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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 20, 1915)
TITH SU3TOAT 6-RT,nOTXy. POTITXAND. JUNE 30, 1915. GOLUfilBIAVIESWITH HIGHWAYS 111 ALPS Best Features of Old Roads Combined With Modern in Newest Great Route. LIKENESSES ARE SHOWN fleauty Is Declared Incomparable .Because of Difference In Types, Many Hotels of Swiss Are Open All Year Around, BT KAIPH J. STAEHLJ. ' Representative Portland Auto Club at Fair. "Taking Switzerland and Swiss roads as the criterion, how is the Columbia River Highway rated This question was asked of me a few days ago by a man who had done practically all of his touring in Europe li the Summers of the past few years. His playground has been made un cafe and he is going to tour the North' west this year. This man is only one ' of a good many thousand, for the reg istration at the Panama-Pacific head ' quarters constantly is increasing. However, his question is one that often has to be met. To compare the , ncenery is idle. The Columbia River Highway, longer than any route , through the "Top of Europe," is too different. However, the construction and ma terial features can be compared. Roads of Alps I.enK Famous. The roads of the Alps have been famous since the time of the Romans. Their construction has been the model for highway work the world over. Our own Columbia River Highway has the best features of the roads in the Bernese Lake country, to which are added the wonders of American engi neers, namely the concrete bridges and viaducts. One of the newest roads in the Alps Is that running from the Bruenig Pass to Briens, In the Oberland. This road Js one which all who have been on it Kay is most like the Columbia High way. There, too, may be found the im mense stone cuts, the tunnels and ma sonry. Still, there are many who would pick the Columbia as the more picturesque, the better constructed and the more valuable to the country. Colombia Highway Broader. The Columbia Highway is broader in all parts than the Bruenig Strasze. The virgin forest of the Columbia adds much to the charm. The Swiss road has the Alps. It has the deep valleys and the blue lakes of Brienz and Tbun In the distance. We say our green hills, tall pines, wooded ravines and the blue Columbia, in. its rock walls, almost matches vir tues of the European scenery. Maybe the Swiss are better business managers than the people of Oregon. At any rate, in the 164 miles of Riviera on the right-hand shore of the Thutier See there are 107 first-class hotels and pensions. Most Inn Open All Year. Most of these are open the entire year around, while they formerly were known as Summer resorts only. The Columbia River Highway, if hard-surfaced, could be said to have gone the model one- better in several nays. It undoubtedly would lead to a community growth such as must neces sarily stand la back' of such a system of h otels. ' These hotels are in the most pros perous part of Switzerland and. while the people are most industrious arti sans, their biggest money comes from the tourist of the Summer and their commercial activities tide them over the Winter. taining wall, and loosened bis steering connections so that he had to make a pit stop and was unable to drive at top speed afterward. Bunny escaped unhurt. J. HLLARD HAS STtDEBAKER Factory Employes Wear Path Past Office, to See Cbampion. Jess Willard, champion heavyweight pugilist of the world, now drives a Studebaker automobile. He bought it while in Detroit with Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West show. Incidentally, the champion smashed all office discipline at the Studebaker factory when he went out to get his car. When word was passed around the office that he was a visitor, all work ceased. Every one from assistants to vice-presidents down to assistants to office boyB was keen to see the man who had transferred himself from a white hope to the white reality. Soon the employes were wearing a path past the office where the champion was talking to some of the officials of the company. In ten minutes the path had become a thoroughfare, and in five minutes more it looked like the board walk at Atlantic City on Easter Sun day. Meanwhile Mr. Willard was engaged busily in purchasing a Studebaker seven-passenger six-cylinder touring car. It was delivered to him in the aft ernoon at the showgrounds by a chauf feur whom the champion employed while at the factory. The chauffeur AUTO'S RISE IS RAPID Evolution in 20 Years Is Called Remarkable. OLD TRANSMISSION-KEPT Car Put to Practical Use I'irst In Europe, but Americans 1'ar -Outstrip Krencli in Advances in Development. J. - BY HETNttT B. JOr. President Packard Motor Car Company., A student of the trend of the motor car art has seen a wonderful evolution in the past 20 years. The automobile has 'been as epoch- making in the world's history- as has any other single step of mans in genious progress. My father, who died in 1896, never WAS BIG YELLOW AUTO FROM OMAHA EQUIPPED WITH GATLING GUN? r .rs I I 7sT HI ill 111 . : ' . . -x sr r- .4 ' p F. L MITCHELL HERE FACTORY CHIEF COMES FROM RA C1XE FOR ANM'AL MEETING. Trips From Portland Always Enjoyed hy Director, AVtao Ssys He Is Proud of 1016 Model. ' "T am always glad to the notified of the annual directors' meeting of Mitch ll, Lewis & Staver Company," said F. L. Mitchell, treasurer of the Mitchell Lewis Motor Company upon his arrival in Portland last week. "It gives me a line excuse to get away from my desk and take the trip that I enjoy more each time I take-it. This year I have had an exceptionally pleasant time, en joying every minute of your Rose Fes tival, which I must say is certainly a show worthy of Portland." Mr. Mitchell grew enthusiastic enough to say that if he ever moved from Racine it would be to Oregon, on account of its wonderful scenery and delightful climate. Last Tuesday H. W. Mitchell, man ager of the local distributers, piloted the Easterner to Government Camp in his Mitchell Six and . the only thing that kept the party from making the snow line was Mr. Mitchell's desire not to come in contact with any more snow, having had a sufficiency at home. Mr. Mitchell also took his guest to Chanticleer Inn, continuing up the Columbia River Highway for a short distance. Mr. Mitchell expressed his disap pointment that the weather would not permit going further up the highway, slating, however, that he had seen enough to convince him that when completed it would be the most won derful drive in America. "Of course I'm to be expected to say something about Mitchell cars." said Mr. Mitchell with a smile. "It wouldn't be much of an interview with out that, would it? Well, I'll say Just this, that every member of the Mitchell family is enthusiastically proud of the 1916 line. Personally I think there has never been offered such remarkable value as we have in our six of '16 at 11250. I hope every motorist will see the car when it arrives at the local distributers, which I understand will be shortly." Mr. Mitchell left for Racine Thursday afternoon. JSABBIT SEXDS RACER SKIDDING Dario Resta's Car Hit by Bunny, Causing Loss of Race. INDIANAPOLIS, June 19. How Dario Resta lost the 1915 Indianapolis 600 jinle race is a story that remained for a rail bird, sitting near the scene of Resta's famous skid on the northwest turn of the speedway near the end of the contest, to tell. According to the fail bird, Resta and Te Palma were running neck and neck, when a rabbit, scared from his hiding place in the speedway's tall grass, es sayed to cross the track in pursuit of safety. Resta did not see the animal, and struck it a glancing blow with his front wheel, starting him on the ekid that landed him, against the ri- A. L,. SPRINGER. AT WHEEL OF HIS CAR THAT WAS DRIVEN, TO NEW YORK BEFORE COMING WEST. "Are you going to shoot .up the Germans with that gun?" Inquired one of a crowd that assembled in front of. The Oregonian building last Wednesday when A. L. Springer, of Omaha, Neb., alighted from his specially built roadster. Among the freak equipment on Mr. Springer's car is an alarm sig nal that points into the air much like a gatllng gun. Everywhere he goes, Mr. Springer says, he Is forced to explain that the instrument is a honking horn instead of a weapon-of wai. . With' his 'mechanician Mr.' Springer made the round trip from Omaha to New York before driving west over the Lincoln Highway to Los Angeles. He stopped off in Portland on his way to Seattle and will switch back to Portland before going to Salt Lake, Denver and. Omaha. Mr. Springer's car Is painted a bright yellow and never Jails to cre ate a sensation wherever it is seen. It is,equipped with a. full regi ment of extra tires, electric lights and lanterns, a 35-gallon gasoline .tank, and a depository- for 15 -gallons -of- cylinder oil. will probably do most of his driving while the champion is at work and Mrs. Willard has the car to herself, for the pugilist insists on taking the wheel himself while In the machine. Mrs. Willard caught the fever at once and has announced that before a week has passed she also will be driving the car. Mr. Willard fell in love with the 1915 Studebaker while training .for his big fight in Cuba. The Havana representa tive of the Studebaker placed a car at his disposal while he was there, and the white hope rode to the fight and returned to Havana the champion ina Studebaker car. At that time the pugilist was not in a position to buy . a car. As Tom Jones, his manager, re marked while at the factory with him, "We had. all our diamonds soaked, and although we have since got them out they are still damp from the experience." PEOPLE ASKED TO BTTILD ROAD Hood River Has No Funds for Re quested Operations. HOOD RIVER, Or.. June 19. (Spe cial.) With no funds available for the opening of a new road to Lost Lake, the County Court has suggested to petitioners who have requested that the work be done that a Lost Lake road-working week be set aside in July. Hundreds of local people camp on the head waters of the west fork of Hood River and the lake at this season; and by expending a portion of their vacation days on road work it is expected that much may be com pleted. The petitioners of the new road numbered several hundred. The County Court offers to furnish powder, equip ment and men to take charge of the blasting. I'irst Surveys for Highway Made. NORTH YAKIMA, Wash., June 19 (Special.) County Engineer Brashear has been placed in charge of the con struction of the McClellan Pass high way, by action of the Board of County Commissioners. The preliminary sur veys, under former County Engineer Frank Marble, have been completed and his report will soon be sent to the office of the State Highway . Commis sioner where advertisement will be made for bids on the work. saw a motor car. .Today Horses are practically relegated, to the "zoo." Today we talk from New York to San Francisco. Today man makes his way "by motor car from coast to coast In 15 days without attracting partic ular attention. The progressive evolution 'of mechan ical; chemical, electrical science is placing in tho possession of the people of the earth daily more development than occurred in each thousand years prior to the last century. Cars .First Used In Europe. The motor car reached the stage of practical use first in Europe. Prac tically M. Levassor, of Paris. France, devised the transmission system, which, as far as Its general scheme i3 con cerned, is unaltered today, says the Encyclopedia. But inventions breed new inventions. The spark which-Ignited M. Levassor's inventive brain was the sight of Gott lieb Daimler's crude internal combus tion engines propelling boats on the River Seine in connection with the Paris Exposition in 1887, says the same authority. Actually M. Levassor and his col laborators had set the world on fire .with seal to develop further his con ceptions of the ultimate in Individual transportation. Says the same English authority (Encyclopedia Brittanica) : "Tho introduction of the Dingley tariff, assessing an import duty of 45 per cent ad valorem on motor cars (In the classification of 'manufacturers of metal' added to a. further charge of about 5 per cent for freight, encouraged American capitalists to embark in the manufacture of motor cars, and in 1899 30 manufacturers produced 600 cars. In 1909 the number produced by 200 con cerns was 114,891." American Outstrips French. Here Is a startling picture of Amer ican energy applying American pro duction methods to the basic thought of the ingenious Frenchman under a protective tariff policy, until at the present day our motorcar industry rlvals in importance the other leading Industries in the United States. The American took the crude idea aud outstripped the Frenchman in per fecting his own Invention. Today the self-starter and electrical equipment and many other advanced mechanical details are being transplanted to Eu rope from America. Our American motorcar manufactur- Beats "The Lark Los Angeles to San Francisco CADILLAC TIME 12 hours 10 min. LARK'S TIME ............ 13 hours 45 min. Most Marvelous Road Record in JSLotor Car History California was startled Friday, June 4, by news of this greatest of all auto runs, which beat the Southern Pacific's fastest train between Los An geles and San Francisco by an hour and thirty five minutes. The car was a fully equipped touring car, carrying four passengers. It was the first eight received by Don Lee in Los Angeles and had been run 17,000 miles before the record dash. It was officially ' checked by committees of newspaper men in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Gilroy and San Francisco. No trouble whatever was experienced on the entire trip, and at the finish a committee of motor ists and newspaper men examined the car and found it in perfect condition. Such a record over the boulevards, mountain and desert stamps the Cadillac Eight a marvel for power, endurance and reliability. The car, was sent over the hardest of roads at the highest pos sible speed, and as a crowning achievement went .the final 80 miles into San Francisco in 93 minutes. So perfect was the oiling and cooling system, it was possible to make the trip without a f an. This was removed before the start. The motor gave perfect service, and not a single weakness developed. Another convincing proof that the Cadillac Eight is the greatest motor car the world has ever known. ' Twenty -first and Washington Streets Portland, Oregon ers have outstripped the world in quan tity and quality ana perieunoii 01 uc tails of finish and equipment. peers abroad and American cheap util- ty cars supply imw wvi. The current year will see some big developments. Pacific Highway in Oregon Reported Good. Seattle Paper Comments on Attitude of Oregonlans Who Try to Divert Antomoblle Travel. , plant on Geddes street, Syracuse, N. Y. I struction. Flans are being worked out I struction of which will probably The building will be fireproof con-' for a still larger addition, the con-I started in the early Fail. HERE'S another hot shot for those newspapers and citizens in Ore gon who stubbornly shout that the Pacific Highway In Oregon is not fit for automobile travel. The following self-explanatory articles appeared in last Sunday's . issue of - the Seattle Times: - ' . "Motorists from the State of. Wash ington who are touring down tho Pa cific Highway to the expositions in California, report that the road con ditions in Oregon are good, despite the reports that have been circulated and printed in Oregon. From various persons have come lettters expressing surprise at the attitude of Orsonlans in discouraging tourists who h.z-t in quired for data about roads south of Portland. "W. P. Q.ulnlan, of Grants Pas's. Or. has written to the Automoble Club of Seattle, that motor tourists are com ing through the Beaver state without any difficulty and he protests vigor ously against the efforts of Portlanders and others to divert travel to-Eastern Oregon and thence south to California. 'Tjr. Homer E. Russell, of Seattle, in a letter to the automobile editor of The Times, says that his party has experi enced no trouble in passing through Oregon and that there are no difficul ties to be faced. Some of the grades, he said, were stiff, but traction is good." The Franklin Automobile Company is about to erect a large addition to its CENTRAL OREGON MAN PULLS OFF UNIQUE "STUNT" WITH CADILLAC EIGHT. f : 9 -' :("(:, -it. " o" : fr 11 B. R. PATTERSON. OF HKPF.N'ER, AT WHEEL. OF CAR THAT CLIMBED A 4S PER CENT GRADE. "TUT on a Genemotor -1L and let your Daughter Drive your Ford The Genemotor gives every, member of the family " an opportunity to drive your Ford. A touch. of a button starts the car and gives added pleasure to the whole family. The Genemotor starts your car in the coldest weather and generates a brilliant light. Made by the General Electric Com pany and costs but $82.50. We can put one on for you immediately. Chanslor & Lyon Co. DISTRIBUTORS 627 Washington Street be