The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-07
Motoring Notes,
Good Roads News
and Trade Matters

A meeting of the Automobile Deal
ers' Show association will be held in
tho Jefferson hotel, this evening, at
/ o'clock, to adopt the new charter
and to elect, officers. All the members
of the association are urged to at
| tend.
/ AT the meeting held last evening
the program of the racing committee
was Endorsed by the dealers who ex-
pect to enter cars. The Indications
are that large number of the local
| firms will be represented in the races
which will be held under the auspices
| of the Richmond Automobile club.
milford Shows Form.
The experiment of hundrsi-fr'ie
race, called Brighton Beach Derby.
was tried in New York. election day
and Ralph milford, one of the star
riders who Will appear in the Rich
mond automobile race meet, Novem-
Der goth and 30th. won it.
Fred J. Wagner. the official starter
of all the big meets and who will Of
ficiate at the Richmond meet, writes:
Almost 1900 persons, the largest
crowd that ever saw an auto race in
this city, swarmed around the inclos-
ure and packed the grandstand at
the Brighton Beach race track yes
terday to see the best of the worlds
daredevil riders compete in the spe-
ciai Election Day card of four races.
With the exception Of Ralph De
Palma, who was injured in the VAN
derbilt cup race in Milwaukee. al
most every driver of note was pres
ef1t.
Ralph milford. who finished third
In the Vanderbilt cup race, and is
considered to be the worlds best all
around auto driver, won the feature
event. the le0-mile Election Day
Derby. Milford in his Mason car
covered the distance in 1.42.11, which
IL only minute and twenty seconds
behind the worlds record for dirt
track. The mark Is held by Spencer
Wishart, one Of the entrants for the
Richmond races.
Considering that the last fifteen
miles were contested practically in
the dark, Muiford's time was excep-
tionaiiy fast. Mason cars finished
first and second, Leland Mitchell
coming home In second. place. Minker
In a Kline car finished third, and
Spencer Wishart in his Mercer was
fourth"
School for Truck Drivers.
The Boston Y. M. c. A Automobile
school, the first of it's kind IN this
country, Is to add to its courses of in
struction a course for truck drivers
1t is intended TO make this course COM
piete, SO that IL merchant proposes
10 buy truck he can have the team
ster ne selects To have operate Ii at
tend the school. where he will learn
not only to drive the truck under all
sorts OF street conditions, but also
will gain a working knowledge of all
the parts of the truck and their func-
lions. Then when the truck is deliv-
cred the business man will have an ex-
perienced teamster equipped to oper-
ate and care for the truck. The course
also will be available for young men
who desire to learn about motor
trucks so that they may enter the
business as demonstrators, drivers or
repair men.
The directors Of the school have
received many applications for
course of this kind from men who
want to learn to operate commercial
motor vehicles and from merchants
who have Installed trucks and find one
of the main objections to entirely mo-
toriz:ag their freight transportation
service their inability TO get men who
will hanaie the trucks properly ana
take care OF them so that they viii
not break down at tnopportune times,
or who can make minor repairs on
the road when breaks occur.
Up To the present the detailed plans
for the course have not been settled
upon, nor has It been decided when
the new truck course will be started.
But the details are being mapped out
in consultation with experienced
truck men. There will be day classes
for those who can attend during the
day and evening classes for men who
are otherwise engaged in the daytime.
II is expected that the evening classes
will be especially popular VITA team
sters, who realize that the motor
truck is rapidly displacing kle horse
In the city streets, and thai II they
are to save their jobs they must learn
to operate the new style OF freight
carrier.
America Leads in Motor Trucks.
That America leads all other coun-
tries in the application OF the motor
truck is the report of william p. Ken
needy, chief Of the Alec transportation
cost bureau, after a two months trip
to England and France, where he
visited the principal cit - and made
a careful study of motor truck con-
ditions.
AN American visiting Europe
quickly notes the lack Of motor trucks
In London and Paris" declared Mr..
Kennedy. MANY of the trucks in
and around London are steam trucks
having large smokestacks in front.
and almost always used in eonjunc-
ton with q trailer The British gov
eminent In the mail delivery service
are more progressive they use gaso-
isHe trucks. s..
THE merchants In our Eastern
cities are Tar in advance OF the for
eign merchants in the application of
the motor truck Executives and
merchants interested In the develop
ment of the motor truck abroad rea-
Oily admit that they are watching our