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

! Automobile Trade Association.
race on the Indianapolis motor speed.
| way May 80. The National Motor
Vehicle Company at Indianapolis nomf-
mates Harvey Herrick and Charles Merz
OF the west and Don Herr and Howard
Wilcox Of the east All four Of these
famous speed champions have won their
laurels driving National cars, and every
one bids fair to be a strong contender,
at the wheels Of this famous breed"
Of machines. Nos. 8 and 9 have been
allotted the National cars. Just what
two drivers will pilot each Particular
car has not been decided =
NO end Of interest centers around the
even though friendly. yet none the less
severe, as these four pilots represent
| the east and the west of National victor
lies. From the west comes Harvey Herrick,
recognized road race champion and win
ner OF many events: also Charles Merz,
the victor in many races, and from the
/ east, Howard Wilcox, holder OF the
worlds fastest stock straightaway mile
record among his notable victories. and
DON Herr. who sprang sensationally into
the Hmeltght last year by his conquest
at Eigin.
Purchasers OF 1912 Hudson '.3S3'' touring
| cars during the past week included tho
following Julius I. Peyser and G.. L..
Haugh.
According to Secretary of State
Schmahl Of Minnesota, the automobile.
IL the forerunner Of good roads '-The
thusiast.' comments Secretary Schmahl.
land he now owns Is per cent Of the all-
tOmObiles in the state. When the days
work Is done the farmer now sees to it
that his horses have the needed rest. and
instead OF hftching them to a vehicle for
| the journey into town he and his family
now use the automobile, do their shop
ping and calling and return home re-
freshed and welcoming the following day.
1t Is q safe prediction that before 1917
closes there will be $4,000 automobiles
doing service in Minnesota, and great
~ increased per cent will be owned by
the farmers"
Charles r. Felter. president of the Gar,
| ford Motor Car Company, who was re-
Gently operated on ct Georgetown Uni
| versity Hospital, is slowly improving. He
| was out for few days during the past
week. but tt will be some time before he
will be able to engage in active business.
Thousands Of persons. in peril of their
lives, swarmed near the finish line of the
first great race on ice at Orvington-on-the
Hudson to watch the cars loom out of
the snow cloud up the river, roar past
and vanish in another snow cloud to the
south.
The course was six miles in length, and
| q monster Mercedes. a foreign-built car,
| was closely followed by a Hudson, driv-
en- by Carl MuIhall, at the finish line.
| At the crack of the pistol the machines
| 1eaped forward. the dry snow being
kicked up by the tires. In less than a
minute Tarrytown, the start, was left
behind.
| While several Of the cars were brought
to a complete halt because the snow was
| covering their radiators, the sturdy Hud-
| son and the monster Mercedes kept up
| the terrific pace OF over a mile minute
on the ice. So enthusiastic became the
crowds that when they crowded to the
! finish line they risked their lives to get
| closer views Of the neck-and-neck con-
testants
The spaces for the Norfolk automobile
show have been drawn for. and each of
the dealers and accessory men now knows
| of March IL to 16 The show will be held
| In the Fergus Reid building, opposite the
| Lynnhaven Hotel. Fred H. Reh of this
| city. who has decorated a number of
will be in Norfolk March to transform
| the Reid building into one of those mys-
| teal places where the automobile holds
forth supreme. Each night will be spe-
| cial one during the SHOW-AAOnOdy, OPEN
| ing night: Tuesday, Portsmouth night:
Wednesday. peninsula night; Thurs
| day, hospital night; Friday. North
Carolina night; Saturday. prize night"
During the week, in addition to the or
| chestra program, each afternoon and
evening there will be concert numbers
| and other features.
| The ordinary form Of automobile top
remains as popular as ever Most of the
rather striking colors, however, which
used to be seen in top materials seem to
have disappeared and the plain black top
appears to have been found the most
practical as well as the most refined in
appearance. The use of canvas and SINH
lar materials for automobile tops seems to
have died out, too. giving place to more
durable and more slightly stuffs. The
victoria top, adaptable to automobile use
from the carriage field. continues in ia
vor. especially for pony-tonneau and
/ close-coupied cars though It Is sometimes
used on the ordinary touring car.
x* +
Steel wheels cost 50 per cent more than
wood ones In the United States. while an
equivalent set Of wood wheels In Eng
land Cost 40 per cent more than they
would here. which considerat lions proba-
bly, account for the steel type there and
wood in this country.
i = k,*
Ten years from, the birth OF the ma
tlOnal organization OF automobilists,
March 4 1902 the American Automobile
Association today Is organized in forty
two states. possesses some 800 local clubs.
In addition to several thousands Of indi-
lContinued On Eighteenth Page.)