V
TlIE ST7XDAY OKEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY
1912.
4,
VOGLER PREDICTS
ROADSTER
SEASON
Wholesale Agent Says Little
Cars Will Have Unprece
dented Sale in 1912.
POPULAR DEMAND CHANGES
Elimination of Tire and Other Op
erating Expenses Figures Large
ly In Regaining Lost
Popularity.
Reversing tba order of thlnjri that
obtained during 1111. roadsters will
fcara unprecedented popularity with
prospective motor car purchasers In
of the Inventor. That It Is possible to
produce rubber from turpentine Is the
announcement of a German scientist
who already has a small piece of the
elastic substanca which he says was
artificially made. The cost of the piece
of rubber Is admitted by the professor
to be much greater than the price of a
few rubber trees. A conservative
American publication Is authority for
the statement that the Invention of an
artificial rubber process Is close at
hand, and that the cost of such rubber
will be about one-third of the present
cost of rubber.
So popular has the shaft driving fea
ture on electric ears become that the
first manufacturer to adopt the non
chain Idea In this country, so far as the
electric Is concerned, has brought suit
to stop the use of the shaft drive by
rival manufacturers. The improvement
In the design and mechanical part of
the electi-lo has been most pronounced
during the past year.
There Is a strong demand from mo
torists for equitable Insurance rates
and terms for their automobiles. There
Is a vast amount of Insurance written
each year on automobile risks, but
many who have had occasion to settle
with Insurance companies claim that
the word "risk" la a misnomer. Inas
much as the companies do not risk very
much. It seems that It la almost a sure
thing for them.
In the early days the risk was far
more hazardous than now. What the
motorists want la a policy with a lot
of restrictions removed and a more rea
sonable rate. News comes from Phlla-
BRIGHT VIEW TAKEN
Maker of Premiers Shares
Prevailing Optimism.
COMMERCIAL WAGONS LOOM
Smith Predicts That Increase In
Sales of Business Cars Will Be
Greatest Ever Recorded
In Industry.
Considering the Immensity of the In
crease In the sales of automobiles re
corded In the past four years, motor
car manufacturers will be fortunate If
they experience a season with a aales
Increase that will be as large as noted
recently, declares H. O. Smith, president
of the Premier Motor Manufacturing
Company. Mr. Smith, who has been
Identified with the automobile Industry
for a number of years and Is ranked
FAIR MOTORIST ENJOYS DRIVING MACHINE AT FAST CLIP.
"l" Ml" SBPlWWWWaS". ' ' III! Hill II I II
vfc. .
MISS CKRTRCDK ROST AT THE WHEEL OF EHU JfEAL'S MICHIGAN -40."
111 If the present trend of their
(emends contlnuvi. This belief Is held
because of the many small cars that
have been purchased for Sprlns; de
livery and the numerous Inquiries con
cerning the difference In cost of main
tenance that have come to the dealers
turtng the past few months.
It is quite impossible to Judite lust
what particular type of car Is destined
to find extensive favor." said F. W.
Vogler In dlscusslns; the possibilities
sf the remaining five months of the
ltll season. "It Is safe to say. how
ever, that more roadsters will be sold
than ever before." added the North
weet distributer for the Reo, Silent.
Knight-Steams. Apperson and Premier.
ast year was a poor one for this
model. The popular demand went to
the five and seven-passenaer machine,
with the two-seaters' dropping away
below their established average.
Qserr Capers Played.
"Just to show the change In the
whims of 'the buying public, take, for
instance, the business done In 110.
Kow, that season waa a good one for
machines of the two-passenger type.
Consequently, manufacturers and deal
ers alike figured that the succeeding
season would produce a substantial In
crease In the demand for roadsters.
Their forecast, however, went wrong.
Instead of having an Increased popu
larity, roadsters found little favor both
with those who purchased automobiles
without having owned a machine be
fore and those who were experienced
acotortsts and wanted to change their
car.-
Asked for an explanation of the re
turn to favor of the roadster, the
wholesale agent pondered a few mo
ments and then replied:
"I suppose that many different rea
sons could be assigned to account for
this, but It seems to me that It la
because the buyers' are figuring closer
to the dollars and cents than formerly.
This is became so many people who
have a moderate Income have found
the automobile to be a great help and
affords much pleasure at a reasonable
figure. Instead of being an expensive
luxury.
Blw Alaaed at Lbibtt.
"It Is admitted that the tire ex
pense la one of the heaviest that the
motorist has to contend with. It Is
only natural, therefore, that owners
will seek every opportunity of lowering
this outlay. Consequently, If a two
passenger car suits their Immediate
needs It means that this expense Is cut
to its minimum, for a four or five
passenger machine will be more ex
pensive la tire wear than a two-passenger
car.
"Last season the five-passenger auto
mobile was far more popular with buy
ers than the machines capable of seat
ing only four. Now, however, the four
passenger car Is coming It. ic greater
popularity than the five-passenger ex
perienced In the past.
"In former years the prospective
motor car purchaser usually selected a
machine with the Idea of having one
big enough to treat his friend to oc
casional Joy rides. A man with an au
tomobile then was considered a great
deal more than the owner of a chug
chug wagon now. Anyway, the man
buying an automobile today is think
ing only of his personal needs. If
without a family, he usually selects a
roadster. If a four-passenger car Is
large enough, he does not go In for
a bigger car. In buying an automobile
these things should be given careful
consideration, for they help to lower
the cost of operation and upkeep. Con
sequently, the person will be more sat
isfied with his purchase.
Haaeet Way Prevea Beet.
"Contrary to the general belief, a
good salesman never will try to en
courage a man to buy an automobile
f larger capacity than suits the
prospect's- needs or a machine that is
too expensive for his purse. The tem
porary gain would be greater if such
methods obtained, but In the end. both
the salesman and the owner are the
losers. One of the greatest things Is
to create a wider demand for the ar
ticle. This cannot be brought about by
making dissatisfied owners, which are
a natural result of, the system men
tioned before. A man with something
that is too expensive for his Income
will not be a booster for. the business.
The same applies to a man with a
larger machine than be needs. On the
ether hand, with a model or make
that meets his requirements In every
respect, he will be an enthusiastic mo
torist, boost your car and make count
less sales that the dealer or salesmen
sever would get In touch with."
Art I Octal rubber Is the latest promise
delphla that a number of automobile
dealers have become Interested In an
automobile Insurance company. Back
of and handled by men who know the
Ins and outs of the automobile busi
ness, such a venture should be a suc
cess from their viewpoint and should
meet the demands of the owners.
I
DEMAND IS PERSISTENT
POPULARITY OF S ELF-STARTER
GROWING FAST.
Mechanical Cranker Fills Long-Felt
Want In Perfection of
Automobile.
In this season of 111 the self-starter
has taken a hold on the automobile In
dustry like a Kansas cyclone on corn
cribs and grain stacks. The mechani
cal cranker has had a whirlwind Intro
duction; so much so that a small ltll
machine' without a self-starter Is get
ting to be a rarity. Different makes
are almost as numerous as various
brands of breakfast foods.
The long-pestponed but now almost
universal adoption of self-starters on
cars selling at $1000 and over Is almost
marvelous, when It Is considered that
the air pressure and mechanical sys
tems have been on the market for sev
eral years, and that the air pressure
system has been In fairly successful use
on a six-cylinder car the Wlnton
for several years.
One wonders at ths sudden and In
sistent demand for self-starters at this
time snd the surprising response of
automobile manufacturers In meeting
this demand. It la apparent that there
is some valid reason behind the public
demand for self-starters besides the as
sumption that It Is undignified to crank
a car.
There is a reason for the overwhelm
ing demand that autos be equipped with
this latest and most popular device, and
probably It Is found In the difficulty of
vaporising Into an explosive mixture
the poor grades of gasoline now to be
had. This Is particularly the reason
during the Winter, when frigid air In
the cylinders and the ice-cold metal of
the Intake manifold, piston head and
cylinder walls cause a large percent
age of the sprayed gasoline to be pre
cipitated on the metal parts as non
explosive gasoline liquid.
The heretofore expedient of filling
the radiator with hot water In order to
warm the cylinders had most decided
advantages In facilitating starting, but
It was impractical when In front of a
theater at 11 o'clock, and upon a few
other occasions.
The self-starter has Invaded the
automobile Industry with a rush a
veritable stampede because now, in the
explosive gas self-starter, the great
need for one has been cheaply and ef
fectively supplied. Self-starters weigh
ing but three and four pounds, so light
that the expense of the system prac
tically ends with Installing It, are part
of the regular equipment of up-to-date
cars or can be supplied at from $2S to
ISO.
The reason for the wide adoption of
the acetyllne gas self-starter Is owing
to Its overwhelming success rsther than
to its lightness, cheapness and free
dom from trouble. The acetyllne gaa
used from the tank that supplies the
searchlights Is nnaffected by any de
gree of cold and explodes as readily
in the cylinders as the Illuminating gas
at home Is lighted by a match. The
high temperature of the explosive, be
ing many hundred degrees.-effectively
warms the cylinder walls and the motor
continues to work on Its usual diet of
gasoline.
One of the- most successful self
starters Is the one used on the Cadil
lac It Is an electric device, and. de
spite the adverse criticism from com
petitors, has proven Its reliability In
more ways than one. The compressed
air system, as used by the Chalmers
"If and the Wlnton "Six." both on a
different plan, la declared by many
prominent automobile engineers to be
the equal of any device on the market.
The money seat back home by Hungarian
einlfrani Id the tnlled States last year
wu about flVOOO 000. mrlng tae 10 years
betweea lsoO and 110 such remittances
r.a-ni the enormous sum of above I'iiX-ooo.uoo
as one of Its leading authorities, holds
optimistic views regarding the outlook
for the lslt season.. However, he does
not think the percentage of increase
will come up to that of the laat few
years.
"It would not be reasonable to expect
the Increase In demand for automobiles
In ltll to equal the percentage In
crease of the laat few years," aaya Mr.
Smith. "When we conaider that In 109
thla country absorbed more than twice
aa many aa In 1S0S, and In 1910 four
tlmea as many as In 10. and in ltll
slightly more than In 1910. It could
only be pronounced a favorable outlook
If we have promises of a demand equal
to or slightly In excess of the best year
we have had up to this time. It is safe
to say that thla la a fact.
"Another very wholesome indication
Is found In the fact that a year ago
almost every purchaser seemed skep
tical aa to the stability of the list price
of the motor car. List prices did not
drop, but. like every other year, each
manufacturer has given a little more
value for the money than In previous
years.
List Prices Stable.
"This year It Is the exception, and an
almost-unheard-of occurrence, for the
prospect to express any doubt as to the
stability of the list price.
"Most of the old and best-established
manufacturers have abandoned the an
nual model. Their product has been
practically standardised over the last
few years, and while there have been
minor changes and modifications the
cars have not differed materially In
their essentials, and the manufacturers
themselves have realised that It Is un
fair to ainounce a new model which la.
In fact, the old model with slight modi
fications, when by so doing they depre
ciate from IS per cent to 40 per cent aa
a selling proposition the purchases
made by their customers a few months
previous.
"Even the casual observer can note
the great Increase of the conservative
element among; automobile buyers,
which goes to show that the motor car
la becoming universally regarded aa a
vehicle or conveyance aolving the trans
portation problem aa nothing elae has.
Demand Exceeds Supply.
"It la aafe to predict that thla coun
try can absorb several hundred thou
sand motor cars more than are In use
now. The whole problem Is that of edu
cating the public to the possible ad
vantageous uses of motor cars' fast
enough to absorb each year's produc
tion. "We are living In the most progres
sive age of the world's history. There
is not an exception to the rule that the
agencies which have In a practical way
facilitated transportation have never
been given up and abandoned and obso
lete methods come In vogue again.
"While the users of the pleasure ve
hicle will gradually and steadily In
crease, we can expect rapid changea
and great strides In ths development
and exploiting of the commercial car.
There will be a marked Increase- In the
number of these. used this year, and one
la absolutely aafe In predicting that the
Increaae from year to year will be much
greater than waa ever true with the
pleaaure vehicle."
AUTOISTS GIVEN' TIRE ADVICE
"Bull Dog' Pilot Cautions Owners
to Keep Tab on Small Cuts.
"Tire mileage can bo Increased by
paying attention to little things." said
Dr. Charles O. Porclval. who Is driv
ing the Abbott-Detroit "Bull Dog"
around the world. "Small surface cracks
In the sides of the castlnga ahould have
attention before serious damage la
done. There, are many preparations
on the market which will close these
up so that water and other substances
cannot work in and ruin the fabric
and In a abort time completely destroy
the tire.
"Another valuable point la proper In
flation at all tlmea, and atlll another
la to Increase the slxe of the tires used,
or. If that la not possible without
chsnging the rims, use an over-slxe.
The inflation of tires rests solely with
ths driver and owner. Remember more
air pressure Is needed with five pas
sengers and baggage touring than run
ulng around the city pavements with
one or two passengers and no baggage.
By paying careful attention to tbeee
little polnta the mileage and life of
the tires can be almost doubled."
TSie Valueless
High Duty Elmore
has made good in Oregon
Nothing Can Equal Elmore Service
A large, roomy, S-paesenger car, with plenty of power, which
sells at $1600 F. O. B. Portland, fully equipped.
NO REPAIR BILLS
on the ELMORE
Get a demonstration it will be a pleasant surprise.
Dulmage & Smith
48-48 N. TWENTIETH ST.
GOLD MEDAL IN SIGHT
PATHFINDERS NOW OX IjAST
LAP OK HARD GOING.
Pacific nigbrway Trallmakers Con
quer Worst Part of Route to
City of Mexico.
About the hardest occupation on
earth Is building roads. Anyone who,
single-handed, has tried to clear a
practicable trail through the woods for
even 200 feet knows what blistering,
backaching effort It Is. One only needs
to watch ths gangs at work on large
highways to get a vivid Idea of the dif
ficulty of it.
Chester Lawrence Is a newspaperman
by profession, and Telesphore J. Beau
6t earns his livine; ordinarily by the
shattering of California road records
and the demonstration of Cadillac in
vincibility. Neither one Is sspeclally
fitted by nature to excel as a road
maker. Until a recent date neither
expected to have such an experience,
not being listed In the rogues' gallery.
But on their return from the trip they
are now undertaking, to pathflnd Pa
cific Highway from San Diego to the
City of Mexico, they will be qualified
to give cards and spades to the college
s-rsduate highway engineer. Ever since
they left the beaten ways-of the North
they have been alternately building
roads and getting their 30-horsepower
Cadillac to negotiate them. Not ideal
roads, with camber and drainage
ditches and oil-sprayed surfaces; mere
ly roads clearings extended laterally
along-the earth's surface that will per
mit of forward locomotion.
Two thousand miles have been cov
ered by the pathfinders since they left
Los Angeles. They are now forcing
their way over the Sierra Madre Moun-
' tains, the range which divides Mexico
north and south, following a trail
never traversed by more than burros.
It was necessary to follow the sea
coast down to Mazatlan before a break
could be found in the mountain wall.
Outfitting and preparing for this hard
est part of the run for two days, they
turned to Teplc and entered the great
hills. .Engineers have told them re
peatedly that they will never get their
car through; but Lawrence and Beaudet
bad been Informed likewise that they
would never get as far as Maxatlan, so
they are keeping right on. Once across
to Guadalajara, the rest is compara
tively easy. Only a few hundred miles
through the fertile plantations of the
interior, and the City of Mexico will be
reached and the gold medal offered by
the Pacific Highway Association will
be won. '
Rough calculations of some of the best
authorities estimate the amount of new-crop
oil for the whole of the Islana of Mlty
lene at JO.000.000 okes, or 6d.767.811 pounds.
For ths year 1011 It to estimated that
3.200.000 pounds of frosen meat, chiefly
from South America, was imported into
Switzerland.
The first 1912 0. C. Cole has arrived. Equipped with Ward Leon
ard electric lighting- system, IVixSVi .motor, 122-inch wheel base,
86x4 tires, Firestone demountable rims, Bosch magneto, genuine silk
mohair top, $50.. Cox windshield. Compare this car.
TWITCHELL MOTOR CAR CO.
15th and Washington Streets
Phone Marshall 4266.
L
afftJ
GL1DDEN TOUR WINNER
WE GIVE SERVICE
Maxwell, owners do our advertising. More than 503
satisfied owners now in Oregon
Maxwell Messenger $ 67S
Maxwell Mascot . . S1200
Maxwell Special . . $1550
t QUIPPED
UNITED AUTO COMPANY
534-6 Alder St. Phones Main 4337, A 7171.
PENNSYLVANIA VACUUM CUP TIRES fr
r pery streets are
1 THE BEST NON-SKID tires IN THE WORLD.
They will not skid in any direction
and are guaranteed for 4000 .
miles actual service.'
A. J. WINTERS CO., Agents
67 6th Street, Bet. Oak and Pine
Auto Supplies Auto Tiro snd Tuba) Repsirins;
White Motor Car Co.
Motor Trucks and
Touring Cars
ALL SIZES
Corner 19th and Washington Sts.
It's the Man Behind Who Knows
All the Latest Styles in Hose
FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS
Archer & Wiggins Company
Oak Street, Corner Sixth . .
Dispensers of Auto and Sporting Goods
AUBURN
Auburn Motor Car Co.
EOBT. SIMPSON, Mgr.
505-7 Burnside Street
A 7339. Main 2674.
BALLOU 8 WRIGHT
Largest Stock
Antomobile Accessories
M. & W G. & J. and Hartford
Tires, Monogram Oils
80-82 Seventh St, Cor. Oak. Portland, Or.
Atterbury Truck
Columbia Carriage & Auto Works, Agts
209-211 Front Street. Phone Main 2892.
General Auto Repairing. Bodies and "Wheels Built to Order.
BOWSER
GASOLINE and OIL TANKS
storage: systems for pibliu ad pri-
VATK (iiBAKM,
Stoddard. Agt, 305 Owlusabis BldST. Halm 147
Braly-Du Bois Auto Co.
IMMEDIATE DtLiVERY
Phones A 3881, Main 4889 31-33 N. 19th,' Near Washington
Crowe Auto Co.
Sixteenth and Alder Streets
RAMBLER STUTZ MARION
K-R-I-T
MAIS TRUCK (Gear Driven)
The Best American-Made Track
Distributers for Oregon and Southern Washington.
JOHN DEERE PLOW CO.
Northwest Distributors,
EAST MOEEISON AND SECOND STS.
Phones: E. 3887, B 1625.
FORD
The car that comes fully equipped
Best for the Money
Ford Motor Car Agency
A. J. Edwarda. See. and Mar. E. Stfc sad Hawthorne Avenue. Phone East 0X8.
TIRES
ValeanUlnsr Retreedln. R. E. BLODG EXT. 28-81 Jt. 14th. Mala 7003.
OVERLAND CARS
J. W. LEAVITT & CO.
5Z9-B31 Washing-ton St.
Distributors (or Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada.
THE AMERICAN
1912 CJiDERSU'G.
A Car far the Dlscrlmlnatlns; Few The Safest Car en Earth.
6AUAGK STORAGE REPAIRING.
Nob Hill Garage & Auto Co., Inc.
080-VO Kearney St, Betweea Twenty-first and Twenty-second.
IP
APPEBSON STEARNS REO
NORTHWEST AUTO CO.
DISTRIBUTORS
F. W. VOGLER, President
Fifteenth and Alder Sts. Phones Main 7179, A 4959.
PREER CUTLERY & TOOL CO.
Headquarters for Shop Supplies
and Automobile Tools
74 SIXTH AND 311 OAK STREETS
Schacht Motor Car Co.
COMMERCIAL AND PLEASURE CARS
' COR. FIFTH AND HOYT STS.
Our Motto: "Quality and a Square Deal"
Western Hardware & Auto Supply Co.
SEVENTH AND PINE STREETS
Vulcanizing, Hardware and Auto Supplies.
, Phone: Main 8828. Home A 2016.
MOTORCYCLES
INDIAN AND EXCELSIOR
BALLOU & WRIGHT, 80-82 Seventh Street, Cor. Oak