The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-01

dreds of acres, Is the gigantic strid' , are Little, Davis, wofford, Foy | Ament. Johnston. Posner Some 0 them are still selling oil and moto fuel In Birmingham. In tho old day l before the modern drive-in servic stations, 1t was a bucket proposition with strainer and chamois skin, mos of the automobile owners driving tt the oil company's warehouse for fue and oil. I believe that the first un- derground storage tank and gasoline pump in Birmingham was installed al the old Birmingham garage, 1Qs | Twentieth street, south. Even then 60-gallon wheel tank with hose was used for filling tanks of cars.
 The first foreign automobile in Bir- mingham was the French Panhard belonging to Mir. R. S. Munger, who also was one of the first owners of a Wlnton two-cylinder car in Birming- ham.
 Sol Caheen was among the first auto owners of Birmingham. purchas- ing a Loeomobile Steamer about the year 1900 and a Cadillac some two years afterwards, There are many stories told regarding his cars, one of which Is that Sop became so WILLIE uIlNlHB dIpQnu kHC streets of Birmingham that he would not notice his friends. Therefore, if "Sol" has an enemy in the world, it is no doubt due to this oause--which has not been confirmed. Sol also claims the honor of the first Cadillac to make the trip from Birmingham to St. Clair Springs and return In the same day. He was accompanied on this trip by Otto Marx, John Mon erief and c. P. White.
 I remember accompanying "Sol" on one of his auto tours. On this par- ticular trip, Frank Katz was the chauffeur. driving a Peerless two- cylinder car, No 32, of the year 1902. Ferd Marx was the front seat pas- senger, "sor and I sitting on soap box in the rear (the rear seat having been removed9. The trip to Five Mile creek and return to the railroad crossing at Norwood was made with out mishap, but in trying to show the hlll climbing ability of his, car, Katz made the mistake of changing gears on the hill (the Peerless had at that time three-speed sliding gear trans mission with individual clutch for each gear1. In making the change tho car gave 8 lurch, causing soap box, 'So1n and myself to leave the ear for parts unknown, Sop hold ing onto the soap box and rolling down the hillside, without injury, however, other than to his trousers which were badly torn in the fall.
 Among the old-time Automobile club affairs in Birmingham the fol- lowing names will sound familiar: Frank Shepherd, Milton Ewing, Jack Bidele, Bradley Saunders, c. P. Pat terson, D. J. Fox, Dr. J. E. Dednian, D. P. Coleman, Burr Ferguson, Solon Jacobs, L. c. Clary, Henry B. Gray w. w. Coghin, c. T. Brazeiton, G. T, Wofford, R. W. Massey, George B. Ward, Culpepper Exum and Walter Moore.
 In 1906 Birmingham became famous throughout the world as hay ing one of the fastest dirt tracks for auto racing. On April 9. 1906, Bar ney Oldfield drove the Peerless Green Dragon mile in 104 on the rair- grounds track. In 1907, Lewis Strong, driving a Christie front-drive racer, covered the mile in the worlds rec ord time of 51 3-5 seconds. In No vember, 1908, Strong and stricker at- tempted to lower the worlds 24-hour record, the attempt resulting in the death of Stricker and the injury of Barrons, a Birmingham boy, acting as mechanic for Stricker.
 July 6, 1909, saw the largest crowd ever gathered at the fairgrounds to witness an automobile race. This date and race will long be remem bered as an afternoon of speed with out accident of any kind. FranF Katz. at that time selling the E. M r. car, made a clean sweep of the afternoon races, driving an E. M. F stock ear belonging to Dr. John IT Miller of Cordova. Other races were held during 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1918. Katz being the most consistent winner of any driver until the acci- dent f 1913, which rendered his right arm helpless and caused his retire ment.
 Since the year 1913 many auto races have taken place at the fair- grounds, accidents have been numer- ous when local drivers have per formed and in the last few years most of the racing events have been au professional with drivers of na- tional renown at the wheels of the cars.
 Birmingham's auto industry came into prominence in 1909, when The Birmingham Age Herald promoted the first path finding tour to Atlanta After this 'ice breaker" E. R. Nor man, now assistant post master at Birmingham. but then with the old Birmingham Ledger. started promot- ing good roads tours throughout the south. These tours, while hard ship on the drivers, did more to stir up Interest In good roads than any other means, as the speakers on these tours preached gospel which made many converts throughout the south land.
 Judge Dan A. Greene deserves much credit for the interest taken in the good roads tours, as he not only spent great deal of time personally in making speeches throughout the state, but was always the first to offer the use of his automobile for
 rood roads tours. and at times Judge Greene furnished as many as four cars for the tours.
 Anon gths other old-tims ~good roads scouts" were Oscar V. Hunt (official photographer, H. M. Archi- bald. J. J. Smith, Hugh McGeever. , A. Rountree, o. B. French, H. E Chafin, F. M. Jackson, pr. E. P Riggs. s. w. Lee. pr. J. L. Fergu. son. J. W. odom, Job Going, Johr Craft. L.. Sevier, John L. Parker Senator John H. Bankhead. w. s Keeler, Borden Burr. Ted BroWnell c. w. Richardson, Walter Seed s'Red" Smith. pr. Black. Lawrence Pennington Judge Reynolds.