The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, January 25, 1914, SECTION SEVEN, Page 5, Image 75

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TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, JANUARY 25, 1914.
5
ONCE TOY OF SPORT, AUTOMOBILE
HAS BECOME WEAPON OF BUSINESS
Desire to Be in on Something New Interested Sportsni3n, but as Easiness Grew Hard-Headed Men of Affairs
Captnred Rapidly-Rising Industry Old-Time Biczcle Heroes Abandon Wheels for New Sensation.
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LOOK AT THE LLES OF THESE POWERFUL "YET GRACEK
THE
Ar everything the name implies when
it comes to medium-priced autos
l
Touring Cars and Roadsters, $1300 Fully Equipped Portland
Equipment includes Ward Leonard electric starting, lighting and
generating outfit; Warner-Stewart speedometer; Stromburg car
buretor; Hriggs magneto; quick-detachable demountable rims,
one extra rim, and other equipment only found on high-priced cars
Note Our Rear Spring Construction
KING
Patent Shock-Absorbing'
Rear Spring Construction
T. A. Riggs
Oregon Distributer
Salesroom at 72-74 Grand
Avenue, Near Stark
.- Phone East 43, B 263S foe -Demonstration
Or See Us at the Show Next Week
BT WALTER GIFFARD.
FROM a "game" to a "business." In
that ahort phrase, to my mind, lies
the whole story of the spread In
automobile manufacture and also quite
a little of its story for the future.
It was the sense of sport in the man
ufacture, the desire of soortsmen to
be in on a new game, as most sports
men always will desire, that was re
sponsible for the more rapid rise ol
the pleasure car end than the commer
cial side. Perhaps this may sound
trangre, but it nevertheless is a fact
that at the very outset of "horseless
carriages" they were experimented
with more along the lines of trucks and
tag:e coaches than for actual pleasure.
Then, naturally enough, the heroes
of the bicycle's palmy days turned
their attention to this new-fangled no
tion of self-propelled vehicles. They
threw down their cycles wher they
were on the road, metaphorically speak
ing, and clambered on the band wagon
of the motor industry. And who were
these heroes? Why, most of them were
old-time bicycle racing stars, men who
had won prowess for their concerns by
their speed on the track.
So, naturally, once they had built a
horseless vehicle and had met with
aome other such inventive genius, what
could they do but start to race and bet
the one aftainst the other? 'Twas but
the logical sequence of events. Bettlns
and racing, or perhaps racing with a
bet on. the side, will ever be the pre
rogative of the majority of men, who
like a test of skill and nerve with at
any rate a certain element of risk.
Cars Have Pet Names.
So sprang into existence a new sport,
automobile racing (a sport wherein to
day on the Brooklands track, near
London, they have amateur events with
pet names for their cars and genuine
handicaps and a book on the events
every week) and that was why the
pleasure side of the automobile gained
the upper hand and kept It until the
Industry, though yet a babe, is truly a
giant among Industries.
Of course in the early days, just
few years ago. the whole thing was a
gamble, a game, a sport, and conse
quently it attracted a number of mon
eyed men. And among those moneyed
men were many who lacked everything
but the money. In other words, their
brain was to their purse as a molehill
is unto a mountain and the power of
their brain in the inverse ratio to the
sower of their purse.
Consequently (still pursuing a logi
cal seauence as far as we are able)
quite a pile of that money was wasted,
cither in the experimental end or in
the' engineering or selling end. Jt did
not matter so much then, for people
could not :et enough cars and would
take anything they could get At almost
nv price asked. With a demand
greatly l:i excess of the supply, it was
easy enough to make Both ends meet
and at any rate to break even, if not
to make any money. And that was
quite enough to content, at least, the
sportsmen who were In the game for
the love of it and not for their health
Or their pocketbook.
But with the growth came the In
flux of level-headed businessmen, who
foresaw the passing of a game and the
era of a new business: men who applied
to this game business Instincts, business
methods, business brains.
At tirst they were laughed at. How
could they, poor ignorant commercial
cornerstone, men interested in pigs,
poultry. sewing machines, clothing
stores .etc.. et al., how could they make
rood in the automobile game when they
did not know a spark plug from a car
buretor?
about a" car's insides, but they did know
enough to demand proof of where
every dollar went, they knew enough
to put the selling end on its proper
footing, to advertise scientifically, to
see that all reckless exaravagance was
abolished. The consequence? Those
machines, over part of whose destinies
at least they presided, were sold at a
reduction in cost and ai increase in
output; their firm gained customers
(and an effort was made to satisfy
these customers) and the other organ
izations run by the sportsmen began to
go to the wall.
It was a case of merely the old, old
rule in force since the "prehistoric era
and the days of the antediluvian trog
lodyte, the weak shall go to the wall,
with the inevitable result, again, that
of those who started to manufacture
automobiles only the good survived.
the good being the men with an equal
complement of brainH and busniees
sense, money to care for the increase in
business and sense to perceive that the
day of reckoning was coming when the
supply eventually would exceed or at
least equal the demand.
Tnat is why some have gone to the
wall. That is why a wail went up
from the pessimists to the effect that
the automobile business was in an aw
ful way, that firms were going broke
here and there: that is why some un-
IL TUCRUG CARS.
scruplous salesmen started In to cir
culate base and unfounded rumors that
every firm but their own was on the
rocks: all false, cruelly false and of
incalculable harm for a time.
And that is really the reason why we
should say "Thank God," without mark-
lus . c. over tne graves or those
who have lost out. for it means that
those who have survived have been
strong enough mechanicaly and finan
cially to weather the storm and it
means that the old sportsmen, who were
nothing but sportsmen, in the game ir
the love of the game, have gone, that
there are now business men at the
head of business organizations and that
the making of automobiles has passed
from a "game" to a "business," spelt
with a big B.
Buick Makes Test Run
Over 184V2 Miles
(m Trip From San fFrBClic to
Fresno, Car Is Compelled to Trav
el Tkroush Vineyards.
ONE of the most remarkable endur
ance and fuel testa attempted on
the Pacific Coast was the recent. endur
ance and economy run of the new Buick
Six" from San Francisco to resno,
over a distance of 1844 miles.
The route followed did not lead over
level ground, there being two mountain
ranges covering a distance of nine
miles each, which it was necessary to
surmount.
The car carried four passengers and
the gasoline tank ' was sealed at San
Francisco and not refilled until Fresno
had been reached, when it was found
that an average of 19 42-100 miles to
the gallon had been established.
Tho car was driven by F. B. Gross,
accompanied by Claude McGee of the
Howard Automobile Co., San Francisco
branch. The observers were San Fran
cisco newspaper men.
In addition to crossing two moun
tain ranges, it was found necessary to
detour around those sections of the
State highway now in course of con
struction, and the Bulck "Six" was
forced to leave the highway and drive
through tho vineyards adjoining. In
many places nmddy roads were so
heavy as to necessitate the use of sec
ond gear.
Contest Board Members Remain.
Chairman Kennerdell, of the A. A- A.,
has invited alt the members of the 1913
contest board to continue in office, and
it Is expected that all of them will ac
cept renomlnatlon. Furthermore. ex-
Chairman Bchlmpf has consented to
servo, and a large number of the state
representatives will also remain in
office.
METZ
Glidden Tour Winner
$475
F. O. B. FACTORY
UNITED AUTO CO.
DISTRIBUTORS
16th and Alder
Phones A 7176, M. 4337
Automobile Record
Alphabetical and Numerical
A monthly list of all automobiles
registered in Oregon, 1914 series,
pocket edition size. A record in
dispensable to auto owners, deal
ers, repair men, garages, lawyers
and all persons dealing with auto,
owners.
See demonstration at Automo
bile Show.
Accessory Department of Archer
& Wiggins,
or
M. O. Wilkins, Publisher,
3S Mohawk Bldar. Phone M. 1584
i
THE clSHOW
will be held iij our salesroom,
14th and Davis Streets
January 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31
The complete Buick line for 1914 will be on exhibition and
demonstrators of each model will be at your disposal.
Come to see us day times and go to the show at Armory of
evenings.
We will be glad to tell you- why we are not exhibiting at the
Armory.
BUICK MODELS 1914
, Model 24, Roadster , $1060.00
Model 25, Touring Car 1185.00
Model 36, Roadster 1375.00
Model 37, Touring Car 1485.00 .
Six-Gy Under Touring Car 2135.00
Complete with Delco self-starting and light
ing system, speedometer and extra rim.
ALL PRICES F. O. B. PORTLAND
With Buick guarantee and Howard service included
Phones : Main 4555, A 2550
M
Mel G. Johnson, Mgr.
AUTO
I0MPANY
14th and Davis Sts.
Portland
Gets
Firestone
Branch
65-67-69 W. Park St, North
Phon..: Mun 4506 A 2367
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nfire and Rubber Company
announce the establishment at the
above address of a Branch House
and complete Service Station in this
city, where the Firestone quality will
be strictly maintained in every detail
of service, whether for business or
pleasure.
This news will be of big value to all who are
interested in the efficiency and comfort of road
travel anywhere in or around Portland.
-The public' is invited to inspect the branch
and become familiar with its many depart
ments. They will find everything essential to
tire-users not only in equipment, but in
prompt and efficient service.
Pneumatic Tires, Non-Skid and Smooth
Tread, Truck Tires, Pleasure Electric Tires,
Fire Apparatus Tires, Carriage Tires, Rims,
Tire Accessories, etc., all at hand and all of
the famous Firestone quality. Command the
service at your need and pleasure.
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
"America's Largest Exclusive
Tire and Rim Maker
Pnltimitie Tire, Track Tirm, Pleasure Eleetne
1 vtt, lm; 1 ires, r are Appantna 1 ires.
Rim. Tire Accessories, etc
65-67-69
West Park St, North
Portland, Ore.
Home Office and Factory!
Akron, Ohio
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