The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-18
RACING AUTO DRIVER
EARNS FABULOUS SUM
Smiling Ralph milford
Draws Big Sum Whenever
He Wins Contest.
HE MAY RETIRE SOON
Omnipresent Danger Fully
Realized, but His Bank Ac-
count Must Be Expanded.
HE MAY RETIRE SOON

Somewhere between SI1 600 aud $751;
600 lies the exact amount OF Smil.
ing' Ralph Milford s share of auto.
mobile prize money for the fifteen
months following his victory in the
Elgin race of August. 1910. Pretty
fair returns for less than . year and
hslf's work, the average man viii
agree. 1t is more by Some thousands
of dollars than Tyrus Ramoug Cobb.
ranked as the brightest little glimmer
in balloon s milky way, receives for
his services on the Same period. u
is more than the United States pays
It's vice president and senators, and
few holders of fat political Jobs arc
drawing in excess OF this figure.
When the fact is cons ldrred thu.
racing ID practically side issue with
Milford and that in addition to re-
ceiving all the prize money he Is paid
n substantial salary by his company,
one is constrained to wonder what his
1cceipts would be were he to devote
his entire attention to automobile in
torests. Owing TO the policy of his
company in taking part in only the
important evcn..s of the racing scbed
lIle. Mulford receives only three or
four chances at cash prizes in y sea
son. Tho amount named above was
accumulated in only six races three
IN 1910 and the same number in 1911.
Fabulous Sum Earned,
Calculating the running time of the
races where Mulford drew down cash
prizes as actual working hours. the
modest sum of $500 per hour is found
10 be the reward for a winning driver.
Tho 5o0-mile race at India napolis last
May, IN which Smiling Ralph finished
second, proved one of the Lo2ier dri-
' er q big hreadwinners.
This race occupied seven hours in
The running. Milford s share amount
ed to about $1,000. or payment at the
rate of $1,000 an hour. His victories in
the two Fsirmount Park events also
brought large returns, as did the Van
derbilt cup race in November al Sa
Vannah, Ga. In almost every case the
prizes offered BY the tire concerns and
the accessory manufacturers brought
the total M 10 respectable proportions.
As in other branches of sport where
largo purses are at stake, having once
obtained the money, the more serious
duestion-of how to hang onto it--pre-
seuts itself 20 the driver whom fortune
has favored.
Driver Ready to Retire.
Mulford never had to solve the latter
problem. His bad habits do not in.
elHde slcohol or tobacco in any form,
and consequently the wine supper and
its attendant features arc an unknown
quantity in the celebration of racing
victories. In fact. all Milford cele,
bratiou consists of is the donating of
4 small share Of the prize money to
Mechaniciau "Bill'; Chandler and A re-
turn trip TO the simple life with Mrs.
Muiford- BY applying themselves TO
the task of living within salary limits,
The Milford family has been enabled to
bank or invest the major portion of
every cash prize won by the head Of
the household
Ralph Milford has been III the rae
ing game long enough TO realize that
it is not without its attendant danger.
and he intends 10 quit just as soon as
the bank account can get along with
out his assistance. At the present time
he is making arrangements for enter
ing the big 50o.mile international
sweepstakes at Indianapolis next
Memorial DAY. Should he be successful