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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1914)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXUN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 27, 1914. tl'KENZIE PASS IS NEW AND TRIED MODELS WHICH HAVE GAINED PLACE IN AUTOMOBILE WORLD. MANY TO TOUR WEST TOUGH MOTORING If DIAMONDS ARE DOWN lUJII'AH THIS DIAMOND SOtEEGEE TREAD TIRE Numerous Requests for Road Information Received. UST WITH OTHER MAKES. Sqneearee Squeeae TUFslse 4ilt30xS .. BESTi2ii:: S3H .. Slx4 .. Tread Price. . .$12.65 . .fclT.OO ..SSIS.IO . .A23.25 ..S2tt.5 'i read Prices. FOR ::lsf:Vs LESS .S 4 4. 4.1 . .S57.30 Sise - 54 x 4K... 55 x 4 V. . . 3 x 3T x B . . . 38 x SH... El m Steep, Abrupt Inclines With Sharp Turns Make Knowl edge of Car Imperative. FALL IS POPULAR SEASON ARCHER AND WIGGINS OAK STREET. CORNER SIXTH. E3 . ervwy te4tXC' - IIH SCENERY IS BEAUTIFUL Walter Giffard Continues Story ot Trip Through Oregon and De scribes First Accident Due ( f to Striking Abutting Rock. BT "WALTER GIFFARD. Fart S. Seeing that the McKenzle Pass was to be negotiated the next morning, we went to bed at a fairly early hour, hav ing decided to start promptly by 8 o'clock on the following morning, which was Saturday, August 1. Sharp to time we bade farewell to the Thompsons, passed the home of Cook, the other expert navigator, a lit tle way up, and then Blue River, 13 miles on. It was decidedly warm even early in the day and later on the heat was really great, for the higher we got in altitude the less shade there seemed to be. which, coupled with the absence of any but the hottest of breezes, burnt us a deep brown. McKenzle bridge is some 10 miles from Blue River, most of the run being through a fine National forest, erro neously called redwood. The trees are of tine size, mostly pine and fir, and we were delayed quite a time through logging operations, three trees having to be removed from our path. At the bridge there is a road to the right leading to Foley Springs, but the road on over the pass is the left fork. Before reaching the bridge, though, mention should be made of one place where the motorist is liable to go wrong. It is a. small sawmill, where the main line of travel leads to the left. This is due to the fact that there are some hot springs, nameless as far as we could gather, known to people in the neighborhood, to the left of the main road. At this time of the year everyone had taken, their cars or their wagons and gone down to camp at these springs. The sign posted on a tree at the fork was vague and point ed in no direction at all, so we. took the main traveled road, which led down to the springs, taking us a couple of miles out of the way. For some distance past the McKenzle bridge the road Is in good condition and while of course on the up grade is barely noticeable. Then come rolling grades, with quite a steep climb, noticeable more than anything else for the steady pulling re quired and the continual ascent, which, 15 miles from the bridge, becomes most marked. Three Snotary Peaks LMm. The country , gets more and more beautiful in its rugged way the higher the elevation; great piles of rock, red and purple in the sun, with the shim mer of heat upon them, rose on either side of us. Then Just over the ridge on the right appeared in view first one, then two and finally three snow capped peaks. the Sisters. Jagged, cold and. cruel they appeared, somehow recalling the three cruel sisters of an cient Greek mythology, though differ ing in that they were beautiful. Eagles and hawks flew overhead, some of them perching on the telephone wires just a little way ahead of us, seeming ly oblivious to our presence or at any rate ignorant of the harm we might do them. On much of the road where the a.a ecent is steepest, notably at Dead Horse Hill, a 32 per cent long grade, with difficult truns, new grades had been constructed or were in course of construction. This work Is being done by the Forestry Service, which is ex pending a large appropriation in put ting this road in first-class shape. We were the recipients of their cour tesy. Half way up the pass we came upon their camp, in charge of a kindly woman. The water fn our drinking bags was hot from the sun and we asked for some cold water and were jshown the camp. Supplies ,of all sorts were on hand, stocked carefutly and neatly in one of the tents. On asking if we might buy some matches and one or two edibles, the woman told us that, this being Government property, could not be sold, but that she would be more than glad to provide anything that lay In her power. "It is the duty and also the pleasure of the Government." she said proudly, "to render all assistance to the pub lic, for the Government Is always work ing for the good of the people." In niAny places on the steepest parts of the ascent are the whitened bodies of horses that have succumbed to the arduous nature of the climb. These bones forcibly recalled to mind the troubles and trials of the early settlers, who must have had a weary time indeed. Struggle! of Pioneers. Recalled. It is not difficult to picture the road as it then was a rocky mountain trail, steep and tortuous. Theirs was not the knowledge of what was coming ahead, when they could get water, how far off a dwelling; theirs was the strug gle to get through, a- struggle that shows the indomitable spirit of the set tler. The most wonderful thing about the whole of the McKenzie Pass, though, is the enormous sea of lava. Starting npparently from no place in particular, it ha3 spread for miles and miles, a great sea of purple and black rock. The suddenness with which it ends is equally remarkable. "One could not help calling to mind the Bible story of Moses, leading his forces across the Jordan, whose waters divided into two walls. v This lava sea was almost the same, only that there was but one wall of It. And the road had been made by years of travel Just around the edge of it. Sometimes the way led through it, but that was only when there was no way round. Source of Lava Questioned. Away off to the left is a volcanic peak, whence it is to be presumed came this stream of molten rock, though ae far as the eye could tell from the road there seemed to be large spaces des titute of the lava between us and this peak. Some say the Sisters were vol canic originally and that the lava came from them, but this must be.imposslble, on the face of it, for the flow is toward them and not from them. . . This lava bed is practically a plateau on the summit of the pass, at an ele vation of between 5000 and 6000 feet. The roadbed, if it were once put into good shape, would provide a wonderful, natural hard surface. At present it is uneven, with some severe climbs, some ehort drops and high centers. We met or passed several cars which were having trouble. One had a broken axle, but the others were suffering chiefly from carburetor trouble. Many of them had started to change their carburetor adjustment, with dire re sults. Some, fed by gravity, were un able to get proper feed on account of the gradfN but in the main it was a case pi iVing to better what was al- J 4 x - - V fe.ffljVnfeilt1l8a88BiallllIIIS 5 i WW t s' ready at least fairly good. As the at tempt at betterment was undertaken by people who knew but little of the workings of a carburetor, or even its moet elementary functions, it Is small wonder that they were soon in trouble. Knowledge of Car Needed. We were able to help one or two of these people, but we came to the con clusion that it is wiser for & man not to attempt the McKenzie pass until he, has at least had some experience of' country driving. It cannot be called child's play, for there are many places where a man must have intimate knowledge of his machine to get through without at any rate the chance of trouble. In saying this I am speaking con servatively, after the experience of many a trip over what are universally conceded to be bad roads. There is, for instance, after the real summit had been reached, one little grade which might well be called "Jump-off Point.'.' There is a grade of at least 30 per cent, with an extremely sharp turn right at the top, nothing on the left side but a sheer drop to Jagged lava, a narrow road and pre cipitous cliffs on the right. In taking the turn it would be easy for the novice to swing right over the edge, while many would have to put the- engine in reverse to make the turn at all, and the danger of so doing on such a grade and such a narrow road is well known. Soon afterwards the lava thins out and gradually disappears, sand taking its place. It was here that we had our first accident. Thinking the ascent over and done with, we had put on a little more speed, as it was getting toward dusk, due to our having ambled along, stopped to talk with various motorists and to the assist ance we had rendered others. Accident Is Sadden. With extreme suddenness there hove into view one of those short little dips which take away all the clearance from a car, especially such a car as the Lo comobile, with its long crank case. The result was that a boulder, stick ing up not more than an inch and a half, struck the rear end of the crank case, forcing inward a four-inch cap. This we had to fix up as best we could with rags and a small piece of tarpaulin. By jamming the brass nut of the cap in the wrong way we found that the oil leaked out at the rate of about 40 drops a minute. Fortunately we had plenty of oil, so after filling the crank case up again we set off once more to Sisters. From the foot of the grade into Sis ters the road is good, with a fine sur face and with beautiful scenery, most of the way lying through fine forests. Somehow or other forests always seem more beautiful and more impos ing at night; at least this was our ex perience, for the run, like many an other we were to experience, was de liciously cool, while the giant trees in the glare of the headlights seemed more majestic than ever. The little town of Sisters we reached about 9 o'clock, having covered 60 miles that day. Having a side trip in view. Dr. Mackenzie decided to stop there for the night and to set out for the Metolius and some more fishing the next day. .-Incidentally we left a pan under the crank case to collect what oil might leak out. . . r s ; - - . r AV. RACES IN 1915 ASSURED WAR NOT TO STOP GRAND PRIX AND VASDERBILT CUP EVENTS. Famous American Drivers and Mm factnrers Relied on for Success of Panama - Pacific Meet. The war in Europe will not stop the 1915 Grand Prix and Vanderbilt Cup races, which will be held by the Panama-Pacific Kxposition officials. These events are already drawing the attention of famous racing drivers and manufacturers, and as soon as the en try blanks are issued, it is expected that the cars for both events will begin to be prepared. While it is doubtful at present'if the representation from Europe will be large, there are enough manufacturers in this country and in countries not affected by the war to assure a record breaking list of cars in both the Vanderbilt and the Grand Prix races. But, as Commissioner General Anasa gasti, of Argentina, stated rerentlythe most important thing to be done at present to Insure a big entry list is the publication of official entry blanks. These entry blanks showing the ex act distance of the course, the length of the races and the prizes and rules and regulations governing the contests, are absolutely necessary for the manu facturers and racing drivers who are planning to enter the competition. This is especially true in case of the foreign manufacturers, who have to plan sev eral months in advance for their par ticipation in such important automo bile races as the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix events. According to W. L. Hughson, spe cial representative of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, and Hollis E. Cooley, chief of special events at the exposi tion, numerous inquiries have been re ceived regarding the dates of the races, and the data regarding entering cars foi both contests. A number of the best-known racing drivers' in the United States have already promised to take part, and with the participation of manufacturers from countries not in terested in the present war, both races promise to be record breakers. "We will have as large an entry list as we can take care of," says Hughson. "The best American drivers have al ready signified their intentions to take part, and with a unmber of foreign cars which-we are sure of getting, the ev ents will undoubtedly be the largest ever held in the history of automobile racing." La Center Road Being Repaired. RIDGEFIELD, Wash., ' Sept. 26. (Special.) The large conuty rock crusher is now in operation, crushing rook west of La Center about a quar ter of a mile down the east fork of Lewis Hiver. The crushed rock will be used for the grade and fill east of La Center and repairing the road as far as Lockwood Creek, where a large dirt fill was made recently, and on the main road as far as the Mount Zion i -. rv 3 V if -a ..frjfr 3 Cemetery. The crusher is operated with a large gasoline engine and ten men and four teams are employed on the improvements. It will require about three weeks to complete the road work. After this piece is finished some more improvement along this line will be cone. SALEM TO SEE WAR AUTOS Giant Cars to Be One of Many of Features at Fair Exhibit. SALEM, Or.. Sept. 2. (Special.) All available space has been engaged for the automobile show to be held on the State Fair grounds during the fair, September 28 to October 3. Several dealers will use tents in which to dis play their overflow. Joseph M. Reig, superintendent and. manager of the automobile exhibit, expects to show some of the heavy cars similar to. the ones doing duty in the war. This will be an attraction never before given on the Coast. The ponderous cars of the type that haul cannon, uproot fences, mow down trees, crash through bogs and add terror to the wornout soldiers will be shown here if it is possible for Mr. .Keig to obtain them. Various makes of cars may be seen and compared at this show. Side by side with the cars will be shown the old ox wagon, the old-time bicycle and the first car owned in Oregon. The show will be one of the great free at tractions on the grounds. It will be held in Machinery Hall. Racing ma chines and motorcycles of ancient and up-to-date make will be on exhibition. GOTERXOR PREFERS CADILLAC Indiana Executive ' Replaces Horses - bj Motor Vehicle. Governor Samuel B. Ralston, of In diana, has always been an arder lover of horses. He loves them yet, but has learned to love the motor car also, as evidenced by his recent purchase of a Cadillac. Now a. part of the executive stables has been turned into a garage, and the Governor uses the Cadillac more often than he drives out behind his fine horses. Whether Governor Ralston will learn to . drive the car is a question. For the present, he says, his son will do the driving. For a long time the Gov ernor has been besought by automobile men - to add a car to the executive equipages, and resisted all attempts to get his name on the state license lists. But he could not resist the lure of the Cadillac. He says he is proud of his selection and that the members of his family are exceedingly well satisfied with It. Woodland Road Work Delayed. WOODLAND, Wash., Sept. 15. (Spe cial.) Mr. White, engineer in charge of the work on the Pacific Highway between Woodland and La Center, says that the contract on the road will not be completed before the middle of Oc tober, and should unusual rains occur the work might not.be finished before November 1. Of J4.000 men in the battle of Aelncourt. Ja 1110. more than eleven thoiuaud fell. Northwest Route Is Said to Be Avoided Until Road Work Under way Is Finished, When Trav el Is Expected to Gain. WASHINGTON. D. C, Sept. 26. In addition to the usual large number of Eastern motorists who go regularly to California for part of the Winter, there are many more who will drive across to the approaching expositions at San Francisco and San Diego, Judging by reports received by the American Au tomobile' Association touring board, at 4S7 Fifth avenue, New York City. THese show an increasing call for information on the different routes that can now be used for trips all or a greater part of the way across the continent. The 'most popular season for cross country travel is the early Fall, when the weather is likely to be more set tled than in the Spring, and long dis tance trips can be made more comfort ably than in midsummer. Northwest Soon to Attract. During 1914 there has been relatively little through travel over the ex treme northern route, on account of the road, work in process through Sno qualmie Pass, in the Cascade Moun tains, Washington State. But that strategic improvement is now nearlng completion, so that, beginning next year, the "Northwest Trail" may be considered safer and more feasible than ever before for those who would like to travel overland from the Twin Cities to Washington and Oregon, visiting en route Yellowstone and Glacier National parks. Both of these are directly tapped by the pioneer northern transcontinental route. During September, and probably up to mid-October, most of the west bound travel to the Pacific Coast will use the Lincoln Highway, destined to be the great central route, which west of Chicago for about 95 per cent of the way duplicates the route of what has been called the "Overland Trail." The Lincoln Highway is now being rapidly signposted. On account of the likeli hood of encountering snow in the Cas cade Mountains after November, there remains the option of leaving the route at Salt Lake City for the final link In the "Midland Trail." through Tonopah, Goldfield and Independence, to Los Angeles, which can be made considerably later than the direct crossing of the Cascades through Reno and past Lake Tahoe. Two Routes Now Open. Tours starting from the Eastern States after October 15 have a choice only between two main routes the "Trail to Sunset" through Kansas City. Trinidad, Santa Fe and Albu querque, thence either by the Grand Canyon or by Phoenix, to Southern California; and the all-southern route via New Orleans and Houston, or through Memphis. Dallas and Fort Worth to El Paso, thence in either case through Phoenix to San Diego and Los Angeles. The former route is at the present time more thoroughly developed, and the new option by the Grand Canyon will encourage more and more Easterners to go that way. The latter is being rapidly improved at many points, and although not good throughout, is being used by an in creasing number of tourists, espe cially during the Winter months. All of these routes have been trav eled and mapped by the field forces of the American Automobile Association; and the Touring Bureau may be con sulted at any time about road con ditions, distances, accommodations, etc., on any one of them. BUIGK IS AGAIN VICTOR TWO OF THREE TROPHIES WON IX WISCONSIN RELIABILITY TOUR. 24.8 Miles Averaged on Gallon of Fuel and 2005 of 30OO Possible Points Brings $1000 Award. Repeating his brilliant victory In the first Wisconsin reliability tour in 1910. Emll Hokanson, of Madison, Wis., driv ing a Bulck Model C-37, won two of three trophies in the first annual Wis consin reliability-economy tour, over a course of 508.8 miles, on September 7, 8 and 9. He might have taken the third cup but for the fact that six con testants drew lots for it Franklin, Jeftery, Studebaker, Chevrolet and R. C. H. finished in the order named. By averaging 24.8 miles on a gallon of fuel, which figures 1455 pound loads to a gallon. Hokanson's Buick won the Wisconsin Motorist trophy in the econ omy test, and, with a score of 2995 out of a possible 3000, was awarded also the Milwaukee Sentinal T1000 sweep stake cup. The Milwaukee Free Press Trophy for the best road score was awarded to the Studebaker Four, the decision being made by drawing lots, because all contestants finished with perfect road scores. It was with a Model-19 Buick that Hokanson won the Sentinel cup in the initial tour for this trophy in July, 1910. In 1911, Hokanson finished sec ond, while in 1912 he was tied with several other contestants for the major trophy and with others received cer tificates instead of the cup. The 1914 Wisconsin state tour was without doubt the most important run of the kind staged in America this year. . The tour was turned from a non stock event, which the American Auto mobile Association's santlon called for, to a stock car event, by mutual agree ment among entrants. The Wisconsin State Automobile Association became its own Judge of what constitutes a stock car. GIARE OF WINDSHIELD SOLVED Slanting Glass W ill .Vbolish Rays of Light From Driver's Eyes. "Here's a little hunch," said C. L. Boss, local Portland distributor of Hud son cars, "that will save drivers many anxious moments. At night along a road or street crowded with automo biles the glare of the many lights re flected from both sides of the plate glass In the windshield is bewildering and dangerous." "This is particularly noticeable when the top is down but the windshield up as protection from a cold wind or from dust. If a car approaches behind you at the same time one Is approaching In front the result is almost total inabii- i ity to see ahead. I haven't a doubt thU i many accidents are due to this. ' "But here la a scientific solution vt ! the difficulty. Light is reflected from ! a. ran Oil Spring Something new to add save spring ASK BALL0U & WRIGHT OWSER DIAMOND TIRES Yukaniziiig & Retreading R. E. BLODGETT. 29"31 m tSSs NORTHWEST AUTO CO. Factory Distributors of Cole , Lozier, Reo Cars BROADWAY AT Main 8887 a polished surface at the same ansle It strikes It and, scientifically, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of Incidence. In other words. If the rays of light strike the glass' at right angles they will be reflected at right angles, and into the driver's eyes. "Hut if the upper glass of the wind shield is set so that it projects at the lower edge, as any one can do with the windshield on the Hudson six, the light will strike the glass at an angle of about 45 degrees whether coming from the front or the back. The light from the rear will be reflected downwards, into the car, and the lights from the front will be reflected into the air. The driver will have absolutely clear vision without the slightest annoyance from these lights." Speed Kings' Biographies No. 3. Teddy Tetxlaff. TETZLAFF Is a native son of Cali fornia. He has been in the auto mobile business for 11 years and has driven In every Santa Monica race. In 1910 he broke the American stock car record on this course, winning the heavy car and free-for-all the same day. Later, at Playa Del Rey Motor drome In a match race with D Palma, he established four world's records: 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles, averaging 82 miles per hour. In 1913 Teddy hung up the present world's road race record, averaging 78.72 miles per hour for 300 miles, at Santa Monica. Next, the 50, 100 and 150 mile records on the Indianapolis Speed way, and finished second in the event, after losing 20 minutes. In the same year he won the heavy car and free-for-all at Tacoma. In 1913 in a special track event at the Playa Del Rey Motordome, he took two of the three heats, of one mile each, from Oldfleld; made a five-mile track record at Exposition Park, Los Angeles; won the Owensmouth race, and in practice for the Corona races turned a lap averaging 102 miles per hour. The 60-mile races on the mile track at Phoenix, Ariz., have been won by Teddy for the last two years. He is a California enthusiast and is ever anxious to make new records, especially on the Santa Monica course, which he claims is the safest, fastest and best in -the world. In the past year Teddy has been in hard luck. Xcw Bodies Make AH-AVlnter Auto. Though the Studebaker line includes no closed models, dealers are being furnished with Coupe bodies which can be mounted on almost any chassis, thus providing an opportunity for a year-around outfit for any owner desiring It. HERCULES TIRES Non-SMd Until Worn Out ff r . Cushion Insert to your comfort and expense. US BROADWAY AT OAK GASOLINE and OIL TANKS STORAGE SYSTEMS FOR PUBLIC AND PRI VATE GARAGES. S. D. Stoddard, District Supt. Sales, 415 Cor bet t Bids. Slain 1470. COUCH STREET . A 4959 "It Holds the Low" o CATCH 1 Va TRADEMARK For FORD Owners at $2.75 Ballou & Wright, Chanslor & Lyon Archer & Wiggins Co. Pacific Coast Distributors. Accessory Sales Agency 518 Oregenian Bldg. ROAD WORK INGBEASiNG AGGREGATE EXPENDITURE S 1013 PLACED AT L'(Ht,0(M),(HK. State Aid Declared to Have Given I m petna to Improvement!!, but HO Per Cent Yet In touched'. Approximately $206,000,000 was spent last year on public roads in the United States, according to the statistics pre pared by the United States Department of Agriculture. In 1904 the total was only $79,000,000. In nine years, there fore, the increase has been over 250 per cent. This awakening on the part of the country to the importance of good roads, experts say, has been due in great measure to the principle of state aid to counties and other local com munities. New Jersey began the move ment irv 1891, when it passed its state highway law. Massachusetts and Ver mont followed a year later, but for the most part the other states were slow to move. In 1904 only 15 had state highway departments; today there are only six which have not. In 1913 the Individual states appropriated a total of $3S, 755,088 to supplant local expendi tures. The value of this state aid, however, is not to be measured hy the figures alone, for the bulk of the money comes and always must come from the coun ties and townships. Thus, in 1912 the cash outlay by counties, districts and townships was $137,493,9S5. Complete figures for 1913 are not available yet, but it is safe to estimate the sum at approximately $151.000,000. To this must be added some $15,000,000 to rep resent the value of the labor con tributed, instead of cash In iistricn where this practice prevails. Last year, therefore, lecai onmiuni ties contributed in round numbers $166, 000,000, as against appropriations from state treasuries of $38, 755, OSS. Of the 2.226,842 miles of roads In the United States, 223,741 miles, or approxi mately 10 per cent, are classed as im proved. To improve the remaining 9i per cent may well seem a big job. New Jersey Tourists Start West. J. Miller and Carl Smith, of Pauls boro. N. J., have stared on a trans continental motorcycle trip which they expect to extend over several months. They will visit the leading cities en route to the west coast, and are plan ning to stop In Chicago at the time of the annual motorcycle show which will be held in the First Regiment Armory. October 12-17. The Tire That Stole the Skid From the Automobile. ;WjiiL Sea Island Fiber on edge, 'csSSl placed at acute anerles with j road, interwoven with high Jprade rubber, prevents cuts, t Dunctures. skiddinc and in- Sl,res 5000 miles. V ntiRniiiii n 335 Burnside, Nr. Broadway bone Main gC$