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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1919)
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOMAX, PORTLAND, NOVE3IBER 1G, 1019. LOCAL HISTORY TOLD TO ALBANY IX ONE OF THE NEW OVERLAND MODEL FOUR CARS. 5 United States Signs Are Ad vertising Innovation. 3ERY BOARD DIFFERENT Cilie and Historical Places JIave Signs, Wording of Which Is to Be Changed Yearly; IN TIRE Jsk 22naYeax? San Antonio, scene of the most tragic ana Banguinary siege id Ymeriean history, the Alamo (Feb ruary 23-March 6, 1836), 179 Ameri cans against 6000 Mexicans. Every American soldier was killed." Thousands of automobile users in 24 states have noticed historic le gends somewhat on the order of that luoted, mounted on large billboards by the roadside approaches to towns ,nd villages. In each case the text orresponding to the row of dots :n the Quotation Indicates the distance it the board from the point to wnicn he legend relates. Half of the board is occupied by the text and the other half by that easy-flowing and well remembered phrase, "United States Ure are good tires." Few advertising projects have at tracted more attention in so short a time, probably none has created so nuch favorable comment, particu iarlv from Deoole outside the indus- rv nffected. that iB to say, within the .r.nxnmpr class, than has this. Not only is it proving an effective adver tisement for United states tires, dui it is proving an. equally effective ad vertisement for points of local in terest. The proof whereof is that Historians, business men and public ipirlted citizens generally are clam .irinsr to have similar boards erected n honor of points about which their jwn interest centers. Like Guide Book Pases. A most suggestive phase of the campaign is the psychology that lies iiehind it. The traveling public, is thoroughly inured to the billboard. Its utiiitv in seariut: brand names into the very soul of the wayfarer i recognized as a useful adjunct to ad vertising of other sorts, but the bill board itself is read sub-consciously, aa a rule, ana, except whji new, w particularly striking, attracts no par ticular attention. By contrast, the "History or tne United States," as set forth by the new tire billboards, has the distinct advantage of conveying useful ana ooked-for information. It is a aireci heck on local road markers, and in Luidition has the distinct flavor of the ;uide book. The main trouble with a guide book as far as touring is concerned, if course, is the difficulty of "keep ng the place." ' Besides locating and dentifying points of interest, the idea back of this new departure in idvertising, is that it enables every uember of a traveling party to keep posted. - The board Is 38 feet In lengtn and 14 feet in freight and represents .in open book, one page being devoted to "history" and the other page ad vertising United States tires. An ink bottle stands alongside the board and i large quill pen is stuck in the ink nottle, the feathers extending beyond the top of the board. A ribbon book mark with a seal, the trademark of the United States Rubber company. ends to keep up the illusion of the open page of history. Board to Be Changed. It is the idea of tho United States Pire company to cover most of the istorical places of America with hese boards. At present the builc- in boards, more than a thousand, ave been ' erected in the historical owns of Maine, New Hampshire, Ver- nont, Massachusetts, Khode Island, onnecticut, New York, New Jersey, ennsylvanla, Maryland, Delaware, )hio, California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Minne- ota, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Lou siuna and Mississippi. In time these bulletins will be round near practically all the histori- l points in every state. In addition t is the intention of the company to turn a page each year and in some localities twice a year, and plac new history upon each bulletin board. To afford an idea of the history on hese bulletins a few may be quoted at random. . For instance, one of the nany signs at Gettysburg reads: 'Gettysburg..,., miles irom here. At ;ettysburg was fought, July 1, 2, 3, 86J, the most important battle of the American civil war. Gettysburg was he turning point in the long and stubbornly fought contest." Another reads: "It was at Gettys burg (November 16, 1863) Lincoln said that 'this ration, under God, shall nave a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the peo ple and for the people shall not per ish from the earth." " Sometime a Chuckle. A board, at Long Branch, N. J., says: "John Sloiinm,: early settler of Long Branch, secured his Indian title by a wrestling contest with an Indian: The j nd-ian,, thoiigh greased from head to foot, Was thrown by Slocum." Also there is sometimes a bit of humor in the information about his torical places. Take Penn Yan as a sample. The bulletin says: "Penn van received its unique name through the fact that half its original set tlers eame from Pennsylvania, the other fcalf being New Kngland Yan kees. Finally they agreed to split 50-60 on the name." Often there is a chuckle that goes With stopping or slowing up to glance at the historical boards. Take the one at Dallas, Tex., which reads: "The pun on the Pilgrims' landing at Plymojitn that mey nrsi got aown on their knees, and then on the aborigines did not apply to Dallas pioneers and the Indians," These buHetin boards have attract ed wide attention from motorists, his torians, civic leagues, chambers of commerce "an-d people generally. Let tre Historian"1 make an error in what he writes and the United States Tire company will have a note immediate ly, Invariably followed by others, un til the O. J. Gude company, which has the contract for building and painting these boards, goes over its work attain and makes the suggested change. Sometimes even -an error in punctuation will bring letters of pro test. Cowmunltiea tVast Them. Invariably letters from chambers of commerce have been complimentary They have seen the value of the his torical bulletin- boards, liked them, n.oted tho advance made in outdoor advertising by having such outdoor signs well-painted, well-kept and in proper locations, and as a result they have asked for the erection of these boards in order to advertise their tc-wns and cities. Shortly after the signs were placed In California, the United States Tire company, in Saa Franciscu received M '- 'H. ' '" ':. rr " - . , , I - " - ' i ' -!-n it .f - r-- f - . - r " - :- - ' ; - . -v if " ' -w H jl I' ; , , v. . - ' . , ; ; r. . j ) j I , . " ,a . . 1 r, ill - : r -.V " HIGHWAY OW IJI PRETTY Harry Hays, territory man for the Willys-Overland Pacific company, made the run to Salem and Albany the other day in a new Overland model four and found the roads in pretty fair condition. The main east side Pacific highway is now the best route to Salem. It Is paved most of the way and there are no more detoura. From Brooks to Salem it Is not as yet paved, but the road is in very fair condition. Hays took the main Pacific highway route between Salem and Albany and found it fair and perfectly passable, though not as yet In wonderful shape. But any driver can make it over this road, which is the one via Jefferson. The return from Albany to Salem was made over ine aiarion-u urner roan, which is longer tnan tne main highway, but The upper picture shows one muddy place on the main highway two miles this flow from the rains, but a big Nash i ibui inrougn it wimout stopping tor the same road. this letter from an Interested mo torist: "Recently I made a trip by auto mobile from Los Angeles to San Fran cisco, by way of the coast line, and our party noted with very much in terest the interesting signs you are erecting along the way. "I am not a'.i advertising man. but believe this is the nicest piece of ad vertising that has ever been done in California, and one that will (or should) be appreciated by all Califor nians. as well as by tourists and traveling public." State departments of education have been attracted favorably to the his torical bulletin boards. One such de partment writes: "We should be pleased at all times to keep in touch with you and to know what Jou con template doing." 9IotorUta I.Ike Them. Sometimes motorists and historical societies fear lest some historical place may be overlooked, so there is dictated to the stenographer a note, perhaps to say; "Please do not over look the cross-roads about two" miles from Huntington, L. I., as an advan tagecus place for a large tire sign. This spot is within a stone's throw of the birthplace of Wait Whitman, "the good gray poet,' West Hills. L. I., and also T. K.'s burial spot at Oyster Bay. The bulletin board at Oyster Bey, by the way, states: "On Saga more Hill is the home of the late Theodore " Roosevelt, twenty-sixth president, author, reformer, natural ist, sportsman, explorer, soldier and statesman of vision.'' A well-known corporation has been si- much interested in the history dis played on these boards that they asked for a copy of the wording on each board. And there are now in the New Kngland states alone hun dreds of these boards! N motorist misses these signs on the highway.. They are located in what are known in the technical Phrase of outdoor advertising as "Head-ons. at a turn or curve in the road, and so situated that they can sometimes be seen for a quarter of a mile, more or less, depending upon the straightness of the road. shade trees and the like. Another value of these historical bulletin. boards ia that they frequent- ly direct motorists to places of his HERETS THE MOST EFFECTIVE VISED IN THIS OR e wcjes max , The Slat tsapitnliii p-cMtufif ui Jicme other' rrtoun- Thousands off iftm like this on irar cidrntull yt advertise Vnlted State So effective have these signs been and so reliable is their road and his toricai information that the United States Tire company has received re quests by the hundred from chambers of commerce, good roads orean izations, city councils and individual important points aioug tne Juijuuaya.. FAIR CONDITION TO HUB CITV quad, on road work for the state highway department, was snapped going sounaings. The lower picture snows torical Interest, Indicating what road to take and the mileage, so that an unexpected tour is sohnetimes planned on the spot to something worth while motorli e tc. The idea of the histori cal bulletin board was conceived and workad out by Irving Bromley, a vice president of the O. J. Gude company. MAKE TANK TO CLIMB ALI'S Many Firms In Mountains Are Without Transportation. The automotive industry must now add to the 1st of its productions the Alpine tank, a comibnation of the war-time tank and the agricultural tractor. A year ago suggestion was made to the Automobile club of France that some special vehicle should be developed capable of trav eling across country and reaching habitations in the high Alps at pres ent served only by pack mules. There are thousands of rarms in France from 3000 to 7000 feet above sea level with no railway and no road near them. These farms receive their sup plies by pack mules and then either send their produce down in the same way or by an overhead cable from some peak to a suitable spot in the valley. As the tank has shown Its value In the war, manufacturers of these vehicles were asked to adapt them for Alpine work. The result was an Alpine tank. TO CLEAX BRASS CASTINGS Good AVay Is to Dip Castings Into Acid Solution. Brass castings may be cleaned in an instant by dipping them into a solution of three parts of sulphuric acid and three parts nitric acid, to which after they have been mixed there has been added one quart of common salt, the whole being stirred until the salt has dissolved. If this mixture is placed in an earthenware vessel the brass castings can be dipped in it, removed immediately and rinsed in clear water. The cast ings can be made as bright as new by this method and little labor is involved. ADVERTISING SIGN EVER DE- ANY OTHER COUNTRY. r 'k v. - Spies f fire fire Oooq Ttrp ti Salem sJre road Information ant, in tire, all over tbe Lalted States. motorists to place more of them at 'i 4 i ! 'is-, i !' jVj OF WILLAMETTE VALLEY. tor the most part a little better. side of Albany.- The water Is over the overland in the Ankeny hills on NEW GL1DDEH TOUR ROUTE HEIUi'S PROPOSED COURSE FOR RACES IX 120. Run ould Jlc From 'ew York to San Francisco, Following; Liu coin Highway All tlio Way. DismoiT. Nov. 15. A. V. Bement, vice-president of the Lincoln High way association, has returned to De troit from New York, where he was in conference with Richard Kenner aen, chairman of the contest board of the American Automobile associa tion, who. with William E. Metzger, C. G. Sinsabaugh and s. A. Miles, ia in charge of the Glidden tour ar rangements for next year. tement round that tentative clans are under way for the entry of stock cars only by manufacturers in this vent, and that the tour will undoubt eaiy be run from New York to San Francisco. B;raent put up to this committee the following suggestions: that tne Lincoln highway in its entirety be followed: that, in addition to having the class of stock cars en tered by the manufacturers, a class for car owners be made, and that hey be allowed to run with the Gild den tour but to compete for a Lin coln highway trophy, which the asso ciation will furnish, and that, in view of the interest now existing in high way freight transportation and the use of trucks, and in view of the re cent convoy of trucks across the country, a class for pneumatically equipped trucks be instituted, to com- 22ie$upen Who's Who Amongst Motors? ' "Templar -Master Four" Speedster Fills every want of the most ex act, every need known to the mo toring public, nothing left un done, nothing more to buy. Yet no unnecessary weight or bulk. We sell quality not quantity. Place your order now for Xmas, the gifts of a lifetime. Wray Motor Car Co. 90 IST. Broadway, . Bdwy. 3247. pete under different rules for another trophy. - Bement Bays all of these matters will be put up to the contest board, and is of the impression that they will be looked upon favorably. It is estimated that there will be no less than 4U or SO cars entered by the manufacturers; from 100 to Sou cars by tourists, and probably . 50 to 60 . trucks by tbe manufacturers, making a total of approximately 300 entranta, with a personnel of practically 700 people. BRITAIX TO WAR OX K.VTS United Kingdom's loss From Rod ents $900,000,000 Yearly. LONDON. Nov. 16. In ten years the descendants of a single pair of rats, if allowed to multiply undis turbed, would number 43. 319, 608. 943. 030.344.720, according: to figures pre pared for the board of agriculture by a well-known scientists. This calcu lation is an incident of the country wide campaign beingr waged against rats, which are said to do a yearly damage in the United Kingdom amounting to i K00.000.000. Aeld-Proof Wood. When the storage battery Is car ried in a wooden box there is always trouble from the acid slopping over and eating the wooden box. Wood may be made proof against acid by painting with a mixture made of six parts wood tar and twelve parts resin. These Ingredients are melted together in an iron kettle, after which eight parts of finely powdered brick dust are stirred in. The surfaces are first thoroughly cleaned and then painted with this mixture warm. OLC g JfznollJCar COUI The Most Beautiful Coupe That Has Ever Come to Portland An Ideal Christmas Present IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Prices will probably advance on current models. guaranteed against decline. Six-cylinder, 4-passenger Coupe $2300 Six-cylinder, 5-passenger Touring... 1650 Six-cylinder Roadster 1650 Eight-cylinder, 7-passenger. 2200 Eight-cylinder Pacemaker '. . 2200 Eight-cylinder Sedan 3300 N Price Portland Dmlivmry THE OLDSMOBILE CO. Broadway at Couch OF OREGON Phone Bdwy. 2270 ESSEX FACTORY RUSHED AUDITION TO PLANT KKADV IX ONLY FOCn MONTHS. II use New Production Unit to Givo Practically Double Original Output of New Car.' Just four months from the time work on It was started, a new II. 520,000 factory addition to be devoted exclusively to the production of Es sex cars has been completed and Is now in full operation, according to word received from Detroit by C 1 Boss, Essex distributor here. At the same time it was announced that 40.000 Essex cars will be built In 1920. just double the ntimbrr turned IIIflIlIlIlllllIIIlIllllIlIllllIIIIIlIII111I11IlIIIEtllIllIIIllIllllIllIlIlIIIIllllllIlIlIlllIIIIIlIIllllIllll!llBIIIIIIlIlIIIIIIIIIIlIlItIIIffIllIIl! A .. I i i i ii I ii 1 1 f I ill l -ri -1 1 n ii - Mifcftei.axjc Tg f ' 1 X 'i mm. in: .vmi iimi w" 'r-rT-mrtmn-r isr-espv.sz . , ( The Combination It is just one more pertinent example of the unique manufac- turing facilities by Lexington! During the summer season, all windows may be removed. Thus 5 the car is lightened considerably without any sacrifice of comfort or convenience. For one-minute storms, curtains are provided in j the ceiling locker over the driver's compartment. v Expense was not a prime consideration. In other words, this car was built to meet a definite need in American family life to-" day and the price was fixed afterward. Visit Our Salesroom and See This Beautiful Car Brunn Motor Car Co. J Distributors, E 28-30 N. Broadway at Couch. Hmuumiiiuiiuiiumiiiiiimmuuummiuumiiiiumiiimmiiiiiimimiiiiim Purchasers out this year. Ksse enelneB will con tinue to be built in the Hudson fac tory, but the production lines have been moved into the new building to provide the necessary rooui for ex pansion. Combining- every facility3 of scien tific engineering with many exclu sive and advanced methods to assure maximum efficiency, accuracy and fine workmanship, the new factory contains approximately 160,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Provi sion has been made for future expan sion by the addition of three more stories. "This addition was made necessary by the constantly increasing demand for Kssex cars." said Mr. Boss. "De spite every effort the factory has been unable to keep pace with the demand which has resulted from the notable record the Kssex has made in the hands of 18,000 owners in al parts of the world as well as from its lonp" lint of achievements in hill EXINGTON'S latest model is the new Combination Sedan e an all-purpose car of many distinctive features. . t climbs, track and road races and en durance contests. "The Essex was brought out to fill the need for a light car of the highest quality possessing- all the beauty, power and performance of the mot coolly cars on tlie market but without their high upkeep expense. Its con stantly increasing popularity is proof of the fact that it has met and filled a real transportation need." IINE HIGHWAY IN" AFRICA French Government Plans Komi 230 Kilometers Ixug;. From "Darkest Africa" comes the news of a 230-kilometer highway to be built in French Africa, on the east coast, from Dakar to Ruflsque, Pont, Ehies, Popenguine, M'Bour to Ru fieque again. The work is to be com plete in June and a service of public auto vehicles will be put into opera tion. h Sedan
