New Britain herald., 1930-02-22
Ev CLAIRE EURCEY
.tNEA Service Sports Writcr)


 Two cumbersome ferry boats pushed their blunt noses through the water of Lake Osakis in q test of speed. The victor was 10 be rc wardcd at the other side Of the lake with several passengers. The loser would get none.
 Both boats were wood burners but aboard one of them the fuel gave out. A boy went to work fcvcrishly breaking up tables and chairs with an aX 10 keep inc fire going beneath the boilers. His efforts turned ccr- tain defeat into victory.
 That was more than 30 years ago. The boy was Garfield Johnson Wood. It was his first boat race. Today h" is Gar Wood. Detroit millionaire and international cZar of speed on water.
 The ferry on which Gar Wood helped his dad outdistanCc con- petitor was capable Of nine or 10 miles an hour under full steam Th" trim racing craft Gar Wood piotcd last year lcapcd over the smooth waters of a Florida stream at moro than 93 miles an hour. establishing a worlds record for boats. And be- fore he has climbed out of the cock pit for the last time, Gar Wood says he will have that record in three fig urCs.
 "I will make 106 miles an hour then quit" said the white haired speed king. "That's faster than any body has driven boat. When l mako it I'm through"
 The man who has dominated speed boat racing for 20 years will make his farewell bow, so he says, at Miami Beach late in March. He will Dc at the wheel of Miss America VIII. newest and fastest creation of the honor winning line of that name. His chief mechanician, Orlin John- son, who has been at the Detroit mans side in all his important races. will bend an attentive car 10 the dcafcning roar of 24 cylinders in twin motors as they throb q song of 2.9O0 eager horsepower. Dangling from the wheel in Gar Woods hands will be two tiny teddy bears. good luck tokens that have ridden 10 glory with him in every race of import anco,
 Wood might deny that he is super stitious Nevertheless. those teddy bears hang from the steering wheel of his boat They provide an interest in story in themselves.
 If you remember back during war times. many people had q penchant for making little dolls or teddy bears from yarn. Doughboys carried those given them by swecthcarts over the top with them. They were luck charms and gave T feeling Of safety wherever they were worn. much the same as the dusly pshootcr whC fades anybody when he feels thai rabbits foot buIging in his shirt pocket.
 Gar Woods wifi" made a little jed dy bear of yarn 10 give 10 a nephew But Car Wood saw it and swipcd it | M IS. w OOI i1luut dnDtll'E dIl'l h'' husband sWiped that one. too.
 The faith Wood placed in thos' good luck charms can best b" cN plaincd by one incident. He was rae ing on the Detroit river 2 few year: ago. pilotiue boat tltlt proved 1ot frail for the power it's motors de vclopcd. The craft sank, taking tho teddy bears to the bottom of th' Detroit river with it. Naturally, th' boat was salvaCed but the charm were missing. Rivers searched tn bottom of the river for two dcay before they found the little bears They were cleaned and dried out an' in Woods next race, danClcd iron th2 steering wheel.
 Wood has been setting world records since 1910, his second yea in power boat racing. In the cock pit of Little Leading Lady, a boa he constructed himself, he won tn inaugural of the Mississippi Nalle Power Boat association. setting worlds record of 30 miles an hour Ten years later. his Miss America captured the HarmsWorth troph and the international speed cham pionship over the historic course q Cowcs. England.
 Four challcnGcrs since hay sought to wrcst the title from Wood Sir Mckay Edgar failed in the Mapl Leaf VIII. France tried but couldn' make it interesting. Miss Betty Gar stairs made two gallant efforts bu