Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-05-08
MAXWELL CONQUERS
Ell MODENA Hill
First Automobile to Reach Crest OF
Rocky Ridge, Near Santa Ana oail'
fornia.

A 1915 Maxwell "2j' touring car
driven by "Tiny Barker, of santa ana
California, climbed 10 the highest poln'
on Ell Modena Hill last Tuesday noon
The keen rivalry which has existed pe
tween the different automobile dealers
in their efforts to set marx "hicu
could not be reached by any otner
make of ear was set at rest Dy tne
sturdy little Maxwell % when. IL
was driven to point where any tur-
ther advance would have meant urol
of 500 feet to destruction, I
FL Modena hill was never intended
for automobile demonstrations; theie
is no roadway leading to the top; III
fact, every obstacle imaginable seems
to have been placed there by nature
to impede the progress OF anything OH
wheels. There are rocks and DonlderS,
some OF which are almost as large as
the Maxwell itself and all overgfoWn
with cactus, greasewood and other
mountainous growth. The NH IS SO
steep in places that it would be ditfi-
cult to surmount even if there was a
made roadway and the task OF avoid
ing projecting Stones and deep creVlces
was anything but inviting,
The nature of the obstacles encouh'
tered was such that it was necessary
for the car to make two attempts be-
fore it was successful the first start
being made with only tire chains to
assist in securing traction. But the
wheel spun the chains III the smooth
surface of the large rocks without
holding in the least, and it was neces'
sary in order to get traction to wrap
the rear wheels with haf-inch rope in
addition to the chains, and immediate
ly the final start was made which end
ed with success.
According to newspapermen and 9th
er witnesses of the remarkable climb,
the Maxwell went forward at a steady
speed until it reached a point fully 200
feet farther up tde hillside than any
car had previously gone, when 1T was
necessary to make the only stop IN Or
der to remove frm its path a large
boulder which lay in such way that
the front axle of Che car would not
clear it by about % inches. With this
rock removed the rest of the climb
was easy for the Maxwell and it went
forward by leaps and bounds, forcing
its way over rocks and thrngh sage
brush and greasewoOd, in some places
of such growth as to almost hide the
little touring car from view Of the spec
tators below, on a grade which in some
places ran over 40 per cent, m and W
to the crest rock Of the summit. And
when Barker stopped with the front
wheels of the ear on the very pinnacle
stone, so little energy had been eXerted
by the Maxwell motor, and it was SC
cool that a person could hold mis- face
against the radiator cap with abso
lutely no discomfort,
"'Time and again we have been called
upon to demonstrate the power anC
the hill-climbing ability Of the Max
well "25" and every time we hay,
come out on tcQ, said 7. j. Toner
Pacific coast manager of the Maxwell
Motor Salem Corporation upon his re
turn from III MOdena hill-climb. "Bu
the record.brcaking run of Billy Carl
son with the stock Maxwell "25 - II
the Mt WilsM Trail was not circum
stance to the test which the FL Moden
climb gave our car last Tuesday. Th
twisting and the strain to which tn
Maxwell was subjected was somethin
. terrific and the strength Of its COZ
struction was put to the most sever
test that any automobile in souther
California or elsewhere for that mat
ter, has even been called upon to Ell
dure, The Maxwell "2j," althoug
Unusually light in weight, has plenty 0
power and is built to stand hard usag
if called on to do so by its owner"