The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-08
MITCHELL SIX WRISTS
VICTORY FROM SNOW
First Car to Reach Fallen Sentinel,
Giant Redwood Tree of Famous
Calaycras Grove in Sierras

Tho smile that won't come off is
Wrcathing the face OF J. G. .tTaF')
Skinner. Mitchell dealer for Stock ton,
Cal, because of his record of again
being first to reach the Calayeras
grove of giant redwood trees A
Mitchell Victory model carried the
party TO victory over the Sierra noun
tain drifts in thirty hour fight
that Mr., Skinner declares was the
hardest he ever had to make.
Two giant sequoias. known as the
twin sentincis, have guarded the en-
trance to the grove for thousand of
years. Thick OF trunk when the
Greeks and persians grappled at
Marathon, these trees were huge in
The days OF the Punic wars Of ancient
| history. The grove. with it's mann
moth collection, has been "a show
| spot OF America.
Every spring there IL keen con-
test among Stockton automobile men
TO be the first to reach the grove. and
this year renewed interest Was given
! to the event by the falling of one of
| the giant redwood sentihcls during
terrific windstorm the day before
| Thanksgiving. In spite OF the heavy
| srowdrfts which barred the way. I.
| c. Skinner dcterrined to make The
Iattempt early enough to forestaH
other contenders for the honor
| With the experience of many such
! fights before him. Mr.. Skinner was
| fully alive to the hardshps and
| dangers of such a trip. The car suf-
| fers in especial In an event like this,
1 as It's sturdiness and endurance arc
taxed Ia the limit In the grucllirg
| hours Of bucltinE and blowing through
the snow. Rut he also knew the Vie
tory Mitchell and what ii would do.
and was not afraid of the outcome
A day was spent in assem- bin &
equipment. n pair Of snow shoes'' Of
! Mr.. SINNERS invention being includ-
/ ed, These were large wooden drums
attached to the rear wheels ana oer-
irving cables The cables were fast
eued to tree ahead of tho car and
| as the rear wheels rcvolved, were
! wound up on the drums thus pulling
! the car through the snow "by irs avn
/ hootstraps."
| The start was made AZ midnight. and
! by a A. NJ. the party had arrived II
I the worst part OF the trip Il SNOW
covered grade three quarters O. q
mite long, leading to TIT grove. Here
| an hour was spent putting on the snow
shoes and eating breakfast,
! Some idea of the almost Impossible
nature OK the going can he gained
| from the fact that It took three hours
| Of racking, grilling work to cover
! those three-auarters of n mile. Pull
! ing constantly on the cables with
! none of the give and take of crdi
/ nary driving. was the hardest test
/ ever put 70 a car" says Mr.. skinner,
and / don't believe another car in
J the world could have stood the caff
1T took Just IA much work to get
/ back, too.F
! . Every part Of the mechanism. from
/ the engine to the rear wheels wrS
under a strain many times creator
than ii was ever meant to carry, and
| IT there were any weak spots in the
ear they would have showed up then
This Is especially true OF tho gears and
shirts in the transmission ana axlc
which are seldom SO ovcrlo iced and
are usually designed accordingly
'Of course, nothing happened. Pa
miliar as | am with the strength and
stamina OF the Victory Mitchell. I
knew il would pull through without
hitch or 7 would never have started
out 20 make the. trip" concludes Mr.
Skinner. That Is why every Mitchell
sell makes another booster for tho
car and n friend for me"