THE STJT)AY OREGONIATf. PORTXAJfD, AUGUST 3, 1919.
MITCHELL STANDS UP
UNDER HARDEST TEST
Victory Model Sent on Tour of
Wisconsin Roads.
AWFUL ROADS TRAVELED
In Total of 532 8 Miles, Only Two
Minor Accidents Occur, Due to
Hitting of Hidden Logs.
RACINE, 'Wis.. Aug. 2. In a contest
between man and matter man usually
wins; one - exception is the case in
Which a man attempts to punish a mo
tor ear to the breaking point. If the
ear is sturdy enoug-h it -will wear the
found when search was made. The ear
had traveled four miles on the supply
in the vacuum tank. A new tank was
shipped to a point 80 miles ahead and
the distance made by twisting the gas
oline line through a vent in the run
ning board and inserting it into one of
the emergency tanks on the side.
Oil in the crankcase was changed ap
proximately every 500 miles; high-test
gasoline was used throughout. Be
cause of the excessive load-, imposed
upon the motor often 10 or 15 miles in
second gear through sand that could
be negotiated no other way it was ex
pected that considerable carbon would
be formed in the motor. This expec
tancy was augmented by the fact that
excessive lubrication was-the rule. Yet.
when the motor was torn down and
all collected carbon scraped, it was
found that just 2K ounces had col
lected. This in the face of more driv
ing than the average motorist would
do in an entire season and under con
ditions that, usually, would never be
attempted by the ordinary car owner.
Because of the extremely heavy
condition of about one-third of the en
tire mileage when the car was ground
through roads that it seemed no me
chanical device could withstand', rear
axle trouble was to be expected. Not
once was it necessary to give atten
tion to this feature. It withstood all
that human endurance - could throw
upon it.
And when, at the end of the tour, the
car was driven over the concrete road
from Milwaukee to the factory in Ra
USED CAR PROBLEM ff vrm&mm&fflWMWWWl
i
Purchaser Should Be Told Ex
actly What He's Getting.
SQUARE DEAL FOR BUYER
What Used Car Business Keeds to
Put It on Firm Foundation Is
Absolute Frankness.
In concentrating their entlra effort
rrpon the sale of new ears, dealer have
unwittingly let develop, what has be
come known as the used-car problem.
The second-hand car has too often been
made an outcast, something to be got
HE COVERS TERRITORY, DOES JAMES, IN HIS CHEVROLET ROADSTER.
1ST2
1 -J. .
. wa. k y.
1 -
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Back la the old days when he wan a motion-picture editor, J antes Henrlcns Cassell used to scorn the motor nrar aaylnaj
legra were sriven a man to walk wftn, and such talk. jow, witaa tne toucue AaTenuuig service, ne nu nis own
Chevrolet and can't be made to walk a block. Be lias covered a lot of territory In his car already, and expects to
cover a lot more.
driver down and make him admit de
feat, though he spare neither car nor
motor. Such was the accomplishment
placed to the credit of the new Vic
tory Mitchell when, in 5320 miles driven
in 22 days, it withstood a test that
scarcely could have been made more
severe.
When Automobile Editor Brownie of
the Milwaukee Journal, probably the
best-known and most severe road
driver in Wisconsin, took the Victory
Mitchell on his 5000-mile- state trunk
highway inspection tour over all the
main line highways in the state of
Wisconsin, It was understood that the
car was expected to withstand an aver
age of 300 miles per day over highways
of every possible condition. The car
was to be in no way spared or coddled;
it was to be driven through to the fin
ish without shop attention or, failing,
ust so far as it would go and the truth
was to be told of the result.
Wisconsin's trunk line highways are
probably as good as any similar system
to be found. For the purpose of the
ordinary tourist they are excellent. But
the tour of the Victory Mitchell was in
no way ordinary. To begin with, it was
undertaken at the most difficult time of
year. Every day the car was out It
rained on.
cine, the motor ran as smoothly and
as quietly as during the first 1000
miles. New tires had replaced all but
one of those with which the tour was
started and the car struck a. pace of 67
miles per hour without sensible strain
or undue effort.
NEW AUTO REPAIR SHOP
F.
M. SDIOMOX OPEN'S ONE IX
SPEEDWELL GARAGE.
All Kinds of Bad Roada.
No state affords a greater variety of
roads than Wisconsin. One day of the
tour the car traveled from the sand
belt in the center of the state down to
the southern border and into yellow
and red and gray clay and back to the
gravel of the eastern central section.
During: this day's run it was called to
travel through both sand and mud into
which the axle dragged; twice it was
thrown into the soft mud of ditches
and made to drag itself, with the aid i
of chains, mud hooks and tractor
wheel-like attachments placed on 16
inch sections of the rear tires, back
to the roadway. And this was a fair
example of any one of the days of the
tour.
That the tour might be of value to
the makers of the car, as well as serve
Itn purpose of state highway inspec
tion, a specified grade of gasoline and
a certain lubricating oil were used
throughout the entire tour, shipped to
convenient points about the state. In
addition to the 18-gallon tank on the
rear, two five-gallon tanks of fuel were
carried on the running boards. These
and the shovel that traveled with the
spare tires were the two most useful
Institutions aboard. Many times, lack
ing: but two of an average of once for
each day out, it was actually necessary
to shovel away parts of soft roadway
on ditches into which the car had dug
Itself before it could be forced on its
way. It was a grand little institution.
that shovel.
Twice in the course of the tour th
Victory Mitchell traveled the length of
"Wisconsin, from Belofc to Superior and
again from Janesville to Kagle River.
Four times it traveled the width of the
state. From sweltering heat at Beloit
it ran Into fog and snow flakes at Su
perior, all within 48 hours. From the
semi-mountainous roads of the region
around the famous Wisconsin Dells it
rolled onto the flat, track-like
stretches farther north and east and
on the hills and the cut-over lands of
the north, where the roads are better
than in any other section of the state
and where one travels for a hundred
miles or more without once 6eeing a
human habitation.
Twice was It necessary to make mi
nor repairs that the tour might be con
tinued, neither of which could be
charged to the car and, therefore, le
gitimate. Once, on a deeply rutted
sand road through the cut-over lumber
country a front wheel struck a sunken
log at S8 miles per hour and broke one
leaf of a front spring. This was re
placed. Again, in going around a
washed-out culvert it was necessaiy to
drive through black muck. The wheels
sunk, the front wheels against a log
In the mire. In using chains and mud
hooks to drive the car from the hole
one of the mudhooks came loose and
the brake bands were torn off by the
spinning wheel. This brake band was
replaced. With these exceptions it was
never necessary to make repair or ad
justment except carburetor allowance
for widely varying road conditions.
Gasoline Tank Knocked OS.
Not once throughout the 6328 miles
was a sparkplug touched. It was nec
essary to replace the large gasoline
tank, which was lost. This loss was
undiscovered by driver and passenger
until the tank was too far behind to be
Slmonton Motor Car Company Also
to Buy and Sell Used Cars
of All Makes.
Fred M. Slmonton, well known in both
the automobile and motion-picture
fields, has opened an automobile repair
shop at the Speedwell garage. Four
teenth and Couch streets, under the
name of the Simonton Motor Car com
pany. Jimmy Sparks, mechanical ex
pert, is in charge of the shop and only
expert and experienced mechanics are
employed. Simonton and Sparks give
the assurance that motorists leaving
their cars to be repaired will have them
attended by competent hands.
In addition to the repair shop, the
Simonton Motor Car company will do a
business In buying and selling used
cars of all makes.
"No car will be sold until in perfect
condition mechanically, and will be
guaranteed as such," says Mr. Simonton.
Mr. Simonton was owner of one of
the first garages in the city, at Fif
teenth and Alder streets, and former
owner of the Oregon Welding company.
Then, for some years, he was in the
film business. Following his return
from officers' training camp, he sold
Paige cars for Cook & Gill.
Solid Tires In Small Town.
Tire dealers In small towns are show
ing an increasing tendency to put in a
line of solid truck tires, says the
United States Tire company. This is
largely due to the impetus given to the
motor truck industry during the war
period and the demand even in small
towns for solid tire service facilities.
The most expensive part of the instal
lation of the line is the purchase of a
Tires That Know
rid of Just as soon as possible, and
"caveat emptor" has frequently been
the motto under which th sales were
made.
The second-hand, or "slightly used'
cafr will always be with us. The dealer
can only dispose of it as a genuine
problem by intelligent and painstaking
attention and that is now being done ia
many cities.
The chief requirement is to win the
confidence of the buyer. Ths pur
chaser must be told exactly what he is
getting.
Misrepresentation or Ignorance of
what he was selling on the part of the
dealer is probably less prevalent than
it used to be, but it takes time to re
move any taint of questionable prac
tices which become attached to' a busi
ness and only the gradual winning over
of public confidence through strict hon
esty and the utmost frankness can
place the used-car business on a sound
foundation.
Siistnlned Error- Best.
The plan of having an annual sale
of used cars has been tried with a oer
tain amount of success. It has the merit
of bringing together prospective buy
ers and of arousing interest. Just as in
the case of new cars, however, the show
is only one feature of a selling cam
pain and cannot take the place of sus
tained, all-year-round effort.
Another method Is the practice of
having a single clearing house where
all the dealers in a district send their
cars. Prices are standardized. Econom
ical and efficient handling are easily
attainable and the dealers are freed
from the annoyance of having to find
an outlet for their used cars, while en
deavoring to sell new ones.
Furthermore, this plan reduces com
petition and attracts the buyer by pre
senting under one roof a wide selec
tion of types, ages and prices. It be
comes a thoroughly efficient, large
scale business.
Let the buyers find that they can go
to this central clearing housi and ob
tain cars which are "exactly as repre
sented" at a' fair price and the used
car problem will vanish.
There are thousands of people who do
not own automobiles but who would
buy used cars if they only, felt con
fident that their ignorance of motor
car condition and value was not going
to place them in danger of being
cheated. Elevate the plane upon which
the used-car business is transacted. In
spire confidence. That is three-quar
ters of the task.
In a case where a car of the make
which he represents Is traded in with a
Mo lean' Years
EVERY year is a Star Year for STAR TIRES
they arc not good one year and of dubious
quality the next they arc consistently good.
year after year, because the manufacturers are de
termined tbat they shall be. The quality is there
always. That's die answer.
A Corf Tire embodying all of the most strccessfnl practicM and era
ployEJ a StSstht are proved good. A i tra-hvy. tore.
wHhbLanccd weight where it means mileage. A thick, topgh, hvelj
tread accurately compounded to resist wear; every cord isolated in
e ru-more raVber-thaa usually considered necessary to keep
SSon down and the tire cooL The noiseless vacuum tread is a pos.
trve anti-skid on wet pavements.
?rTpev m
The extra-weight, extra-qnaEty fabric "tires that have rnade thousan
of friends. Extra ply of fabric; extra-wide breaker strips,
pure robber cushion; extra-heavy tread and toughened sxde-stnps. A
dependable get-you-there and get-you-back, trouble-free tire.
.1
r-, - .
I 5- - 1 S. : ' v. f V.'. 4 f. ' '. n- ' .'
i - T r f -"J
i i - . " J
Antimony Cured.
Extra-Heavy, built up of thin sheets of rubber, with the vaxvc patcfi
fused into the tube while curing. Will not stick to the casing and
frequently last as long as a car. Genuine Antimony cured tubes resist
heat and retain their life longer than any other kind. All made by
O.JL
and heartily endorsed by ourselves to car-owners and to the trade.
Waterhouse & Lester Co.,
53 Fifth St, at Davis St.
Portland, Oregon
press, but the opportunity for arood
business is overcoming this difficulty, dealer, there Is some advantage to both
dealer and purchaser in havingr the re
sale made by the agency.
The dealer has a vital Interest In the
reputation of his own car. He will see
that it does not leave his hands until
it is in sound condition. He has much
more reason than has the clearing house
for wanting it to make good. He is pre
sumably better equipped than any one
else to give the owner service, and by
properly taking care of the buyer he
has the opportunity of securing a pos
sible future purchaser of a new car.
It works both ways, the dealer hav
ing every incentive to see that the car
performs properly, while the owner
feels more confidence in the ability and
willingness of the agency to take care
of him.
It is advisable that the car be sold
with a definite guarantee and unless
the car is quite old and is sold at a very
low price, there is no reason why the
buyer should not obtain the same guar
antee which Is given with a new car. A
guarantee has great weight with him.
He likes to feel that he has the same
standing at the agency as the pur
chaser of a new car that he has the
same binding guarantee and that he
will receive the same service. In short,
tt Is largely a matter of Inspiring con
fidence in the first place and then of
rendering efficient willing service aft
erward. GAEAGEMF.S EX JOY ' PICJfIC
All Kinds of Fun and Doings at An
nual Outing Last Week.
Members of the Portland Garage and
Repairmen's association held their an
nual picnic and outing- at Crystal Lake
park, in Milwaukie, Thursday of last
week. They came out there with
members of their families and friends
and then cut loose from all work-a-day
ties and had an all-around rare time.
There was baseball, volley ball and
games of all varieties. The East Slders
under Bob O'Brien as captain played
the West Slders, under E. J. Blaster
as captain in a slsm-bang game- of
baseball. Nobody seemed to remember,
however, Ju!t what the score was when
they quit playing along about the fifth
or sixth inning. Ed Foss of the Gibson
Electric company, president of the as
sociation, was too foxy to umpire, but
viewed the doings from the side lines
without saying which side be wanted
to win.
After the ball games and a picnic
dinner all hands, men, women and
children, found something to try for in
races and contests of various sorts.
Some mightily attractive prizes had
been offered for the winners by various
automobile and accessory houses and
there was the stiffest kind of competi
tion for them.
Turn corners to the left by goinftT
around the center of the street 'inter-
sect ion.
IN,
Those who
know trucks best
buy the
Yellow Chassis.
Baggage & Omnibus
Company
again
Buys Three More
Republic Trucks
Making a fleet of eight Republics
ROBERTS MOTOR CAR CO. Inc.
305 Main St.
Vancouver Wash.
Park and Everett Sts.
Portland, Or.
I "g - I.
"Thar Ss salient which
is stnkmffly manifest or
which utche. the attof
bon at pocc" WcinUt
Moitm Plo Co.
Stphem Molar rVcrkt
Aoim. lUinait
THOROUGHBRED lines and snappy per
formance make the Stephens the favorite
of men and women of the great outdoors.
The zest and fire of Stephens response convey
the same thrill of satisfaction as when they sink
a long put1
The racy lines that carry such appeal to the
ardent motorist are secured in the Stephens
Salient Six by combining a high, narrow radiator
and gracefully tapering cowl with a long, low
graceful body. The body sides are fashionably
low, allowing the occupants to recline gracefully
in exceeding comfort.
The finish of the car is in harmony with its
tiltra-8mart exterior. Appointments include
manythings that the fastidious will appreciate.
In the right hand front door is concealed a tour
ing kit while in the left front door is placed a
complete tool kit.
The new "80 Series' is now ready for
inspection and demonstration.
HAMILTON
TEMPORARY
LEATHERMAN MOTOR CO-
Distributors
LOCATION' 330 BURNSIDE ST
IIHHijllillliltlllll