The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-05
RACE UP MOUNTAIN IS NERVE WRACK|NG FOR THE REPORTERS
Friendly Owners of Maxwell and Ford Have Neat Little Contest Dur
 ing Afternoon

S. ]. Knecht of the Knecht-Plosser com pany will receive enough filthy lucre to purchase a suit of clothes from A. c. De- Shazo, Birmingham representative of the Maxwell Motor company. It happened this way:
 MT. Knecht, who sells flour when not driving Ford car, and MT. DeShazo are the best of friends, and in one of their Kidding matches recently MT. knecht remarked that his car could beat any automobile on the road for speed or hill climbing ability, or anything else Of course, MT. DeShazo believed the Max well was the only car on the market worth while. and he believes it yet notwith- standing the fact that, after a race, he had to come through with the amount of the wager.
 It was arranged to make a run up Shades mountain. and as MT. DeShazo UT r0erstood it. the start was to be made from the concrete bridge on the Eleventh avenue road. Mir. Knecht thought the start was to be made from the iron bridge over Shades creek beyond Edgewood sta tion The mix-up caused about two hours delay in getting started, and gave a run of only two and half miles instead of about seven, had been hoped for by the Maxwell people. In two and half
 miles it is almost impossible for any car
 to get up real speed it is claimed, and besides that it was decided to take the Berry road to the crest of the noun | tain.
 | For the information of those who have 1 not seen it. the Berry road is shaped something like all the letter S's there are sewed together by an inmate of Dr. Bryce's hospital at Tuscaloosa. On one
 side is a sheer drop of many feet On | ( +la oh o1f nf or,u
 IT. veer to the right means death on the
 rocks below. To veer to the left means death against the cliff
 l The trip up this road at slow speed is
 risky at best. At a high speed it Is
 nerve-wracking in the extreme. One of the 1 Birmingham newspapers sent along a | lady reporter, who accompanied the Max. well driver in his mad dN Sh up the noun | tainside. When the car reached the top
 after having made a really wonderful record, the little newspaper woman was | leaning back against the cushions in q
 wilted attitude. question was asked her and she answered: 'I--don't-know, just like that Scared stiff,
 The writer went ahead of the racers ir
 a Maxwell demonstration car. This ma
 chine picked up lots of speed, and al | some of the double curves John Grady | a Maxwell salesman. claimed he slowed 1 down. but the rear wheels of the car were | off the ground, and it is possible he dit f, slow down the front end of the car The rear end. however. attained a speed variously estimated at 50, 65 and 90 mile: | an hour.
 l The race was not at all a speed contest for it was absolutely necessary that tho | cars slow down on the curves. as deatl | lurked all along the route. The Max
 well showed up wonderi>ary well in pick
 ing up speed after passing the numerous
 curves The lightness of the Ford ca proved very advantageous to the driver, i ] being much easier to take the curve l without having to cut down his engine. l The race was not official, but was mere ly a friendly effort to decide which cal had the best driver. Excellence of ma
 chinery had nothing to do with the win | ming of the race, but good driving did MT. Knecht was immensely pleased witt | the result, and says he will race MT DeShazo to Gadsden, Tuscaloosa, Sal Francisco, New York or most any othe little town that may be decided upon.