Arizona republican., 1915-08-01

! DlleS Ge2lSleIeu III LOS AIIS tltS cum ty alone According to county ottl- ciaIs there are always 10000 or more visiting auto parties in this county, giving a total of 6O,OOO machines | constantly plying over the GOO miles of paved boulevard within the county 1 limits As a protection to the Nlslt- l ing autoists, if for no other heasoh' the Phoenix race is a dead event on the calendar of Western sporting | events. say former Phoenix entrants and racers
 1 Last wear the supervisors of Orange county refused to allow the race to | he run over the good roads of that l county.
 The inland route to san Diego was eliminated when San Dle8o mo tor racing enthusiasts and the Phoe- nix race management failed To get together on the purse. There was no enthusiasm along the Ocean to ocean highway by way of Banning, Beaumont and the tmperaI NalleS' the course followed in 1912. As a | last resort. Leon T. Shettler jump ed out and personally went over inc northern route. raising the money for the purse and arranging fol the l est of all former reNiVals of the desert dash. despite the rain which l harassed the racers all the way across the desert.
 Phoenix people did not enthuse over inc 1914 race on account of its be 1 ing run over the northern route | The reception to the members of the "Howdv Special" crew, the crowd ol boosters who annually travel to Phoe- nix to see the finish of the race, Was 1 but a cool welcome
 | on the train returning from Phoe- nix. the "Hcwdies' decided that the race had been the greatest ever ana the train had been great success but it was generally admitted that the last Phoenix road race had been run.
 Leon T. Shettler, the leading spirit in the race for many years, an uounced that he was through WlIh the Phoenix race lie said that he would never have anything to dc with another Los Angeles to Phoe- nix road race Shettler went fur ther He said that instead of bene- fitting the auto industry the PhoemA race was detriment when il had
 to be forced as il was last year.
 California's winter racing schedule crowded with events left no time t"i | thought of the Phoenix race. Ihet
 realizing that the desert classic
 was dead one unless some enlhu
 siasm was created at once some Of tll'
 Los Angeles boosters called d meet
 ing proposed to raise several thous
 and dollars and have the desei
 classic run from Los Angeles U
 Fl Paso" They hopeC to combln
 the two races the Los Angeles t'
 Phoenix and the Fl Paso to Fnoe
 nix. They also hoped to combine
 the purses and with the amour
 raised in Los Angeles make 1t tn
 greatest race ever held in the world.
 To this plan Phoenix div not offe it's support. Phoenix wanted the fin l ish of the race.
 Then Phoenix announced the usua
 $20OO contribution toward the purse
 George Purdy Bullard vas again ap
 pointed chairman of the Arizona stat Fair racing committee.
 When Phoenix offered the usua
 5000 toward the purse 1t was sp@cl
 fled that the 1915 desert classic
 enter Arizona. via the new bridg
 over the Colorado river at Yuma l This autOma at1cally Killed the HOIIil
 ern route and left only the ocean i
 Ocean route and the inland cours
 to san Diego open. The PhoenL
 people suggested that the race b' run through San Diego but left tn
 course to the Los Angeles promo
 ters as far as the Arizona line.
 It was also made known that Lo , Angeles was to be asked to raise part of the purse money. The gu
 tomobile men were not in favor 0 the race and it was | known fac
 that not dollar could be raise through the Motor Car Dealers Aisso
 citation that body being opposed t racing on the public highways
 Realizing that it was a last ch anc
 some of the~ stronger supporter 5 c
 the race started 70 raise a sum. b
 the sale of buttons. They hoped [ raise an amount sufficient to hrinl
 the purse up tC at least $10,000. bu
 this plan fell flat. There wasi n
 support. T
 A large purse would insure tn
 Phoenix race; but the small purse
 competed for in the past are n longer sufficient to attract the g ca
 drivers and the owners of cars. Tn days of racing across the desert fo less than the price of a car, talk in