Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-04
GREATEST AUTO
SHOW IN HISTORY
COMES TO CLOSE
End Of 1917 Exposition Marks
elimination of Greatest
Week in History of In
dustry in Omaha.
ALL RECORDS ARE BROKEN
attendance Over Twice as
Large as Last Year and Sales
correspondingly Large.
AK.sAR. BEN HOLDS BOARDS

When at l0:30 last night the doors
OF the big municipal Auditorium were
drawn together to forever hide from
view the glittering array of luxurious
motor cars inside and the twelfth an
nual Omaha motor exposition became
mere matter of history, the biggest
week in the history of the automobile
industry in Omaha came to a close.
Never before since this baby indus
try secured a foothold on Omaha soil
have the automobile men of this city
gone through siv such days of bus
ting activity, unconhned enthusiasm
and assiduous toll. Every record was
broken, shattered and kicked along on
its way to obscurity.
What happened to the attendance
records, even Manager Clarke Powell
hasn't the heart to tell. Every single
day saw much larger crowd than
any previous corresponding day and
the total attendance for the entire
week was more than twice as great
as the total attendance for the week
OF the 1916 show.
Fondest Hopes Fulfilled.
The business done during the six
days of the show was nothing short
of wonderful. Not dealer or sales
man had a complaint to make last
night when it was all over, every one
admitted the business he had done
more than fulfilled expectations and
most of them even went so far as to
say it exceeded even their fondest
hopes.
And one need not merely take the
word Of the auto men that the number
OF sales made broke all previous rec
ords.; Omaha bank clearings last
week were the largest in the history
OF the local clearing house and the
bankers declare this record was made
possible through the motor car sales
made during the week.
Lavish With Praise.
Officers of the show association
were more than gratifed at the sue
cess of the exposition. 1T was head
and shoulders above any show we
have ever held" declared ]. T. Stew
art I'd, president of the association.
Il never saw SO much, enthusiasm in
my life. If the show can be taken as
any criterion, 1917 will be Omaha's
biggest automobile year"
Some show" exclaimed Lee Huff,
member of the board Of directors.
Even the factory men who have at
tending shows ali over the country
year after year had to admit. that the
Omaha show is speedy event. I've
seen more shows myself, including
the nationals, but me for Omaha"
Clarke Powell, being manager of
the show and also = modest chap,
didn't delve into the superlatives. 1T
wasn't such a bad show at that" said
Powell, wfereupon Guy Smith i'm
mcdiately gurgled shrinking violet"
aud Phil McShane asked Whats the
matter, aren't your arms long enough
to pat yourself on the back"
Ak-Sar-Ben Night.
With the exception of Wednesday,
Saturday was the biggest day Of the
show. Itwas something of an Omaha
day as the greater part of the persons
who attended were Omahans. Last
night was Ak-Sar- Ben night and the
merry rollickers OF old King Ak were
on the job for little midwinter fun.
They made their presence known
when Charles Velie Gardner, one of
Samson's chief entertainers, began to
demonstrate his vocal powers for the
auto men. The Ak-Sar-Ben crew is
for Charles all the time and they
wasted no time or efforts to let the
auto men know it. 1t was kind OF
tough on Charlie, though, he had to
sing bunch of encores.
No sooner had the doors closed on
the show than the auto men began
to wheel their exhibition cars out of
their places to take them back to the
garages. They toiled until long after
midnight [olling the magnificent pal
aces on wheels outside where they
started for the garages under their
own power. And as the auto men
were removing their exhibits, a corps
of destructive wretches began to strip
the Auditorium Of the beautiful deco
rations SO that by today the municipal
building will be transformed back
from the magnificent motor palace to
the empty barn-like Auditorium il. was