TnESUNDAY ' OREQOyi&N." PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 19. 1915.
01 00T OF 35 IN
Prominent
poptlandeps
COUNTY OWNS AUTO
Who
Motor
Oregon Record of Car for Each
36.8 Persons Is Crawling Up
to California's Boast.
Five-Passenger Six
SHERMAN COUNTY IS FIRST
II
Model "32" rj
"Sturrij" as the 0)
XVr Even 168 People in State, New
Machine Has Been Sold Since
January Morrow - County
Leads Per Capita. Sales.
f BY CHESTER A. MOORBS.
Every 35th person you see on the
Streets of Portland and along the roads
of Multnomah County owns an auto
mobile.
Ore person out of every . 176 residing
. In Multnomah County has purchased a
Hew automobile this year.
There is an automobile for every
86.8 persons living In Oregon, which
doesn t fall far short of California's
toast that it has an automobile for
very 26 residents.
Thanks to the courtesy of M. O.
Vilkins, the wizard automobile sta
tisticiark of Portland, The Oregonian is
privileged to publish herewith an in
teresting study of the automobile
ownership of the state by counties.
This shows the population of the re
spective counties, based upon a state
population of 800,000, the number of
new cars purchased in the various
counties this year, based on a new car
business of 5000, the total number of
both new and old cars on August 15,
1915, when a total of 22,732 had been
registered, the population per new car
and the population per old and new
car combined.
Sherman Takes First Honors.
The figures show that Sherman
County has an automobile for every
19 people and that Umatilla County
takes second honors, with a car for
every 21 people.
For every 168 people residing in the
vtate a new car has been sold since
last January. For new car sales per
capita. Morrow County takes the cake
with a new car for every 64 people.
Umatilla County has a new car for
every 69 people and Sherman County
one for every 79. The booby prize goes
to Lincoln County, where only one new
car has been sold this year for every
proup of 777 persons. Columbia
County ranks second to the bottom
with a new car for every 428 people.
Lincoln and Columbia counties also
lhave fewer old and new cars combined
than any other counties in the state on
the per capita basis. Lincoln County
lias only one car for every 241 persons
residing within its limits, while Colum
bia County has one for every 109 of
its population. Jefferson County comes
third with one car for every 108 per
sons. Investment Put at 916,000,000.
But Mr. Wilkins has pushed his
pencil even further in arriving at the
crux of the automobile situation in
Oregon. Figuring on the recent regis
tration of 22.200 automobiles and as
suming that each car represents an
investment averaging J750, he contends
that the people of Oregon now have
about $16,000,000 invested In auto
mobiles. As the average value of cars now
does not tally with the original price
paid for cars of old vintage the above
sum by no means represents the
amount of money that has been spent
by the people of Oregon for automo
biles. Assuming that each car is driven an
average distance of 15 miles a day a
total distance of 333,000 miles ' is
covered daily, and if the average fuel
consumption is 12 miles to the gallon,
the cars of Oregon drink 27,750 gal
lons of gasoline every day or nearly 20
gallons a minute.
At an average price of 15 cents a
jrallon a total of $4162.50 is spent daily
by Oregon motorists for gasoline. Many
additional gallons are burned up daily
by the 3000 motorcyclists of Oregon.
Figures Based on 1015 Almanac.
.Ca,rv,',ns tho flouring still further
Mr Wilkins finds that Oregon has one
automobile for every 222 acres of land
under cultivation and that during the
-period between 1903 and 1914 an
average of 45 cents has been spent
upon roads and bridges for each acre
of land under cultivation. These figures
upon me 1915 Oregon
Almanac, which quotes 4.930.396 acres
of land under cultivation and the latest
report of the State Highway Engineer
JJ,!!0 road nd bridge expenditures,
which says that a total of J21 972 was
oTand1 ma4d3 bHdgeS betWeen
On this hypothesis, Multnomah Coun
ty has spent $6 on highway work for
nn thVe "I68 f land ln cultivation
and the county now has an automobile
lor every five acres of land in cutiva-
6 Cuntv has spent $1.35 on
roads for each cultivated acre and she
HnrfJ,eoCar fr each 178 Persons.
Harney County, the banner county
for acreage, which has spent 31 cents
to the acre of cultivated land, has only
TTm.tm tomoblle fr every 4350 acrej
Umatilla County has expended $1 25 an
acre of land in cultivation and has a
car for every 600 acres of cultivated
55nhUe Sherma County has Ipenl
65 cents per acre and has one auto
Jor every 1330 persons.
Statistical Comparison Made
According to the figures of the'stat.
Tax Commission Multnomah County has
an automobile for each $42,000 of as'
..wiKiiiun on au property Lan
County has one for each $53.oo Sher
Umtm UnAy "e for each 39.000 and
86 JOO nf ty ne Car ior etch
, , .f assessed valuation.
r .i. ,ng 13 a statistical compari
L l automobiie ownership in c
son
Ore-
3 - X -4
J 3
oi
a ;
' : V
COUNTY.
f-tate
M ultnomab
Baker . ... .
.Tien ton ....
Clackamas
"'latsop .....
t'olumoia . .
'rook
i'.oos
" urry
tDousias . . . ,
;illiam ....
irant
Uarney
tood River
Jackson . . . .
Jptfersoa ...
.(osephine
Klamath . ..
3-ake ,
Lane ......
I. inn ,
J.lncoln . .
Malheur ....
Marion . . .
Morrow . . . .
Tolk
Sherman ..
Tillamook
Vmatilla .
T'nlon .....
"Wallowa . . .
M'MCO ......
"Vheeler . . .
"Washinaton
Yamhill ....
36.8
35.3
70. 0
33.0
uO.O
50. n
loa.o
41.0
47.0
100.0
65.0
2S.0
86.0
37.2
38. 2
25.0
108.0
33.5
37.2
32.
38.5
41.8
24 1, o
0.-, . 0
2B.0
-U.0
30.5
10.0
36.0
21.0
44.0
63.1
43.0
148 212.
,501 8.
HS U4.
531'131.
220; 79.
2111210.
.113 Bt).
438; 1B5.
151 "40.
81 S3oJ
5R5 15M?)
637:100.
35.0
42.0
ctu.O
ISOO.000 4716 21.T32 16S "
( W 100 306.'l98.'
I 14.000 112i 417 1-3.
S' OOOf 174 740 213.
18.0HO oy 3B11S1.
UW 28 H0 4-'S.
13.000! 57 300 228
21.0(10! S3 44'".-,'!
3.UO0 13 22.io".
23.0(M 121 3B6 1!0.
4.000; 44 146 HO.
7.U00 2.1 S4!2S0.
fl.OOOi 4J 334jlll.
S.0OO 32 2011,250.
2S.0OO 103 1.074 145
S.0O0 12 4t!;416;
fi.OOO' 52 271 173
12,000j 122 322: usl
6.000 3 lS.-;16a.
34.000 204 705 117.
3S.0O0 1U3 1)09 196
7 0O0I l 2! 777
14.00O B6 148!21"
80.000 407 1,501 5."
4.2001 85 148 U4.
10.600! 116 f31'131
4.200 53 220; 79.
7.800f 37 2111210.
23.000) 334 1.1131 Bt).
1S.00O 10!' 43S;1B5.
U.COO 3! 1511240.
3.0O0! 36
J 24.000 lr.s'
22,000 llu
1 1 :
lgg ;
HERBERT GORDON, president of
the Lawyers' Title & Trust Com
nu n .r t a anntlia.. 'I1.. .3 1
. . j . u.Jvmti ruiuauuci mill
would be lost without an automobile.
As he switch'es his attention from this
to that realty deal and fills engage
"8" GOES 1000 MILES
M. C. Dickinson Aaain Visits
Beauties of Highway.
TRIP ONCE MADE ON "BIKE"
Cole Eight Carries Party RapMly
to Canada on Inspection Tour.
Smaller Cars Are Left Far
Behind by New Model.
Once upon a time he rode over i V 0
roads of the Pacific Northwest on a
common, ordinary horse. Later he
traveled astraddle a "bike." and today.
if you please, he rides over mirhti'v
different roads in an eight-cvlinder
automobile.
The man in question is M. C. Dickin
son, general manager of the Hotel Ore
gon and part owner of the Hotel Se
attle. He has just returned from a.
1000-mile automobile trip that carried
him as far north as British Columbia,
and, although he has been a consistent
good roads worker these many years,
he admits that the progress and activ
ity In highway construction noted on
his recent trip was a complete revela
tion to him. ,
"Mrs. Dickinson, Mi. and Mrs. Chester
A. Sheppard and Mt. and Mrs. Lester
W. David and I left our Seattle hotel
Sunday afternoon, September 6, and
drove to Bellingham, a distance of 105
miles, in four hours," said Mr. Dickin
son yesterday. This was the first trip
of consequence I had made in my new
Cole eight cylinder. I found no diffi
culty in keeping ahead of all the Fours
and Sixes. In fact, I plead guilty to
having passed a few.
Six-Cylinder Left Far Behind.
"One time I stopped near the town of
Marysville to point out to Mr. Sheppard
a big stump I have admired for the
past 25 years. This stump, by the way,
is big enough to house a whole family
and possibly leave room for a stable. I
used to ride my bicycle past it 20 years
ago. After having admired the stump
I had just started -my motor when a fel
low with a six-cylinder car started to
go by. I said goodby and haven't seen
mm since.
"On Monday we drove to Vancouver,
B. C. We left the Vancouver Hotel at
4:30 and arrived in Seattle that night.
That day we made a drive of 265 miles
"From Tuesday to Friday inclusive",
we spent in and about the city of Se
attle, enjoying its good roads and
boulevards. Saturday afternoon we
drove to Tacoma, and Sunday drove
from Tacoma to Portland. The roads
from Seattle to Vancouver, B. C, are
excellent in the best condition I have
even seen them.
Excellent Hlghmjr Praised.
"The road in British Columbia, im
mediately after passing the interna
tional boundary line, I must say, is one
of the best macadam and gravel roads
I ever saw. Of course, everybody
knows that the King's Way from
Westminster to Vancouver, which is
of Warrenite, or hard-surface resem
bling it, is simply perfect.
"Thewoad from Tacoma to Chehalis
is also perfect, and from Chehalis to
Kelso is ln the best condition I have
ever known it to be. To the south of
Kelso the road is greatly Improved
over former years, much of it being
paved and much hard-surface is under
construction. We crossed the Columbia
River on the ferry at Kalaraa to Goble,
Or., and came in over the beautiful
drive from Goble to Portland.
"Owing to the fact that we left Van
couver, B. C. at 4 o'clock in the after
noon and wished .to drive to Seattle
that day. a distance of 165 miles, it
ments here and there about the city.
Mr. Gordon sometimes uses his CarSer
car every few minutes during the day.
Even before moving to Portland
from Eugene several years ago Mr.
Gordon vas an automobile enthusiast,
and he says he hopes that when it
was necessary for me to hurry. My
brother. H. L. Dickinson, who was with
me on this portion of the drive, counted
the number of cars I passed. He says
there are 54; had there been any more
I presume I would have passed them,
as you can't hold an eight-cylinder; she
will go.
"About four miles south of Tacoma
we witnessed one of the strangest phe
nomena which I have ever heard. The
ground for a distance of 1500 feet along
the highway was covered with a white
mantle of hailstones. In some in
stances they were piled in drifts a foot
high. I learned from one of the resi
dents that between the hours of 9 and
10 Saturday night, September 11, hail
fell incessantly.
Rosea Are Damaged.
The storm seemed to-hang right over
that 1500 lineal feet for that period,
stripping the leaves from the trees and
the roses from the bushes. They had
to take pick-axes to break up the thick
coating of ice and hail on the walks.
"The mileage on my trip was about
1000, and I must say it led through one
or tne grandest countries in the world,
all of which I was familiar with, but
which was a revelation to Mr. and Mrs,
Sheppard. The highways of Puget
toound 1 have been familiar with for 25
ears. Some of them I went over in
890. with one-horse power. Sometimes
rode the liorse and sometimes led him
over the puncheon roads. Later I rode
a bicycle over the same roads. Now
o think of driving an eight-cylinder
car over tnose Deautirul roads, many
of them 'being hard-surfaced, seemed
ke a dream.
PORTLAND MAX isETS PROMO
TION TO HOME OFFICE OF
F1RK COMPANY.
J. C. Gay.
Portland's loss is Akron's gain.
J. C. Gay, who has been office
manager for the Firestone Tire
& Rubber Company's Portland
branch for the past year, is to be
congratulated upon being called
to the home office at Akron,
Ohio, to become a part of the
parent organization. His succes
sor at Portland has not been
chosen.
Mr. .Gay has been prominent in
the automobile and accessory
trade while located here and won
deserving personal popularity.
He for several months has been
secretary of the Portland Auto
mobile Trade Association and
will be remembered by a great
many who listened to his talks on
Good Roads during the agitation
a few months ago and to his
addresses to the various garage
and trade associations on busi
ness ethics.
Branch Manager Thatcher left
for Akron Friday night to at
tend the factory convention along
with several 06 the members of
the Firestone force in Portland.
I , - -
una ftr- j
n- - .-f ar-tffMtr - ifrw'T'v T-ra hmt
comes time for him to die he may be
at the wheel of his car driving over
a smooth boulevard. If such turns
out to be the case, however, you may
bank on it that Mr. Gordon will not
be caught in a collision, for he would
rather be pokey than careless.
LOOP TRIP IS FOUND
C. M. Menzles Reports Scenic
Route for Motorists.
DISTANCE IS 110 MILES
Auto Company Salesmanager Tells
of Excursion in Reo Over High
way on North Bank and Pano
rama Unfolded to View.
C. M. Menzies, sales manager of the
Northwest Auto Company, who' always
is on the lookout for some new delight
for the motorist, has discovered a new
loop trip which can easily be made in a
day. Last Sunday morning at 10 o'clock
he left Portland, accompanied by Mrs.
Menzies and their son, Donald; Mr. and
Mrs. Loring Daly, of Alaska, and Mr.
and Mrs. A. L. Rumsey.
The car was one of the new Reos. He
drove it with a loose rein, so to speak,
and let it choose its way. The route
taken led out over the Vancouver ferry,
thence up the north bank of the Co
lumbia, past Camas to Washougal. Here
they took the state road up the Wash
ougal River for ten miles, passing
through some of the wildest, most
beautiful scenery that can be found in
a day's travel.
Road Improvements Are Noted.
For miles the little river sparkles
through the openings in the forest. The
splendid roadway finally crosses a
bridge and leads over a mountain, then
turns again toward the Columbia, join
ing the river road opposite Latourelle
Falls.
Mr. Menzies says that great improve
ments are being made in the roads on
the Washington side improvements
that rank with those being made on
the south side of the river.
The wonderful scenery on the Oregon
side can be seen' to splendid advantage
from the north bank of the river, and
the perspective of monumental cliffs
and leaping waterfalls seen from a dis
tance is most pleasing and impressive.
After a jolly luncheon, the party jour
neyed on up the river to Stevenson, 52
miles from Portland, and ferried across
the river, reaching the Columbia High
way at Cascade Locks.
Ferry Answers Call Any Time.
The ferry the "Bear" is operated by
William Laney, and it has a capacity
for four automobiles each trip. The fee
for cars is $1.50 and for pedestrians
25 cents. The ferry ties up at night
at Cascade Locks, but will cross the
river at any time on a telephone call
from Stevenson.
The Columbia Highway was followed
down the river, and the party reached
Portland late in the afternoon, having
completed a most delightful journey of
110 miles.
Another Ronte Snara-eated.
The Columbia Highway is now closed
between Crown Point . and Cascade
Locks, in order that the surfacing may
be completed without delay, but after
It is reopened, Mr. Menzies says that
Portland motorists who have not made
this loop trip will find it a thoroughly
enjoyable one.
In the meantime persons who wish
to motor to The Dalles can go up the
north bank of the Columbia to Steven
son and ferry across, making the re
mainder of the trip over the Columbia
Highway, which is not clised east of
Cascade Locks.
Maxwell Holds Xight Kecord.
Trivinv fl Krvtflal ITaviv.ll .... I
Arthur Klein turned the Cleveland mile
ira.cn. oy lampugnt in 4a l-b seconds
One year Mr. Gordon used his car
on a trip through California. He has
also driven with his family to Tilla
mook. Newport and the other Oregon
beaches, and has followed nearly all
of the short trips l-lazoned by the
Orepronlan pathfinders.
August 28, establishing a new record
tor night racing and defeateing the
Simplex Zip and other famous speed
cars, including Cases, Briscoes and
other members of a large field.
CUT PRICES ARE CRITICISED
II. L. Keats Says Reduction Often
Means Sacrifice of Quality.
"With the mechanical refinements
and standardization of the motor car
has come a universal tendency to lower
price." aserts H. L. Keats. In referring
to the reduction in selling price Just
announced by the Chalmers Motor
Company.
"The season of 1916 has dropped
more surprise bombs into the lap of
motordom than any preceding an
nouncement period in the history of au
tomobile manufacture. Some of the
builders have slashed their prices mer
cilessly !n a frantic endeavor to meet
competition. In some cases this means
suicide. Wholesale reduction in price
too often means wholesale sacrifice of
quality, and the one thing that the pub
lic does not want is a bargain counter
automobile."
NEWYORK BUILDS ROADS
COMMISSIONER DECLARES HIGH
WAYS GREATEST ASSET.
Half of Proposed Sjtrm of 12,000
Miles Reported Completed Vnder
Big Bond Issue.
Its system of improved, connected
highways is New York State's greatest
asset today, asserted State . Highway
Commissioner Carlisle in his annual
report for 1914, just issued. Besides
the direct value of the road system to
residents, the improved highways at
tracted non-resident automobile tour
ists in great numbers, conservatively
estimated at more than 250.000 cars,
during the year, and millions of dollars
were left in the state by these tour
ists. Nevertheless, the Commissioner, in
his recommendations to the Legisla
ture, urges that "foreign cars using
our roads ought also to be required
to pay some of the burden of mainte
nance" forgetting, perhaps, that they
pay large sums toward the mainte
nance of roads in their own states,
over which New York State motorists
travel without discrimination.
The state now stands first in high
way construction, having completed
and accepted 863 miles of road last
year and contracted for 1148 miles, a
large amount of which is now open to
traffic. Fully half of the whole sys
tem of nearly 12.000 miles of state
and county highways laid out for im
provement under the $100,000,000 bond
issues has been completed. If extend
ed in a single line, the finished roads
would reach from New York City to
San Francisco.
The policy of the department has
been to construct only heavy, substan
tial roads in the vicinity of large cities
either of brick or concrete or with a
concrete base, and where stone oads
are designed, to build them with heavy
base. Nearly 94 miles of concrete and
more than 81 miles of brick roads were
built last year. Just half of the total
of 863 miles improved were -of bitu
minous construction and 258 miles
were water-bound macadam. The
maintenance of the great system of
macadam and bituminous roads is now
considered the most Intricate problem
connected with the state highway
work.
Many Will See Road Movie.
. C. W. Thomas, the moving picture
operator who took more than 14.000
feet of film on the recent official
ocean-to-ocean tour of five automo
biles over the Lincoln Highway, re
turned to Detroit last week. Arrange
ments nave been made to show this
film to nearly 20,000,000 persons
o
aJklsura
J) a Ik 1 a SH
Model "38"
fglOSO
Both Leaders in Their Class
We have open territory for live dealers. Write for terms.
Oregon -Oakland Motors Co.
Distributors for Oregon
522-524 Alder Street Phone Main 414
Speedsters. Roadsters,
Touring Cars
Fours and Sixes
$1.00 Reduction on Each
Sold on S Day
throughout the country, to educate the
American motoring public as to what
the United States has in the way ot
scenery, and to advertise the assur
ance with which the transcontinental
trip can be made over the Lincoln
way. The film includes many of the
" "Sturdy as the Oak" J"
foo
les -YT1'
Skid VVV
itil I
J''
Jitney Tonneau Lights
COMPLETE WITH BULB PRICE $1.50
Rex Brake Wafers, Johnson's Polishing Wax, Temco Shock Ab
sorbers, Pacific Coast Tour Books, and many other good lines.
ARCHER AND WIGGINS
OAK STREET, CORNER SIXTH.
Good Automobile Supplies.
Gates Folding Stove
Just the Thing for Picnicking
Burns Gasoline Perfectly Safe
BALLOU & WRIGHT
Broadway at Oak
BAWQEP GASOLINE and OIL TANKS
I I I 1 f .1 I , i STOR AGE SYSTEMS COR PUBLIC AXD PHI.
mJ J 1 I ItJ Ull ATE GARAGES, S. D. Stoddard. District tu.t
bales. 413 Corset Bids. Malm 17.
DIAMOND TIRES
Vulcanizing and Retreading R.LBLODGETT, JLr.Vff-l.te
d
Model "32"
The Beauty, Power, Flexi
bility, Comfort and Economy
of Oakland Cars Have
Won the Public Approval
Cushions of real enrled hair eovered with
Kenulne leather) long, pliant apringBt elec
tric starting, lighting and Ignition) Oakland
Stewart vacuum feed) lots of room for five
Passengers the maximum of car quality In
construction and equipment.
Five -Passenger High
Speed Motor Four
g Model 38"
Tire WET PAVEMENTS
ARE DANGEROUS
and the time to prevent skid
ding is when you buy your
tires.
Equip With Hercules
and forget your tire troubles.
They Play Safe
"Tougher Than the Road."
We want agents.
HERCULES
Tire Sales Co.
302 Oak Street, - Portland.
Phone Broadway 1641.
most notable features of the Panama
Pacific Exposition.
The British government has contractea
with various Argentine meat plants for the
ourrhase of 15.0O0 tons of frozen and rhiUd
mfats each month for a period of '2 months.
i