THE SUNDAY OKEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 12, 1915.
REO MAKES ASTORIA.
RUN IN FIVE HOURS
SCENES ON LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY.
Rain and Slippery Road Is
No Obstacle to Progress
of Sturdy Car.
"The Wonder Car
1916
TRIP BEGINS IN PORTLAND
I F m
3st!TE7f?",?4 : " L - ----- . - - f'y - -
fap - far . . . -.1-
- --" ' ----- iffi
h - - i " ill I " ' 1
Grades Where Other Machines Are
Encountered In Difficulties
Are Taken With Ease and
Journey Is Delightful.
BY WILLIAM M' REYNOLDS. .
It was a never-to-be-forgotten trip
'Which the writer and the picture man
and the writer's little daughter made
over the Lower Columbia Elver High
way last week.
The dial showed 105 miles when we
rolled into Astoria from Portland in the
afternoon, and our actual running time
had been a little over five hours. But
do wonder we had made good time, for
we were in one of F. W. Vogler's Reoa
with W. R. Chisholm, his Astoria agent,
at the wheel.
We left Portland in the mists of the
early morning, 6 o'clock to be exact,
with our dial set at zero. Just beyond
the Forestry building we slipped into
the St. Helens road and were away at
a rattling good clip, past Oilton. Gasco,
I-Innton. Havlicksville (which latter
place we hereby officially put on the
map) and into Scappoose, 22 miles out,
at 7 o'clock. Then we passed Warren
and Houlton, and reached St. Helens at
7:35. Along here we begin to see the
highway builders' first work, although,
of course, we had passed the gangs en
paged in hard-surfacing near Portland.
At 7:45 we rolled into Deer Island.
Falls Are 'Wonderful.
Speeding on we passed Goble on the
right, and then made our first long stop
at Little Jack Falls, 47 miles out. These
falls, of course, have not the volume
and the majesty of the great falls
along the upper river, but they have a
wonderful beauty all their own, and it
is well worth a trip from the city to
see them. A pure, sparkling sheet of
water tumbles over the cliff, splashes
into a pool and disappears through a
subterranean outlet under the rocks.
Kerns and greenery cover the face of
the cliff, and the highway builders have
made a' rustic stone wall around its
base which has been filled with rich
Boil and planted thick with ivy.
We reached Rainier at 9:35. and,
true to name, here it began to rain.
We did not at all mind it. It was
amusing, however, going down the long
timbered hill between Rainier and
Clatskanle, when we came upon a lit
tle car that was actually skidding
right down the road. It was one of
those cars that look like an animated
water spider, and its passengers, some
four or five men and women, were
all out on the road, shouting, gesticu
lating and throwing pieces of wood in
front to retard its somewhat too rapid
progress down the hill. A tire with a
tread or pair of chains would have
solved, the difficulty, but they had
neither, ao we had to saw by and leave
them.
Miniature Holland Paused.
After a stop at Clatskanie, we sped
past Palm,' where, looking acrOEs to
ward the river, lie the Clatskanle
marshlands, a miniature Holland with
its canals and dikes, embracing some
of the richest land in the state, which
has been reclaimed from overflow
lands that rival in richness and pro
ductivity our far-famed beaverdam
land. Then on past Kerry and across
the line into Clatsop County. 74 miles
from home.
A little farther on, at Westport, there
s an abandoned slate-stone tunnel,
which is worth stopping to see. For
merly a logging road ran through it,
hut that has long 6ince been removed,
and now you can look through the
the tunnel and see a picture of a neat
farmhouse and barn just beyond its
western entrance.
Now we began to climb Clatsop Crest,
where the really notable engineering
work of the lower Columbia Highway
has been done. Mile after mile the
broad road zig-zags up the mountain,
always with the river and Washington
hills in view. Far across the stream
we can see historic Cathlamet with
its monumental cliffs, with Puget
Inland lying like a huge emerald in
the foreground. Through lazily float
ing clouds the afternoon sun shines
down. Out in the channel a little river
steamboat is energetically pushing a
four-master upstream.
Trawlers Are Aided.
We passed Knappa, wjere our dial
showed 88 miles; Svensen. 93 miles,
where we could have picked a ton of
luscious evergreen blackberries along
the roadside. Then, all at once, we
were again in sight of the river in all
its majesty as it nears the sea..
A few miles this side of Astoria
there is a temporary plank corduroy
road running down quite a steep pitch.
The rain had made it very slippery, so
much so that two big cars coming east
w ere unable to get over it. Here we
sidetracked mir sturdy Reo and spent
a couple of hours very pleasantly in
the role of good Samaritans. With
ropes wrapped around their rear tires,
in lieu of chains, and a. block and
tackle In front hitched to a projecting
root at the top of the hill, they were
finally pulled to thetop, and the block
ade was raised.
Before reaching Astoria we passed by
thousands of acres of rich loged-off
land, waiting only for the touch of tne
hand of labor to make it yield a fruit
ful harvest. Just now Astoria's golden
harvest lies out in the river, where
Chinook salmon disport a harvest
which this year j-ielded an Income of
$4,000,000.
MIGHAVAY OPEMXG ARKAXGED
Morton, Wash., Ready for Red Let
ter Day In Progress.
CENTRALIA, Wash.. Sept. 11 (Spe
cial.) That the official opening of the
National Park highway into Morton
September IS will be a red-letter day
for Eastern Lewis County, is the asser
tion of Valen H. Honeywell, publisher
of the Morton Mirror, who returned
home Sunday after a visit with 'rela
tives here during the Southwest Wash
ington fair. The Tacoma. Portland.
Seattle. Centralia and Chehalis Com
mercial and Auto Clubs have been in
vited to be present at the opening.
The auto of Governor Lister will head
the procession into Morton, figuratively
tearing away barriers that have here
tofore prevented ready communication
with Eastern Lewis county.
CAR STARTED FROM DISTANCE
Wireless Vised for Demonstration at
Indiana State Fair.
For the first time in the history of
the automobile it has been demon
strated that a car can be started from
a distance by means of the wireless
telegraph.
This waa proved at the Indiana State
Fair, where the motor of a model 83
Overload was started every five mln
f r " f " " J
utea by a wireless spark from the
Overland headquarters in Indianapolis,
five miles away.
A complete wireless outfit, consist
ing of motor generator, transformers,
relays and other paraphernalia, was in
stalled in the show windows of the
city salesrooms. This waa connected
with an aerial on the roof of the build
ing and by stepping the alternating
current up from 110 volts to 16.000
volts the aparatus made it possible to
send messages 300 miles.
CADILjLAC EIGHT BEATS TRAIN
Car Travels 7 2 Miles In 7 7 Minutes,
1 4 Minutes Faster Tlian Engine.
It would seem that proud owners of
fast express trains should take warn
ing and not permit their trains to be
inveigled into racing with a Cadillac
Eight.
The latest instance of a Cadillac Eight
making faster time over a bad road
than a crack train can make on smooth
rails was recorded Sunday. August 29,
on the stretch of the National Old
Trails Highway between Indianapolis
and Terre Haute, Ind. The Cadillac,
driven by Harry O. McGee, of Terre
Haute, covered the 72 miles in 77 min-
BOYS TAKE LONG DRUE
TRIO FROH EVANSTOH IN CITY
WITH S7S2 MILES RECORDED.
Tour Made In 1914 Cadillac and Only
Trouble Experienced la From Blow
outs, 26 Belna- Repaired.
Three young men of Evanston, 111.,
a suburb of Chicago, arrived in Port
land recently, after having; made
a trip from Chicago to San Fran
cisco and then to Portland. The boys,
none of whom were more than 20
years of age, left their homes on July
8, and after 16 days of continuous run
ning and a five-day lay-over they ar
rived in San Francisco July 29.
While on their trip the only trouble
that was experienced was with their
tires, they say. A total of 26 blowouts
were patched up during the 5782 miles
of travel on their latest tr'.p. They
are making the journey in a J 914 Cadil-
4-
3 4. fsBj'
it.
" il
1 ft : !p '!
4
4
utes. against the train's regular sched
ule of 91 minutes for the distance.
The car's speed is reported to have
reached a rate of 75 miles per hour at
times.
FORD EFFICIENCY CLCB MEETS
First Conference of Fiscal Year Held
,at Ford Plant.
The Ford Efficiency Club held Its
first meeting of the fiscal year last
week at the Ford assembly plant with
President Eckert presiding. . Other
officers are C. H. Wolters. secretary,
and R. C. Dodge, treasurer.
Business matters occupied most of
the time of the session, but short talks
were made by the Manager. Mr. Nor
man, and Mr. Beckhardt and salesman
ship points were presented by Messrs.
Carl and Steele, or tne selling force.
Mr. Casey, foreman of the shop, gave
a good idea of the service extended
Ford owners in the care of cars after
purchase. Meetings are held monthly.
HIGHWAY LINK NEARS FINISH
Scenic Drive South of Bellingbam to
Be Ready November 1.
OLYMPIA, Wash.. Sept. 11 (Spe
cial.) That the Waterfront road, the
one missing link of the Pacific High
way in Washington, will be open for
travel by November 1. ana win remain
open throughout the Winter, is the an
nouncement of Chief Engineer Allen,
of the State Highway Department.
Only concrete work on bridges and re
taining walls remains to oe compietea.
The Waterfront road, running soutn
from Belllnsrham into Skagit County,
will be the only portion of the Pacific
Highway in this state running along
tidewater and excels in scenic attrac
tions. DRIVERS 5IAKE FREAK OFFER
Chicago Man Desirous of Driving
Across Country W ithout Food.
'DETROIT. Mich., Sept. 11. Automo
bile manufacturers have received aome
interesting and unique' propositions
from nersons wno want to make auto
mobile trips across the country. The
climax is believed to be reached by
Otto Nordbo. of Chicago, who proposes
to drive a car from New York to San
Francisco without eating.
Basin; his contentions for serious
ness in being able to do this on the
fact 'that he has fasted SO days with
out ill' effects Nordbo believes he can
"demonstrate the perfect mecnanism
of the car by showing how even ;a
starving man could manipulate it." '
lac and are taking turns acting as
driver and mechanician.
While in Portland they were the
guests of George S. Botsford. All along
the way from Chicago to Portland
they have found travel rather strenu
ous. Machines of all makes are wend
ing their way westward, bringing
Eastern touring parties to the Panama-
Pacific International Exposition and
later to the Pacific Narthwest.
A side trip from Portland to Astoria
and return was taken. While on the
way to Portland the boys picked up
two Portland hikers and brought them
into town. After remaining here until
Wednesday the visitors left for Tacoma
and Seattle.
After spending three or four days In
the Northwest ities they went to
Spokane and then to the Yellowstone
National Park. They expect to be in
their Illinois homes the latter part of
this month. All are students at the
Evanston, 111., high school.
ROAD CONVENTION SET
AUTO BECOMES TRACTOR
OVERLAND DOES WORK OP TEAMS
ON CANADIAN FARM.
REGISTRATION FEE IS SAME, :
IRRESPECTIVE OF TIME
OF FILING.
Numerous automobile owners
have Inquired of The Oregonian
recently as to the law affecting
automobile registrations, the Im
pression being abroad that only
a fractional license fee was re
quired for cars registered lata in
the calendar year.
At the request of The Ore
gonian, Ben W. Olcott, Secretary
of State, gave the following opin
ion yesterday:
The motor vehicle law makes
no provision for the registration
of motor vehicles other than the
full fee for the current year or
fraction thereof. The law gov
erning registrations does, how
ever, stipulate a fee of only $1
after August 1, while for a reg
istration made prior to that time
the fee is H."
Crops Planted and Cultivated or Fam
ily Carried to Ton by 20,000
Mile Machine.
After driving an Overland touring
car more than 20,000 miles over the
rough roads of Saskatchewan, A. W.
Bell, a native of Saskatoon, conceived
the idea of putting it to work on his
farm. His theory was that if the car
could stand three years of traveling
over the so-called roads of that section
of the country, it could go a step better
and do the practical work.
The Overland was converted into a
tractor by the simple arrangement of
putting in an extra axle under the
frame, two feet in front of the rear
axle of the car, on which were placed
two binder wheels. After removing the
rear wheels of his car Mr. Bell replaced
them with small sprocket wheels which
were connected with large sprockets
on the drive wheels by a chain. This
reduced the speed of the car and gave
it more power.
Practically all of Mr. Bell's neigh
bors who were interested in his experi
ment believed the scheme impractical.
They tried to convince him that th
engine would heat up too much and de
clared the gears could not possibly
stand the continuous strain.
But, although the machine has been
in almost constant use throughout the
Summer, no trouble has been devel
oped. It has been operated 14 hours
a day. drawing a set of discs and a set
of is rast harrows, without even need
ing a fresh supply of water.
Mr. Bell says that he was ab!e to
seed 30 acres a day or harrow from 60
to 70 acres with his automobile. By
drawing two 12-inch bushers. he man
aged to break five acres of soil a day,
or the equivalent to the work done by
six to eight horses.
The Overland consumed just 70 gal
Ions cf- gasoline to put In the crop.
while the cost of horse feed alon
would have more than doubled the ex
penditure. The saving in time and
labor was another important item.
It took less than an hour to change
the rigging of the car, so that at any
lima when Its owner desired to make
the trip to town, all that was necessary
was to take off the farm equipment
and transform the roaca'.ne into a lour
ing car.
The flas of the Vnlted Kingdom, com
monly known ax the British flag, is ttv
official flair of the whole empire, thoush.
of course. th various provinces have their
Haslets, lost as some states ot tne Amer
ican Union ban theirs, while Old Glory
CUea over 'au, -
PAN-AMERICAN
MEET IN
CONGRESS
OAKLAND.
Northwest Highway Associations Are to
Have Part in Sessions Begin
ning; September 13. i
NEW . YORK. Sept. 11. (Special.)
The Pan-American Road Congress,
which will assemble at Oakland, Cal.
September 13 has been arranged on a
most comprehensive scale. The fact
that nearly all of the states of th
Union now have highway departments
and that the Canadian provinces, Guate
mala, ban Salvador, Costa Rica, Hondu
ras, Panama. .Colombia, -Venezuela,
Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
and the Oulenas, all are pushing road
construction- energetically, emphasizes
the usefulness to civilization of the
Pan-American Road Congress., where
universal American method; and
practices may be studied and dis
cussed.
Brazil and Argentine have problems
n road building similar to those in
the Central and Eastern portions of
the United States and the Eastern
Canadian provinces. Chile, Peru,
Colombia - and Bolivia may be com
pared. - in road possibilities and re'
quirements, to the Paxlfic Slope and
Rocky Mountain region of the United
States and British Columbia. All
America meets on common ground
when roads are to be built.
Peru and Chile and Bolivia hav
sorae specimens of wonderful roads
built by the anoient Aztecs; Brazil has
some roads built nearly 300 years ago
by the Portuguese, and in various parts
of Central America there are exam
ples of remarkable road construction.
The Municipal Auditorium at Oak
land is admirably equipped for the de
liberations of a large gathering, and
as the Congress is to be held during
what is considered the choicest season
of the year, opportunity Is afforded to
see the Pacific Coast at its best, com
bining pleasure with business. The
American Road Builders' Association
and the American Highway Association
which have Joined forces this year for
the organization of the Pan-American
Road Congress, are being aided on the
Pacific Slope by the Tri-State Good
Roads Association and the Pacific High
way association. Samuel Hill, well
known to road builders both in the
United States and abroad, is president
of the latter organization, which will
if I Hercules V j
U Tires J
f ' 1 Ma i b .:-"ir'''' -T"T- ,ln--liT i r.Y
The Maxwell has lowered all economy records for:
1st Miles per set of tires.
2d Miles per gallon of gasoline.
3d Miles per quart of lubricating oil.
4th Lowest year-in-and-year-out repair bills.
The Maxwell earned a victory over 40 other cars in an impartial test made
by the Yale University Sheffield Scientific School. In the test made by the
Yale professors, the Maxwell averaged 33.2 miles to a gallon of gasoline atl9.S
miles an hour, with a correspondingly low record for consumption of lubricat
ing oil.
We have them on hand and can now make deliveries, but the Pacific Coast
territory is overstocked at the present time 800 cars more than their fac
tory allotment. - - ?
Price, including electric starter and all equipment, $655 F. O. B. Detroit.
C. L. BOSS & CO.
615-617 Washington Street, Portland
hold its- annual convention September
1. in San Francisco.
Wednesday. September 15, is to be
Pan-American Road Congress day at
the Panama-Pacific Exposition, and
the two sessions of the Congress on
that day will be held in Festival Hall,
on the exposition grounds. Thursday,
September 16. will be Paoiflc Highway
day at the Congress. The officials in
charge of the organization of the Pan
American Road Congress are: Governor
Charles W. Gates, of Vermont, chair
man; Major W. W. Crosby, Munsey
building, Baltimore, programme; J. E.
Penny-backer, Wlllard building, Wash
ington. L. O, arrangements; James H.
MacDonald, New Haven, Conn., finance,
and E. L. I;owers. 150 Nassau street.
New York, publicity.
MOTOR IiAXGCAGE IS FORMING
Special Terms Being Created for Use
in Cycle World.
Baseball in fact none of our most
popular sports ever achieved any
great degree of National approbation
until the "slang artists" turned tbeir
attention to the creation of a language
fit to do justice to the sport in general
and its various details In particular.
That the motorcycle is due to share in
a measure, at least, the popularity of
our most popular sports, is apparent
from the fact that the wielders of the
"funny talk" have already turned their
attention to the power-driven cycle.
Some of the term used to denote the
motorcycle by these word-creating gen
iuses are as expressive as they .are
laughable. Time was when the aver
age motorcycle rider d-id not know how
to close his cut-out. and from- this fact
we see in the daily press such terms
as "Pop-pop Wagon" and "Fire Crack
er Cart," both descriptive of the audible
sign of the motorcycle. "Gas Bike," of
course, has arisen from .the method of
propulsion, while "Single Tracker" and
"Two Wheeler" both have -reference to
the character of the vehicle itself.
Such .terms as "Chug Cycle," "Cop
Provoker." "Traffic Beater" and "Iust
Raiser" all exemplify the speed of the
machine. In some localities it is lov
ingly called a "Penny Squanderer," as
distinguished from the automobile,
which is termed a "Millionaire Break
er.' The various parts of the machine
itself have not escaped the attention
of the word artists. The tandem at
tachment, for instance, is variously
known as a "Flapper Bracket." "Chick
n Roost" and a "Skirt Hanger," an
due to the fact that it usually is the
perch of some fair damsel.
AID OX ROAD WORK ANNOUNCED
Impetus Predicted for Improvement
West of Mississippi.
WASHINGTON, D. C. Sept. 11 Itoad
improvement west of the Mississippi
will receive an impetus from sources
not heretofore realized. This infor
mation is the result of recent experi
ences in the touring bureaus of the
American Automobile Association at its
Washington and New York headquar
ters. These clearing-houses of automobile
route data and information are now
the ports of call of automobile tour
ists who register from the great farm
ing sections of the big Middle West.
These tourists report that the crop
prosperity has not only meant a huge
volume of automobile sales, but has
also brought to realization the desire
to tour through the famed scenic and
historical sections of the East.
These family parties who at home
have had their touring somewhat lim
ited by weather conditions even when
they come from such sections as have
excellent dragged roads, never fail to
speak with no uncertain praise of the
guality of touring that the Eastern
roads afford.
RACE RUMORS ARE DENIED
Studebaker Company Not to Enter
Into Speedway Contests.
Authoritative dental has been given
rumors to the effect that Studebaker
contemplates entering the automobile
racing game. Reports of this nature
have frequently found their way into
print of late, this being, the second re
pudiation of any such intention coming
within the past few days from manu
facturers of an importance in the in
dustry that might warrant their be
coming interested in the sport.
A possible basis for the rumor con
necting the Studebaker factories with
a desire to achieve speedway fame.
may do round in the negotiations which,
were opened several weeks ago for
specially constructed motors of the;
same type that are being used on"
the new Studebaker Six. In some man-'
ner it had become noised about that
new methods had been uncovered for.
developing Increased power besides
that of enlarging the bore. Report
soon had it that the Studebaker en-'
glneers had discovered the secret so.
jealously guarded by the French ex
perts, and which has repeatedly
brought to their gonfalons racing track
honors. J,
A no neguuaiiuns aia noi- irweca
however, the Studebaker officials mak
ing 'it plain that they were interested:
only in developing a more powerful'
motor ror meir isid cars. t
MORROW IMPROVING liOAD
Commissioners Prepare for Heavy
Motor Traffic on Highways.
Tnvrc Or. Sent. 11 ( Snec.ial. .
to haul straw for the road between
Olex and lone. This road is now onere
of the best for auto travel to Pendle-
ton. v
Everv effort is beinir made bv thai.
Morrow County Commissioners to pre-.
traffic Roads connecting with the
Columbia highway are to be improved
VaIpc of Tntwpst to Cvclitfi. '
Rubber City M. C. is the title of ft
new Akron (O.) body which affiliated
witn tne r eaeratea American aioior
cyclists recently.
The Delaware Vajley Motorcycle
Club, a new club with 1 members, has
affiliated with the Federated American
Motorcyclists. Its headquarters are' In
Auto Business Healthy. -
4 lie uuiuiiiuuiie UUSIILCSO CUUIUIUCI
healthy throughout the country, more
big quantity orders than ever beinc
received the past season by the fac
tories in Detroit. One of the latest
big orders reported was for 50 Kinrf
eights for the R. W. Munzer &. Sona
Co.. Minneapolis.
Equip With Hercules Tires and Forget
Your Tire Troubles.
HERCULES TIRE '
SALES CO.
Distributors for State of Oregon.
302 Oak Street,
PORTLAND OREGON
E.t.blieh.dlSW
lecorpvrmtcd 1899
To make every car as perfect as possible, both
as 'a machine and as a work of art is our aim.
1
In appreciation of the importance of the
2s7. W. territory we heg to announce
the opening of a distributing branch
in Portland, wherein a complete
stock of cars and parts will
be carried.
We CordiaDy Invite the Public to Call. Inspect Our New Quarters
v
The Oldsmobile Company of California
37-39 North Broadway
Phone Broadway 1 640