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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1905)
jJ2 MANY AUTOMOBILES NOW SPIN IN PORTLAND THEY say that automobiles are be coming In so great demand In this country that the manufacturers are hardly able to keep pace with the de mand. Certainly It the rest of the coun try is buying at the rate that Portland people have set, there will be a famine In the auto market before the Spring is well under way. Every day a new ma chine appears on the street, usually of the tonneau style, holding four people and costing a great deal of money. The automobile lad has -struck Portland with greater force than at any. previous time, and everybody is getting one. This fact gladdens not only the hearts of the automobile agents, but the owners of horses as well; that is. the owners who do not wish to selL For with the automobile come good roads. There is already a good roads move ment being agitated now. though the new and enthusiastic autotsts are yet content to run their machines over the few leading roads out of the city. The movement is to hare the autoists club together on their own account and put up the cash to make one or two roads per fect for their purpose, and sood to drive upon as well. There are now two or three good roads leading out on the East Side, having only c-ne drawback, that the approaches to them through portions of the East Side are not very good. There are good hill loads on the "West Side and there are two river roads on the "West Side which once upon a time were very good, and have since degenerated. These two roads the autolsts wish to experiment upon with oil as a road-maker and see what can be done with them. Lewis Russell, who has recently had a pleasant experience with the oil roads of California, is the chief instigator of the movement and he believes that enough money can be raised among the autolsts alone to put both these roads in perfect condition, so that they will be as smooth as asphalt this Summer and will be avail able for both horses and automobiles. "While on my trip through California." Fald Mr. Russell the other day, "1 found a great many people who were anxious to oome to Portland to the Fair this year and as most of those I met were automo blllsts like myself, they were anxious to bring their machines with them. They asked me "what good roads we had and I mentioned the East Side roads, explain ing the kind of country they ran through. " Have not you any river roads? they would always ask. They seemed particu larly to desire an outlook over water. I told them that we had such in fair con dition and that I thought they would be In much better condition by Summer. "They would then advocate the use ot oil or westrumite, which is a by-product la the manufacture of oil and said to be the cause and a number of other men Im mediately said they would do the same. To oil a 60-foot road will cost about $100 a mile. In many places In California It was difficult to tell roads oiled from those paved with asphalt The oil In many places contains as high as 40 per cent asphalt. The process of making the road Is simple. The surface Is ploughed four to six inches deep and the oil Is sprinkled and rolled- In many places gravel and crushed rock are also used In the construction, making a firm, hard road. "The roads made after this fashion are not injured by rains. In fact, they are much Improved. If the rains of Winter were very long there would undoubtedly be a certain amount of temporary injury, buj. even at that the roads would be bet ter than now, and In Summer they would be free from dust and smooth as pave ment. i"I believe the St. Helens road would be the best to begin on. not only as it passes the Fair grounds, but because It gives a distance of 15 or 30 miles. We should have a CO-foot road alj the way, so that there would be plenty of room both for automobilists and drivers of horses. The road is wide enough as far as Unnton. but from there to Holbrook we should have to ask the county to widen the road, which I think it would be willing to do. "Not only automobilists, but drivers as well, have already expressed Interest in this project of oiling roads and I believe we shall be able to accomplish our end. It certainly would be a good" thing for the town to, have a long smooth road down the river. It would be fully patronized and would come to "be known as one of the chief attractions of Portland. I be lieve the White House road should be treated in the same manner. Those two roads would do very well as an experi ment. "Inside of an hour." concluded Mr. Rus sell. "I could go out on the street and find men interested enough to supply the money for oiling 20 miles of road." That Mr. Russell is not alone in his en thusiasm is shown by the interest dls- i played In the scheme by other automobil ists. One of the oldest of Portland's en- ! thusiasts, J. C. Ainsworth, has said that he will subscribe $100 to the fund and others have also expressed a willingness to assist. rZN I I ll ,"m l-- -HBMHl, 1 IflU Hi) T Ml I J. Jf. !" ... -r-vs-W " ; feetter. .than the crude oil itielf. I had found myself that oil made a wonderfully good road, not only for automobiles, but for driving, and when I returned home 1 spoke to several other automobilists, ask ing them what they thought of oiling the St. Helens and the White House roads. Several of them were very favorable to the project. I offered to put up 1100 to aid '7 1 MADAME'S BEST BED AT MONTE CARLO HOW.IT WAS LOST THROUGH THE STARE OF A FAT MAN THE doors of the gaming-room of the Casino at Monte Carlo swung open, and a throng of visitors at once rushed in. Among them were old la dles with halting steps, young women with eager, feverish eyes, and hand some men. showily dressed, wearing too many diamonds. All passed hastily through the spacious corridors, and were soon lost to sight. And what splendor and sumptuous uess were displayed on every side. M. and Mme. Bonnet, ribbon merchants -from Paris, on their first tour after 15 years of marriage, were quite over Tvhclmed by it all. It seemed to them that the floors wero inlaid with gold and precious stones. They stepped carefully as If afraid of damaging them. The red-coated ushers on the thresh olds were roost imposing in their eyes, and they were overawed by the majesty of the person presiding in state over the lopg baize-covered table, in the center of which a roulette wheel was buzzing. How severely he eyed each newcomer! M. Bonnet was about to introduce himself as a merchant of some Importance, member of the Board of Trade, and so on. Before, he had .time to do this, however, the majestic glance fell elsewhere. .Mme. Bonnet sat down at the table, staked a louls. and won. This was a . good beginning. Somewhat reassured, monsieur walked away to look on at - aaoiher table;" After a time Jis jfeean to wonder how Victorine was getting i along. She was always so lucky that she ought to be winning. ' He finally succeeded in reaching her side, which was no easy matter as the spectators were four ranks deep. "Is it all right, Victorine?'" he asked in an undertone. "Yes, It's all right. Go-away; you'll bring me bad luck; but give me three hundred francs first: Td rather sea, more money In front of me." "Here It is. bufr be prudent. If you lose, I shan't have much left." "Go way, please, and don't worry me." M. Bonnet obeyed. He went outside, for the room was stifling. He sat down on a terrace In the garden which sloped gently down to the sea. At his feet was a beautiful bed of scarlet geraniums. It seemed to "him that those on his own veranda were not half so red. and he was certain that the sky of Paris was not so profound ly, spotlessly blue. It was growing late and the moun tains had taken on violet hues. M. Bonnet, who was decidedly hungry, went back to remind his wife that the dinner hour had passed by. He found her so excited and absorbed that he stood meekly contemplating her, afraid to speak. "She looks discouraged." he thought. "I -wonder if she can be losing." At this thought, he boldly, ap ,raarlxei hex. - "Well, my dear." he. ventured, dis creetly. "Oh. I'm losing," she replied curtly. "My luck will come back, though, for I've discovered a trick. I'jn going to stake on certain numbers the day of the month, the age of the Prince of Monaco, and so on. I'll be sure to win." M. Bonnet waited. Why should ho not be confident since his wife was so certain? And. yet In his anxiety, he leaned over her until he touched Tier shoulder. "Oh, dear!" she exclaimed, impatient ly. "You've- brought me bad luck. There are five louls gone. Give me all the money you have." "But. Victorine. I have only two hundred francs." "Well, that's enough to help tne to win back all I have lost and roore, too. I'm going to stake on two num bers a, cheval. then Til get seventeen times my stake If I win; See; 1'm-put-tlng five louts on the ages of you and your brother, Jules 31 and 25." The wheel turned and the croupier call eg. out, "No. 2 wins!" "Hum!" said if. Bonnet. "Yourd bet ter stop now, dear. Remember. -If-we lose all the money I shall have to tele graph to my banker for 'more, and that will look bad for out business." "Do keep still: . You don't know what you are talking about. One can't always lose. I'm going to stage my age tnis time; turn your ".head and don't Look, lae you'll bring tne bad Mi&U - M. Bonnet meekly did as he was bidr den, but he was dreadfully anxious. If 3S should win that was Victorine's age she would have 7000 francs. That would be a pretty sum. Enough to buy the little villa he so coveted. "Thirty-three wins!" cried the crou pier. "Great heavens! She has won!" and the worthy man was so violently shaken that he had. to press his hand over his heart to still its wild beating- He turned around, expecting to find Victorine radiant. But. no; she was fairly crimson with rage. She rose from her chair, without -gathering up any money, he noticed, and a tar ted to ward the door. As she passed a cor pulent gentleman, she shook her um brella at him fiercely, hissing between her set teeth: "You wretch! It was you that made me lose!" "I?" exclaimed the astonished man. "Yes, you! You stared like an idiot when I said I was going- to stake .my money on my age. Is my age any affair of yours, Fd liko to know? Is it any of his affairs. Victor?" "Certainly not," replied Victor, meek ly. "What makes yon askf "Well, when I saw him looking: to see where-I placed my sta.ke," explained- Mme. Bonnet, sobbing now. "when I saw- that he wanted to see how old I was, ineted of staking on I staked on 29!" Translated lor the Argonaut from' the French ef Mas 0SzL FjLUSP &4 'V i