NEXT Tuesday tvill boln tlie most
notable mvc mootlnj; in the history
of autorfiobllinp, at the famous nat
ural speedway on tho east coast of Flori
da, known as the Onnond-Dayton Beach.
It Is likely that the records to le secured
by the famous drivers and high-powered
machines now at Florida will -be such as
to causo even automobilists- to gasp. A
mile In 50 seconds Is almost Incredible.
To our grandfathers It would have seemed
an Impossibility. Yet it is beyond ques
tion, that this time will not only be
equalled but even beaten during the five
days of this week.
Some value, therefore, attaches to a de
scription of this famous speeding ground.
The Ormond-Dayton Beach is approxi
mately 36 miles Jn length, somewhat In
the form of a crescent. The curve in the
beach Is so slight, however,, that It is
scarcely perceptible even to .the drivers
of fast cars. As a, racing roadway, the
beach, under ordinary natural conditions,
when free from deterring "red sand"
which occasionally "washes in, is the most
perfect speedway of which the mind of
man could conceive. At low tide It Is at
all points more than 100 leet In width, and
at some places nearly 130 feet wide. It
shelves so gradually that one may walk
for a quarter of a mile into the breakers.
It Is composed of exceedingly fine grains
of very' white sand, the disintegrated shell
of the coqulna clam. When damp it packs
as hard and firm as city asphalt, while
giving a resiliency which greatly aids
speed efforts and is easy on springs. In
the dampness of the sand is found a
cooling preventative of tire-heating, and
as a consequence tire blowouts and other
accidents are few. The beach is about
160 miles south of Jacksonville. The en
tire racing beach for 16 miles Is marked
out with mile-posts and half and quarter
mile signs.
Automatic Slop AVatclic?.
Along its entire distance runs a tele
phone line, the poles and wires having
been erected by the Florida East Coast
Automobile Association, which promotes
the meeting, three years ago. This line
Is used both for telephoning to various
points where races at various distances
The Freak Record for Last Year Smashed
Odd People and Odd Doings AVhiclJ Show That Life Is Xot One Dull, 3fonotonous Round.
THOSE who may think that life is be
coming unduly monotonous and that
society is petrifying into a cold and dreary
formalism should consider a few of the
odd events and tho freak record-smashers
of 1S03, as observed and set down by the
chroniclers of the period. The Incidents
cited are but samples, and might bo mul
tiplied Indefinitely. Who can be melan
choly when such things arc going on?
For Instance, on one of those rare June
days that poets tell about, a Philadelphia
woman willed her sister $350 on condition
that she would always allow their father
to have "all the cigars he wants and also
all the rests he likes to wear.''
Pittsburg furnished several cpisoacs that
livened things up a bit. A brave woman
In that city wore hoopsklrts through the
streets, causing a crowd to assemble
which impeded traffic1 and had to bo -dispersed
by tho police. Another Pittsburg
woman, finding that a telephone com
pany was preparing to string wires about
her house and had already dug six holes
for joles, became exceedingly wroth. Hav
ing six children, she deposited a child In
each hole and then defied the workmen
to proceed. i
Pancakes brolce up an Iowa home In the
snappy days of February, when flapjacks'
are supposed to hit the right spot. At
Sanborn, Mrs. Carrlo- Fields got a divorce
from Dr. L. S. Fields because the husband
did-not. like her make of pancakes, and
ridiculed "them. She testified that the ex
pression on the doctor's face was such
that it might work permanent injury to
herhealth. " . . - ..
The-hlgh water snark in family quarrels'
wajf reached lo Kansas ,,-Cltyx. One raW.
January morning , found . Mrsl Theresa
Schuju and her husband, John, In' the
poljc& -court where i judicial.-aid was in-vokedHo-
sha&eohn .tetiee. from his do
mcJ3tic"mes?Cras.' ThcrtSs had 'given him
JlWHelearffSier-WKi trtrer-Tefara, bvt'hV
r - - ,-.- "S.
are started or timed, and also, tor the use
of the electrical timing' t instruments, i
themselves one of the most hovel features J
of tho yearly meet. Theseclectrlcal in
struments record the time, on six timers'
watches simultaneously, the cars them
selves (ripping, automobile tapes which
start and stop the instruments. The use
of these electro-mechanical -devices is
rendered necessary by the extreme speed
attained by latter-day drivers, which It
would b impossible to catch and record
with the ordinary humanly-operated stop-
watclu '
Social Prestige.
It was Sn 1903 that racing began on this
JCeptuneibuIlt track, although there had
been privato speeding of automobiles on
the beach for three years before that
time. Tliis initial racing was. a, compara
tively tame affair, only seven machines
competing. Alexarider "Winton, with the
first 'Winton Bullet," was the star of the
meeting. The Urst.running of the Ormond
Daytona races, Jiowevcr. served the pur
pose iof attracting the attention of promi
nent automobillsts and speed drivers
throughout the country, and there were
some 18 entries for the meeting of 1904.
Large numbers of enthusiasts and -fashionable
folk thronged to Ormond for this
second speed carnival, and it may be said
that the prestige of the place from a
social standpoint dated from that meet
ing. It was In the races of 1304 that "V.
1C Vanderbllt, Jr., made a mile in the
record time of 39 seconds, which was
deemed a most remarkable performance.
Last Year's Record.
The races last year were on a much
more elaborate scale. Forty-three en
tries were made and 34 of these par
ticipated in the 35 races which were
run. In the record trials the best time
was made by H. L.- Bowden, of Boston,
who drove a spcciaKcar of thcMcdccded
pattern, containing two 60-horse power
engines, for a me in 52 4-5 seconds.
This record was not allowed, however,
because ibe car. weighed more than the
2204 pounds which is the upset allow
ance for raclngr machines under the
rules of the American Automobile As
soclation, and, therefore, the record.
both for the beach arid the world, was
t z-o seconas, maae by Arthur E.
kept his promise only till the money was
spent Then the wife confided to the court
that she and John were married In Ger
many 14 years ago and had quarreled
every day since, which means a total of
more than 5000 quarrels.
Tho champion ice cream-eater of 3903
was not, as many might suppose., a senti
mental young woman, but a husky street
car conductor of West Philadelphia. A
wager of 57 and a Gargantuan appetite
inspired nay vJncent to the gastronomic
feat of hiding away 15 plates of Ice cream.
pa pork sandwich end a glass of milk to
top off with, all within two hours, and
wiuiout a subsequent funeral notice.
With a record of having served more
than 2,500,000 drinks at tho Bellcvue-Strat-ford
Hotel, Philadelphia, Tomasso Ruggo
in March celebrated the 23d anniversary
of his employment there,, his drink checks
ngurlng4ip-?611;915.
It is .vcJl known- that u ood deal of
beer is -drunk in. Munich At all times.
but dunpg an unusual not wave In Sep
tember tho thirsty inhabitants of that
city made a record: The heat lasted a
week, during which tirrie S50.000. gallons of
beer were consumed, or "2S gallons for
every man, woman and child-Jnthe city.
On November 12 Rev. J. Z. Torgen
sen, widely known as the marrying
preacher, died at his home in Chicago.
He- had' petf ormed 17,000 '.marriage -ceremonies
during the 36 years he was a
minister. It is believed he held the
-world's record for tying nuptial knots.
.'The average length of married Jife
seems to be two raonths," remarked
jJaUge Dunne in search, when a job lbt
,o divorce cases . was .being .disposed
jotja his $ourt. This was before he
waselected Mayor of Chicago. On this
same day 31 divorces icrc granted ,by
three 'Cook County Judges, including
Judge Dunne, who had the largest
grist -fu the -legal helper. The aver
T1IE STODAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 21, 1900
1
1
Macdonald. with a 90 liorsc-powcr
Xapltr car. In addition to this record,
the record for five, ten and intcrmcdl- I
ate distances up to 50 miles, and for !
li)0 miles, wcre-afoo shattered. The I
racing continued, for s.evcn days, jiold
Inp over until the second week. Tro
phies and cup's to the Value ol over
f 9000 were offered and- presented to
winners last year, wJtile it-Is estimated
that 3J00 'visitors from the North and
20,000 spectators from Florida points
saw the speed 'contests.
For Two-Milcsa Minute.
With the" .object of bringing the run
ning: of the faces within the scope of
the flyc days allpttcd. only 27 events
have been, scheduled this -week instead
of 3i. as was -done last yean The new
programme omits mainly tock-car
events, but there"" is a plentiful shdwlnp
of races 'for actual speed cars. Both
gasoline and steam-car. eyepts are on
the list- The distances vary from one
kilometer to 100 miles. Possibly the
race upon which interest Is most di
rectly centered in the automobile world
Is the two-mlle-a-mlnuto trophy race,
in which the winner must equal or ex
ceed 120 miles an hour In order to be
eligible for the prize.
The entries made for this year's
races, while numbering only 23, arc
quite formidable, representing an av
erage of S2 horse power. The most
powerful car entered is a 250-hprso-powcr
special car. built in. this country
to the order of A. G. Vanderbllt. who
succeeds his cousin as the Vanderbllt
family representative In the speed car
nival. The car will be driven by Sar
torl, Mr. Vanderbllt's race driver, in all
races except the Corinthian event, when
the owner will be in the seat. The
o.ther high-powered cars are a Darracq
(200 horso power), to be driven by
Hcmery. tho winner of the Vanderbllt
cup race; three F. I. A. T.'s (110 horse
power each), to bo driven by Lancia,
Fletcher and Cedrino; a Christie (110
horse power), to be driven by Christie;
a Napier (110 horse power) to be driven
by Earp; a Ford (100 horse power), lo
be driven by Ford; a Darracq (100
horse power), to be driven by Guiness;
aTnomas (90 horse power) to be driven
by Coey; a Mercedes (90 horse power).
age time consumed by the hearings
which -preceded the issuance of the de
crees was eight minutes. One hearing
took only three minutes. Three took
only four minutes each. iCo more than
15 minutes was devoted to any ono of
tho 11 cases.' This is a divorce clearing-house
record that 1 would be
hard to beat.
The year's Test record for mater
nity was furnished by Indiana. On
October 2S Mrs. Clara Krauss, of Coal
City, gave birth to her 20th child. Her
record Includes no twins. This noble
mother, who is doing what sho can to
prevent race sulcrde,has been married
only 25 years, and Is now only 41.
' Among centenarian tobacco-UEcrs
who came proudly to the front in the
past year. Grandma Eliza Fountain, of
Wayne County, Iowa seems to have
won the blue ribbon. When sho cele
brated her 102d birthday in October
admiring friends presented to her 102
large packages of smoking tobacco
and an equal number of pipes. Sha
has been an Inveterate smoker since
the age of -S. and sae attributes her
longevity to the use of the weed.
Akron, O placed itself on record as
having the oldest police officer in tho
United States. In July Thomas Dillon,
aged 102, was sworn in as a special of
ficer at the free swimming pool.
On divers occasions during the last
Summer at Herkimer. X. Y., Miss
Marj Putnam fell in a faint wberiever
the village band began to play. The
physicians who were called in to re
store her were unable to decide wheth
er the young woman's swooning was
the result of some peculiar physiolog
ical conditien or merely traceable to
the village band's quality or music.
For disinterested patriotism, the
banner .of the year goes to William .
Elliot, a "firmer an vcterta the
This is the question
asked by automo
bilists of this week's
contest on Ormond
Betchr
I IfcS
to be driven by Harding; a Napier (S3
horse power), to be driven, by Hllliard:
a Darracq (SO-horse power), driver not
nominated; a Darracq (SO horse power)
driver not nominated. Nine compara
tively low-powered cars are also en
tered in the less important events.
These range from 45 to S horse power.
Civil War, living near Kokomo, Ind.
He has repeatedly refused to accept
a pension that has accumulated until
it now amounts to more than $16,500,
though notified time and again that
the money is ready for him. He ex
plains that neither he nor his family
needs the money, and that he is en
titled to no reward for doing his plain
duty.
On December 3, after C2 days, a de
lay without a parallel in the hlstory
of criminal proceedings In Cook Coun
ty. Illlnolsi and the Incurring of an
expense of J1S.609, the Jury was ob
tained In the Gilhooley conspiracy case
at Chicago. This Is a record in Juris
prudence that will not bo soon eclipsed.
Two new typewriting records were
set November 3 at New' York. Paul
Munter yvon a contest by writing 2099
words in 30 minutes. December S. at
Pueblo, Colo., Ray T. Vanettlsca beat
Munter by writing 2600 words In 30
minutes and 4917 words inan hour.
. All records for continuous service in
Congress were broken Jn 1903 by Sen
ator William B. Allison, of Iowa. He
has been in the Senate Just 32 years
and in Congress 40 years.
Varieties of FrosU
Creamery Journal.
There aro two very .distinct varieties of
frost, a "black" frost and a "white"
frost. A "white frost is indicative of the
probability of rain,, but two white frosts
seen on consecutive mornings, and, still
more, three white frosts so sen. are cer
tain forerunners of rain within a few
hours. On the other hand, a black frost.
especially if It comes on gradually during
two or three days. Indicates cold and dry
weather. If during freety weather mist
disperses and small detached cirro-cumulus
clouds appear in the upeer air. a thaw
may be expected. Cirro-cumulus Is the
scientific name for those clouds which are
familiar to everybody uader the name of
"mackerel sky." Some other signs of an
Impeitiisg break up ef & frost are the
fohowig: "A water sun at sunrise; the
sun setting hi Mulch clouds and casting
resected rays into them; the stars look
lm duU. and. the Urrer eee only vie
-Hrte; the mes Mm leekfog MtfRled.
yo&rjv " '
and with ono exception represent
American manufactures. They .are as
follows: A Daimler (45 horse power),
driver not nominated; a Wayne (45
horse uower), driver, not nominated; a
Wayne (43 horse power), to be driven
by Hull; a Reo (32 horse power), to be
driven by Wurgls; a F. I. A. T. (30
The Sending of Pictures by Wire a Reality
German Professor Has Solved the Problem Except in the Matter of Speed.
PROFESSOR KORN, of Germany,
states that the problems of tele
graphing photographs has been solved In
principle. The apparatus will be ready
for general use when a few technical Im
provements have been introduced. The
cxpcrftnenCs which the professor has al
ready carried but prove that tt la possible
to transmit a photograph or sketch six
or seven Inches square. In a period vary
ing from 10 to 20 minutes, These experi
ments wero carried out on tho telegraph
line from Munich to Nuremberg, a dis
tance of about 100 miles, but Professor
rforn declares that precisely the same re
sults would bo obtained If the photo
graphs were transmitted by a telegraph
lino or submarine cable COCO mites Jn
length-. The photograph which has to
be transmitted is placed on a transparent
glass cylinder, which revolves slowly, and
at the same time moves from right to
left. A ray of light Is. thrown on this
cylinder by means of an electric lamp
and lens, and when the ray of light
reaches the interior of the cylinder it Is
brighter or darker, according to the color
ing of that particular part of the photo
graph through which It passes. Inside
the cylinder is. some selenium, which
transmits the electrical current In propor
tion to the intensity of the light brought
to bear on It- The selenium transmits
the current more rapidly in a bright light
and less rapidly as the light decreases.
The selenium within Jhe cylinder Is con
nected with the wire over which the pho
tograph is to be transmitted.
The receiving station consists of an
electrical NernHt lamp placed Inside a
glass cylinder covered with sensitised pa
per. The Nernst lamp burns more or less
brightly according to the varying current
transmitted by the selenhiHi at the other
end. It thus reproduces the exact shade
of the original photograph, provided that
tho cylinders a't each end of the wire
revolve at exactly the same speed. The
profeseec has - crtI4 a.rimpln means
of regulating the revetHuem the cylin
1 oas,
horse" power), to be driven by Cedrfnb";
a Pierce (30 horse power), to be driven
by Bristol; a Stanley (30 horse power),
to be driven by Stanley; a Stanley (30
'horse power), driver not nominated: a
MaxVall (8 horse power), to be driven
by Kelsey.
The straightaway records against
ders so that the speed Is identical at both
ends. Professor Korn states' that when
the improvements on which he - is now
working are Introduced It will be possible .
to transmit a photograph or sketch, of
half a dozen Inches square, within five
seconds, instead of 10 or 15 minutes.
CHAMELEON'S TWO SIDES
One-Half May Be Asleep, the Other
"Wide Awake.
Scientific American.
To all appearances, and according to
the researches of those best' capable of
forming an opinion on the subject, the
nervous centers In one lateral, half of the
chameleon go on independently of those
on the other, and It has two lateral cen
ters of- perception sensation and motion
besides tho common one in which must
reside the faculty of concentration- Notwithstanding-
the strictly symmetrical
structure of the chameleon as to Its two
halves, the eyes move Independently of
each other and convey separate impres
sions to their respective centers of per
ceptlos. The consequence Is that when
the animal Is agitated Its movements re
semble, those of two animals, or, -rather,
perhaps, two halves of animals glued to
gether. Each half wishes to go its own way
and there Is no concordance of action.
The chameleon, therefore, is the only
four-legged vertebrate that Is unable to
swim; it becomes .so frightened when
dropped into water that all faculty ef
concentration is lost and the creature
tumbles about as if in a state of Intoxi
cation. When a chameteeh Is undteturbed
every impulse to me ties, is referred te the
proper trifeanal and the whole organism
acts in accordance with its decrees. The
eye, .foe , example, that , receives the
stranceet mipreaeioa pcopacatec it.te the
which "the cars will have to go at Or
mond this year arc as follows: Dno
kilometer, 20 3-5 seconds, made by
Hcmery in the south of France recent
ly; one mile, 34 2-5 seconds, made by
Ma'cdonald vat Qrmond last year; five
miles, 3 minutes and 17 seconds, made
by Siacdonald at Ormond last year; 10
miles, 6 minutes and 15 seconds, also
to Macdonaldls credit; 20 miles, 13 min
utes and 24 -seconds, mzfdc by Edward
Russell Thomas at Ormond last year;
30 miles, 20 minutes arid 37 seconds,
also made by Thomifs; 40 miles, 31 min
utes and 34 2-5 seconds, made by Sar
tor! at Ormond last year; 50 miles, 3'S
minutes and 51 seconds, made by
Fletcher at Ormond last year; 100
miles, 1 hour, 18 minutes and 24 sec
onds, made by Fletcher last year.
This, year's entries are of such cali
ber that much Is to be expected oC
them. "The goal is 120 miles an hour
or better, and there is -every reason
to bellevethat it will be reached.
A. B. TUCKER.
common center, that then prevails upon
the other eye to follow that impression
and direct lis gaze toward the same ob-
The chameleon, moreover, may bo fast
asleep oh one side and wide awake on the
other. Cautiously approach at night
with, a candle so as not" to awaken the
whole animal at once, tho eye turned to
ward the light will open, begin to move
and the corresponding side to change col
or, whereas tho other side will remain
for a longer or a shorter time In a torpid,
motionless and unchanged state, with its
eye fast shut.
Physicians for Chauffeurs.
Harper's Weekly.
The question of Improving the laws and
regulations relating to automobiles Is at
tracting considerable attention in France,
and a draft has been made of certain new
regulations for legislative consideration.
In the licensing of chauffeurs it Is pro
posed that each applicant must possess
a medical certificate In order to have men
of absolutely sound health In charge or
motor- cars. It has been found that In
numerous instances in France chauf
feurs have been In poor physical
condition, either, from overwork or va
rious bodily Infirmities, and even a case
was encountered where an epileptic was,
in charge of an automobile. It Is now
proposed that hereafter a physician shall
certify that each candidate for a chauffeur's-
license Is sound, both mentally and
physically. With present high-speed
touring cars and the necessity for keeping
the most careful lookout and controlling;
the machine absolutely, the problem be
comes closely akin to the running of a
locomotive, and the move" of the French
authorities would seem to fee a move in
the right directum
Berlin's new Cathedral Is aot only lighted
throughout fcy electricity, bat "the ?am& pow
er is Bsed for ringlBg: -the peal of be lis, ana
the srsaa is Mratfcy a atauf-keraJewr'
motor.