Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-17
The Hodges Carburetor
Demonstration at the
County Fair

The Hodges Manufacturing Co.. OF
our city, had an exhibit at our county
fair last week and they advertised that
they would take an old car weighing
about 5000 pounds with load, and climb
| a As per cent grade that had been built
on the north side Of the grounds. and
then with the same carburetor adjust
ment the car would be driven around
the track on one cent per mile fuel
cost. st.ts
The writer had made arrangements
with our secretary and with all who
had anything to do with the race track,
auil it was all understood that would
have the track for about ten minutes
right after the races each day. On ac-
count of the rain Tuesday and Wednes-
day we were not able to give the track
demonstration on those days. so we had
to content ourselves with putting the
old red car up the As per cent grade
by starting with the front wheels on
the plank approach. This was not SO
much Of a demonstration in itself; but
il we could take the car with 5000
pound load and pull it around the track
on one cent per mile on the same car
buretor adjustment that we had to pull
the load up the As per cent grade. 1T
would be doing something that no other
living man has been able to do up to
this writing.
We told the interested crowd that we
| would show them that we could haul
this load on the one cent per mile just
as soon as the track got In shape.
| Thursday morning the writer took the
old red car on the track and helped dry
up the mud and get the track IN shape
so they could have the races in the
afternoon. We got the track so 1t was
possible to have the racing program
that afternoon and then the track man
ayers came and asked us II we would
pull the drag around the track two or
three times between the heats. We
agreed to do this and they agreed to
do all they could toward holding the
crowd for ten minutes after the last
race so we could make the drive on
the track as we had advertised. We
had the old red car under the wire
right after the races were over and got
started on the one cent per- mile drive.
All went we'll until we got around to
the gate on the north side Of the track.
AS soon as we made the last. turn we
were signaled to stop on account of an
auto that was about to cross the track
We stopped TIC Ser and killed the en-
CINE and had to get out and crank It
and get 1T started or the kerosene. We.
went around the track. five times ana
the track was blocked at the gate each
time and we had to stop or, slow up
each time to avoid an accident. We
had justy3 cents worth Of fuel in our
test can and we could have hauled the.
old car three miles on the very, soft
track II we had not been blocked each
time around, the track. This ended the
track demonstration and the interested
crowd that came to the fair expecting
to find out whether or not we are able
to haul a 5000 pound load on one cent
per mile went away, just as much In
the dark as they were when they came,
unless they are satisfied It can be done
because we told them 80
we have learned that one Of our
brother business mon that is always
ready to Boost Gin his way) any Mar.
shalItown product, had been appointed
to have some authority at the track and
hi used this authority in seeing that we
did not have a chance to show the peo-
[pie what we had advertised to do. This
same man did not make kick while
we were dragging the track and he diA
what he could to keep the track clear
for MS while we were getting it in
$500. ~ -.4... 400. - 4 r5nr1<arsa H.