Evening journal., 1917-01-29
AUTO SHOW proves
TO Be SELF Starter
Exhibits All in Place and
Many Visitors Long Be-
fore Formal Opening
FIRST CAR WAS SOLD
DURING THE MORNING

Wilmington's annual automobile
show is scheduled to make its official
and initial bow to the public this af
ternoon, but II made its real, though
unofficial bow. early this morning
BY the time that the public had de-
cided It would see just how an auto
mobile show was arranged this
morning and entered the hotel to see
how the large number Of cars could
possibly be shifted into position, all
arrangements had been made and all
cars and other exhibits were in posi-
ton and nothing whatever was lack
ing except Prof Harry Stausebach
and his orchestra TO officially open
the show by the playing of "The Star
Spangled Banner" This Will not
happen until $50 o'clock this after
noon, but the show was in full blast
by 9 o'clock this morning
During the morning the entire
lobby of the hotel, and the large main
diningroom was crowded by visitors,
whose interest in the various 1917
models of automobiles, motorcycles
and accessories brought them early
10 look over what motOrdom had to
offer this year The exhibitors, none
the less "on the job had their dem
onstrators or members Of their firms
there to receive them. BY tacit con-
sent the $50 o'clock item was quietly
but effectually ignored. II was but
a few minutes after o'clock this
morning, for instance, when Frank R.
Carroll. representing the GOmery-
Schwartz Motor Car Company, had
sold a Ford touring car TO H. c. Tai
ley, thus registering the first sale Of
the show, and the car was delivered
20 its owner a few minutes later.
The finishing touches to the show
were completed early this morning
and even the public thronged the hotel
several hours In advance of the Off
cial opening hour. The show com
mittee. comprising J. II. Nixon, chair
man: Harry n. Partington, secretary
and treasurer; John H. Rosen and
Fnoch Moore, Jr.. and the representa-
tives of the exhibitors, had completed
the work of placing the exhibits early
this morning.
The indications, even in advance OF
the formal opening of the show. are
that II will make a strong appeal to
local and out-of-town people, and. as
one Of the committee said this morn
ing. will be much more successful
than ever before, and there is every
Indication that there will be more
sales made and more general business
lone as a result Of the show than
ever before.
Probably there Is no single agency
which has contributed to the success
Of this powerful advertisement OF
Wilmington quite so much as Ernest
s. Taite. manager OF the Hotel du-
Pont. When the matter hrst was
broached to him, three years ago. he
saw at once an opportunity TO ad-
vance the interests of business VIII
mington, to get the city fairly on the
map in a new direction, ana 10 do
something which would be more prac-
tical and lasting in its enects iran
almost any other agency. He gr. ted
fhe idea with the assurance Of his
hearty support, and announced that
fhe hotel would be open as a perma-
nent home for the show. And every
one who ever has been in the hotel
can support the statement that no
better setting for such a project could
he secured in the entire country.
Tlne it meant incOnv venience TO the
hotel to an extent that is not ap.
preciated by the general public, ano
Il meant that the hotel management
would have to make other than then
standard arrangements for the enter
tainmeut Of guests, and would be nc
end Of inconvenience in that aggregation
of small detail which goes to make uE
tbe total of first-class service by
hotel to its guests.
But Mr.. Taite felt that there was 4
community duty devolving upon th'
hotel management, and that nothing, "a