The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, May 21, 1916, SECTION FOUR, Image 52

The Sunday Oregonian., May 21, 1916, SECTION FOUR, Page 8, Image 52

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Newspaper Page Text8 TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, 3IAT" 21, 1D1C. " MOTORCYCLE TRIP FULL OF PLEASURE Vomn and Son Experience Thrills Galore on Trip to Exposition City. VIVID ACCOUNT IS WRITTEN falls Are Frequent and One la Se rious, but Good Health Over conies Minor Accidents and ' Tour Found Delightful. The following Interesting article was written for The OreROnian by Fenton W. Ifoover. vho. lat Summer, piloted a Harley Jiavldon motorcycle from Portland to San J-'ranclsco. Hts mother, Mrs. Nellie S. 3-foover. rode with him and the article out lines the many experiences of the trip.) "It's a long, longr way to California." Eo sang my mother and l as. light heartedly, we sailed out of Portland, tandem on a motorcycle June 13, headed for San Francisco and South ern California. We thought -we knew About what such an adventure would Jo to us, but our varied experiences far exceeded our wildest expectations. Our machine was of the strongest make and all new and shining -and thoroughly equipped with every possi ble appliance for safety, convenience and pleasure. "When we got back to Portland about two months later the motorcycle was still all together and In the running. but not new and eliining, and she limped into the last grarage of the trip gasping for breath and making a. noise like a frog in distress. . Oh, the sunshine and the wind. Be lore the end of the third day's travel we were drunk on fresh air. The stiff ness of the muscles caused by- sitting hour after hour in one position, which made us feel, when we alighted, as if our feet did not quite reach to the KrounJ.. passed away after the first iay and every day added to our orig inal stock of health, endurance and color. Words Xot Sufficient. No mere words can give a true idea ef the pleasures, dangers, magnificent scenery, variety of emotions, hardships and happiness derived from auch a trip. By experience only can it be realized. We traveled over the Pacific Highway where it was open; but some times it was necessary to travel 15 or 20 miles out of our way to get around construction work. One place in Co lusa County, California, we climbed one continuous, rocky, barren hill for about BO miles to get around 10 miles of men. horues, sand and machinery. In some of the worst possible places, where it was necessary for all vehicles to travel slowly, jitney card artists would hail us and tell us what a fin picture they could make of us in less than 10 min utes. Some ft these pictures were not only wonderful but also terrible. We depended entirely on hotel ac commodations along the way and sev eral times the town that we were look ing for seemed to have been mislaid causing us to travel very late when we preferred to be sleeping. But when this happened we made up for it by sleeping the next day either at a hotel or under a tree, until we felt that we were even with the world again. Mountain Taken on Icrli " Our first exceedingly bad piece of xoau was jow creek Canyon, which was a long tale of woe. But we had a rreat advantage over four-wheeled ve hides, and when we came to where we eould again reach to the bottom of the road, it was such a pleasure that we Torgot all our troubles immniiatolv "We went all the way up the Siskiyous on tn nign" and coasted down the other side. . But we stopped a while Tight on the top- of the mountain on CLUt'cH ON NEW CHANDLER CAR account of runnmg Into some gumbo soil that stopped up the front wheel suddenly and we went over the handle bars with more haste than grace. We waded out on the grass, taking a con siderable quantity of the highway with us. Our only damage was a broken pedal. Fortunately, there were some boxes and old boards near there, left "by the road-builders, and we made a fire and waited for the sun to rise and dry the ground, so we could travel. We slC'ed there from about 7 o'clock In the morning until after 10. And all that time the wonderful view grew, more and more beautiful. The highest peaks were covered wjth snow and the shadows kept receding before the rising sun. First the shadows, then the fog, or rather the clouds, moved away as the sun climbed higher and before we were tired of the shifting panorama, our road was dry nough to travel on. That tumble and wait up in the clouds is one of our most cherished memories. Once we were halted by the road-builders until a mammoth tree that they had just about ready to fa.ll was down and a path cleared through It. The death of that big tree was spectacular and it thundered a protest that echoed and re-echoed through the mountains. The workmen gave us a little drink of warm water out of a little bucket and we went on. Gas Stations Handy. More by good luck than management we made oil and gas stations before it v-as too late, except once in Tehama County we had about six miles to go ejid nothing to go on. But it happened to be a very good road and we got up such a speed that the momentum car ried ua into town. This was about tie .only time that w let the machine out to 70 miles an hour. For the most part we tried to follow the "Safety First" plan, but there were times when speed and a little recklessness seemed to be a good thing. Following the Sacramento Kiverdown the Sierras we forded streams 38 times. At first one of us would walk around the water on stones or wade through it, but after a time that got monotonous and we both stuck to the wheel and took to the water like ducks. Through one stream we barely had room to pass by an auto mobile that had taken the deepest place and was stuck fast We did not wait to see their finish. It was right in Sacramento City. after passing through the unknown quantity of mountain roads, that we had our most set-ious accident. The wheels slipped on some leaves wet by a street sprinkler and threw us to the concrete, broke the headlight and the other- pedal and made us see stars. This time one of us was knocked out badly enough to be confined to bed for 14 hours. It was the "irony of fate that we escaped the dangers of the mountain trail and were bowled over by a water wagon. Desert Real Tent. The real test of endurance was going through the hot deserts of Northern California. For 100 hot and weary miles we were the only living and mov ing objects, except a flock of vultures sailing around and a chance lizard panting in the heat. Our good little machine after several punctures, blow outs, upsets and burned out spark plugs and a long list of varied acci dents, seemed to feel that this was the time and-place to be on its good be havior. We jusigsailed right along. It was too hot to stop for eating or drink ing even if we could have found any thing to eat and drink. If anything had happened to our wheel while go ing through that desert, this story could easily have been a tragedy. But "fortune favors the brave, and we got through and finally imbed a long hill and felt the first cool breath of the ocean about 200 mlle3 away. This history would not be complete without our snake story, remarkable only for what did not happen. It was while coasting down the Coast Range we suddenly came, upon his snakeship. The end of him that was on our side of the road was out of sight in the grass and bushes that grew along the road. To keep from running over him we swerved suddenly to the other side of the road and there was the other end of him at the edge of the road. It was only by running entirely off the road and into a little ditch that we got by without hitting him. I have often wondered what would have happened had we runt over him. It is likely that one end and perhaps both ends would have tangled into our wheel. In which case nothing could have prevented a fall and a bad mlxup. It seemed strange to us that there- were so many snakes and lizards and spiders all through those mountains and so few birds. Towns Not Inviting. Twice the little towns we were try ing to reach looked" so sordid and dirty that we passed on through and found a clean grassy place with trees, and one of us rested on the grass with our trusty revolver near at hand while the other would speed back to town and forage for supplies for the inner man. These were happy times. Vulcanizing, oil and gas, hotel bills and two new tires on our return to Portland made the trip rather more expensive than by rail or water, but there was as much difference between our trip and the orthodox trip to San Francisco as between going on an en joyable picnic and going to work in the morning. We traveled all together about 2000 miles and reached home in perfect health, a little lighter in weight, considerably darker in com plexion and with a knowledge of the country through which we traveled that could have, been obtained in no other way. Trip Made In Seven Days. '"We arrived in San Francisco about 5 o'clock Sunday evening, June 20, seven days from the time we started. After the intense heat of the desert, where, by the way, we had discarded piece by piece, every possible article of clothing, the cold winds and fog of San Francisco made our teeth chatter. We ran over the cobble stones to the top of the highest hill in sight to get the lay of the city and exposition grounds, then down again to Filmore and California streets, where we located for our pleas ureable stay in San Francisco. IS SO SENSITIVE THAT IT DAMAGING IT. r. H 9 ' ' 4 w . . " X . - r 'i x t .. ' S , ' , - JL " ' ,' i CLUTCH IS SENSITIVE New Chandler Regulated So It Closes Delicate Watch. TIRE AND FLOOR LIKE VISE Machine Is Slowly Advanced Until Case of Valuable Timepiece Is Snapped Shut "Without Caus ing Any Damage. It really isn't necessary, of course, to use an automobile to close the lid on an extra fine-grade watch, but it is often quite handy to have & car with a clutch that will permit its driver to switch the machine backward and for ward a tiny fraction of an inch at a time. Just to prove how easy it is to han dle the new Chandler models in this manner A. H. Knaus. manager of the Portland branch of the Gerlinger Motor Car Company, last week staged a little demonstration in the Chandler head quarters at East Third and Oregon streets, that would have made you gasp if your itlceat little watch had been employed in the test With Mr. Knaus kneeling on the floor in. front of the car to give directions and. L. V. Rawlings at the wheel, a delicate gold watch was opened and placed directly in front of the right front tire. When the order was given to go ahead the lid was closed as neatly and quietly as though an' anxious school boy had closed it after stealing a look at it in the classroom on a bright Spring day. The crystal is still there to testify to the sensitiveness of the Chandler clutch, which is of the dry disc sort. Slow Pare Mark In Made. While performing the feat Mr. Raw lings was as cool as a veteran judge and remarked that he Had many times proved the quality of the clutch by holding, the car down to srueh a slow pace that It traveled only five inches within the course of a full minute. "The Chandler Company is following the policy of mingling ability with economy, which all will agree I quite important in these days of gasoline shortages," said Manager Knaus after the gold watch had been pocketed again. "The owners of the 20 Chandler cars now running in Portland tell me they average about 18 miles of travel to the gallon of gasoline consumed. "The dominant feature of the Chand ler six if there is a dominant feature is, of course, its motor. "But the Chandler, Is not simply a motor with a car built around it. Complete Harmon y Imprenalve. "The point that impresses buyers Is the' complete harmony of every detail of construction, the perfect unity of the whole car. ' The fine motor is matched by an equally fine chassis. "The axles, the frame, the springs, the transmission, the steering gear and the other important details of con struction yield to no suggestion for betterment. "Its quality Is of such evident charac ter that it appeals not only to the eye because of its beauty, to the senses be cause of its luxury, quietness and flexi bility, but also to the keen judgment of the careful, discerning buyer seek ing fine quality linked with honest price. "The Chandler line is complete. -It includes all those models of open and closed cars actively in demand." Overland Shipments Almost Trebled. According to a report submitted by the sales department the other day. Overland shipments for the 12 months ending April 30. 1916, were 137,665 automobiles, an increase of 174 per cent. During Aprjl. 1916. 19,781 cars were shipped, the largest monthly shipment ever made by the Willys Overland plant. CLOSES FINE WATCH WITHOUT I ' , . it , r lonar. ! uai (DAWDLER SO; POWER Ample to take this car. loaded anywhere that &y antoroobUo can so. CPKSD Mar than 999 oat of erery thoa md cmr owmu would ever want or dmro to use MOTOR The tnarvckraa Chandler Motor, built in the Chandler factory for threeyeera past and famous the world over. Free Cro-a my faint of experimentation. If you BUT if you want a motor that has in it three years of making good, If you want the motor that turned the whole automobile industry . away from high-priced sixes and wasteful heavy fours, If you want the strong", sturdy chassis that showed men the folly of needless weight, If you want the solid aluminum motor base, and Bosch magneto ignition, and the silent spiral East Third and TIRE CARE IS URGED Dirt on Garage Floors Cited as Source of Danger. MANY DONT'S MENTIONED F. W. Thatcher Tells How Better Serv ice 3Iay Be Procured and Rec onmiendatlori Alfio Is Made to Attend-to Repairs. BT F. W. THATCHER,' (Portland Mtnafer Klretoni Tire & Rubber Company. Twelfth chapter of a general aeries on tire care and usage.) It is pretty generally known, that gasoline, grease, oil and other fatty substances are solvents -of rubber. Oiled parkways and roads are not par ticularly harmful, especially after the oil has soaked Into the roadway. If gar a are floors are not kept clean and the tires stand tn a pool of oil. the tread softens and the traction strain in service stretches the rubber in a wavy outline, eventually causing it to separate from the fabric body under neath. Probably the most damage is experi enced from grease in differential hous ings working out into the brake drtfms and then to the side walls or tne tires. This may result from loose bearings, too much grease or from using grease not suitable for differentials. Gasoline Removes' Crease. Grease and oil can be easily removed bv a rag saturated with gasoline. Gas oline, although a solvent, evaporates quickly and. If applied tn small quan tities, will not. therefore, cause any In Jury when used as a cleaning agent. Ordinary injuries to the rubber cover do not prevent successful repairs, but not often can the work be well done when materials have been affected by oil or grease. If either soaks into the fabric, the repair work invariably will blister during vulcanization. It is recommended that when either the tread or side walls, show a soften tng effect from oil or grease, the tire be reversed on the wheel; that is. the damaged side wall changed to the out side. This will usually protect the side wall from further accumulation of grease and the change win also rest the tread and fabrlo of the tire by re versing the - direction of the traffic strains. v Be careful that a sharp turn of front wheels does not result in treads being rubbed by spring shackles or. other harp projecting objects. If a bumper or guard be applied to front of car, be sure that the ends permit enough clear ance for the front tires so that the want to eeriment- If you want to try out some new of motor construction You won't be interested in the Chandler, Seven-Passenger Touring Car - $1395 FouT'Pasaenger Roadster - $129 '5 F. O. B. Cleveland Prompt Orders Secure Prompt Deliveries Gerlinger Motor Car Co. Oregon Streets Telephone Private Exchange East 7222 CHANDLER MOTOR CAR same will not be gouged when-'making a sharp turn. - Fenders Source of Danger. When the car is loaded heavily, there Is danger of the tire treads being bumped or gouged by fender when passing over rough places in the street or road. ; Fenders bent from accident may be entirely .too close to the tires and cause a great deal of injury, par ticularly If there are any sharp ex tending bolts underneath the .fender. An inspection under fenders sometimes discloses bolts worn smooth and bright, 1 due to continued buffing and rubbing by tires. ' If a change be made from regular to oversize tires, make sure that there will ,be sufficient clearance between tires and mud guards when car Is loaded to capacity this is. however, provided for by most car manufactur ers. The treads of rear tires are some times cut and snagged when wheels slip and spin In mud or on. toy pave ments. It is advisable to have the damage re paired before moisture and dirt work under the rubber cover, and affect the fabric. MAXWELL. CAR IX TEST ABROAD Machine Tries Ont New Fuel arA 4 Gives Strang Performance. That the remarkable mileage piled up by Maxwell cars is by no means confined to the American field Is proven by experiments conducted in foreign countries. The results of economy tests conducted near London, England, have lust been sent on to offices of the Maxwell Motor Compnnr at Detroit. Several makes of cars TtTf used in testing out a new fuel mixture intro duced by a firm in Belfast. Ireland, and the performance, of a stock Maxwell touring car was so notable that the conservative motor trade: Journal of London, the Autocar, commented on it as follows: "In this article we are concerned primarily with the behavior of Econ omee fuel, but we feel it only fair to give a word of praise to the behavior of the Maxwell, which, brand new as It was, ran exceedingly well through out the tests, and showed altogether re markable acceleration and hill-climbing ability." BIG MOTOR SHIPMENT DUE Special Train With Right of Way Is Being Rushed Here. There is scheduled to arrive about June 1 the largfct single order of mo tor equipment ever shipped to the Coast. This shipment is coming through on record time and consists of 15 10 passenger "White busses. 10 7-psssen-ger White touring cars and five White trucks. A special train carries the equipment and has right of way over all freights. The railroads are rushing the train through, according to R a Kurd, manager of the White Company. Portland, Or., who says: "This shipment marks the first con signment of the Desmond Park Service Company White equipment, who hold a 20-year contract direct from the De partment of the Interior, Washington, D. C, on hotels, lodges, camps and au tomobile service in the Vosemita Na tional Park, bevel rear axle, and Gray & Davis starting and lighting; and a dozen other of the highest class features' at the lowest obtainable price, and' 'If you want The Most Beautiful of All the New Motor Car Bodies, You will be interested in the Chandler. m This isn't argument, or persua sion, or contention. It's just a . simple, provable fact. CO., CLEVELAND, OHIO AUTO RACE JULY 16 Rose City Speedway Events Are Arranged. OTHER MEETS PROPOSED Opening Competition Will Be Held at Alan Mile Track at Spokane on July 4 $1500 in Prizes Are Promised for List. FinsI arrangements have been closed between Robert A. Hlller. of the North west Auto Racing Association, and Fred T. Merrill, manager of the Rose City Speedway, to hold an auto race meet at the local track on July 16. The opening meet will be held at Spo kane at the Alan mile track on July 4. and a special car will bring the racing machines direct to Portland, while oth ers that may race at Tacoma on July 4 also will be shipped here for the Portland meet and still others that are to race at the Tacoma Speedway on August 6 will hsve full time for the Portland meet before shipping to Ta coma. Mr. Hlller writes The Oregoninns follows: "We will hang up $1600 in prises for the Portland meet and the programme will conform with the gen eral public sentiment of shorter races for auto race meets, and at least five events will be on the programme. In former meets held In Portland they have been conducted along the co operative plan among the drivers, but this year no driver will have any Inter est whatever in the meet other than to collect the money he rrra-y win. There will be four moneys in each event, and we have advertised our meetings all over America to attract drivers to the Pacific Northwest, and expect as a re suit to give the public some excellent auto races. "One-day meets are our plans for the mile tracks of this section. Seattle, Spokane. Tacoma and North Taklma have some racing cars and we hope to see Portland" get in line with a few good cars. Men of means in the vari ous cities Of the Northwest are taking an interest in auto racing and the re suit will be some excellent sport.. There is not a better mile dirt track for auto racing In America than the Rose City Speedway. Fred T. Merrill states that he will leave nothing undone to have the track in the best possible condition for speed. Hlller is anxious to have Portland represented with one or more racing cars of class, and believes some of the Automobile dealers and representative business men of the city would Boon find it worth while to get behind the movement to have this city properly represented in the racing circuit. Spo- ku Till have at least . lour care to L J'' theory 1 II mil race over the circuit. Seattle already has four. Tacoma three and North Yakima one. while several cars are ex pected from California and a possible representation from the East. DODGE TO TRY GRAND CANTON Pathfinding Trip Across Desert Also Is Being Made. "Death Valley Dodge." the Dodge Bros. motor car that has hung up a record for surpassing performances on the Psciflc Coast, is now to be sent on a trip that daring motorists have many times contemplated out never attempt ed. With O. K. Parker, one of the most daring drivers tn the world, at the wheel, the sturdy little car Is to ttempt a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Mr. Parker is now driving "Death Valley Dodge" across the desert from Los Angeles to the brink of the Grand Canyon, incidental to the main object of the trip he is trying to find a short route between the points and expects to cut 60 miles off the distance. "Gas" Test Proves Overland. A novel test, demonstrating the effi ciency of an Overland model 75, was made at Keokux, la., recently, when an Overland traveled 24.8 miles on one gallon of gasoline. On this test the car made 88 stops. The test was made by a baker's delivery wagon, and the car was driven on its regular route. The test was made by the driver for the bakery company, accompanied by one of the men from the Overland garage In that city. Telephone poles of class molded over a hvy wire net are rein made In Europe. Thse piles sre rarely broken, will neither rot nor rust and ars ImprgnaMs to Inaoota. Gasoline 18 per Gallon. Ti ires 3500-mile guarantee. All sizes. less than others. Supplies, . Day and Nig-ht Service. H. L. Keats Garage Department Broadway at Burnside. Both Phones. Chalmers Distributors Read our classified ads. on used cars.