K K V 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. - r'V. 1 !. tTfc'MlSw ctrlrtSMSS ViHtll nw. it'Ai-. . v:v;: tv.,'::vitf lix-v. :v y. ,-x .; -t ..y. . V - -j i " 2X -jr "iA ' -sin- .4- 1 t - J 1 ;- j.. . i .i . . .1 r pi, w - f. M K It',"' ft ,' t -.-jsr-r-' .'hi 't-J 4 i 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 1 Jw 1 mm $ life ' hi fe 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 i; r i i ' ' KIP r-vu 'si'Brancher In Ai Large Cities ' I v1' J Perhaps they dll not know much