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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1920)
SECTION SIX Pages 1 to 10 Automobiles, Road Trips' and Northwest Highway News VOL. XXXIX. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY. 3IORNING, JANUARY 4, 1920. NO. 1 11920 PRODUCTION TO IS HERE ARE A FEW GLIMPSES OF THE EAGLE CREEK CAMP GROUNDS AS THEY LOOKED IN BIG SNOW E BE 2,500,000 AUTOS That Is, Not in the Douglas That's Estimate of National County Section. Auto Chamber Head. HIGHWAY NOT ROAD f' ' : : ' SISKIYOUS NOW ARE OPEN Reports. Indicate Highway Can Be Traveled, Though Very Bad in Southern Section. The Pacific highway from Portland outh to the California-Oregon line In. the Siskiyou inguntains is at pres ent passable to automobile travel, thoughtthere is very bad going on the Wolf creek and Sexton mountain sec tions south of Glendale and over the new grades in the Ifoncalla-Oakland section north of Roseourg. Though passable in between rains, no motorist should attempt the jour nev south at present as a 'pleasure trip, for in the sections named there . are places where shoveling will have j to be done if a car once sets staiiea In the mud. The word passable Is used in the sense that it is possible to get through, not to mean that it is easy to do so. though after any considerable period, of dry weather conditions will be much' bettered. But don't try it after a heavy rain. Aside from the places mentioned, the highway Is In fairly good condi tion all the way through Oregon. After the big snow storm last month the Siskiyou mountains were for a time covered too deeply with snow for cars to cross Into California. 8mw Off Slalttyona. But the same Chinook wind that melted the snow In this section has cleared It off the road there, latest reports received by The Orcgonian are that though somewhat soft in a few places, cars can make it readily. I This lime a year ago the Pacific highway would have been impassable from about the middle of October un til well into April or May. The fact that it can be traveled now and is in good to fair condition except in a few sections indicates how much has been accomplished in the state high way construction programme in the past year. The places where going is difficult now are so chiefly because of new construction work. From Portland south to Kusene and Cottage Grove the highway is in the main in excellent condition. It is paved now most of the way to Sa lem on the main east side route, and the short unpaved section between Canby and Aurora and that in the 'Lake Labish district'.-; Just north of Salem, are good enough even in bad weather. The Marion-Turner route still is probably the best of the several routes between Salerit ' and Albany, the new highway grade not as yet being In very good- condition. While rough and rutty, the Marion-Turner road is passable, which is the main thing. Soft Near Cettaae Grove. From Albany to Corvallls, Monroe. Junction City and Eugene the going is good all the way, and from there south of Cottage Grove is good for the most part. There is one soft spot Just north of Cottage Grove where the new highway grade is quite slip pery in wet weather. Following are reports to The Ore gonian from various towns along the highway, noting highway conditions In those sections: EUGENE. Or., Jan. 1. (Special.) The Pacific highway through Lane county is in fine condition a greater part of the way, with 12 miles of pavement - and all but three or four miles of the remainder good macadam, although the recent freezing weather made the latter somewhat soft in places. The Lane county road de partment, however, has been active ince the snow disappeared and is rapidly getting the macadam in shape for heavy traffic again. Automobiles are getting through over the highway without any diffi culty, although there is a bad place between Walker station and Cottage Grove in the southern part of the county, where a contract for grading a new stretch to eliminate three or four dangerous railroad crossings has not yet been completed. The new s-radw ia roue-h and muddv in olaces. but spreading of rock is progressing and it is expected that the entire grade will be open for traffic early In the spring. Traffic has to take the old highway in places on the east id of the Southern Pacific track. . The now west side highway be tween the Benton county line and Junction City is in excellent condi tion; having been macadamized dur ing the fall. The east side highway between the Harrisburg ferry and Junction- City is also in good shape. A 6 -mile stretch of new pavement extends South from Junction City to ward 'Eugene and from the end of the pavement into Eugene the mac adam on the old river road is in good shape. Leaving Eugene for the south the motorist finds another stretch of pavement six miles long, ending at Goshen. From Goshen to Walker. where the new trading begins, the old highway is in good condition and south of Cottage Grove to Divide there is a good piece of macadam. COTTAGE GROVE. Or.. Jan. 3. (Special.) All the automobile roads in this section are passable and in most cases can be made without trou ble by the heaviest cars. There has been some difficulty Just north of here after a rain, where a part of the old road has been combined with the new road. The new road has now s;vn opened and a muddy spot and a rteep and slippery hilL which caused the trouble, have been elim- inated. The road south to Roseburg Is rough in spots where rock has been laid on top of new grading, but no cars have reported any serious trou ble In getting through. ROSEBURG, Or., Jan. S. (Special.) With the eexception of an occasional truck or touring car. whose drivers are exceedingly optimistic as to what their machines can do. the Pacific highway in Douglas county is prac tically closed to automobile traffic at present, owing to the bad condition of the roads. Among the recent ma chines to arrive from the south was a powerful truck employed " in tele phone line construction work, . and I ,.4t-j m - Tr . .. .. .... f v. - .. n , TT - ,.' . I three tourists from the north w... reached here last night. All of these persons report unfavor ably, and say that machines trying the roads are apt to get stuck at various points along the way between Divide and the grades south of Glen dale. though it is possible for a de termined driver with a good car to get through From Canyonville. 30 miles south of Roseburg, to Oakland, 18 miles north of this city,. the roads, including Rob erts mountain grades, are , in 'very good condition. In the hill country north of Oak-land, where all new grades were constructed in the sum mer and, fall, the going is all but im passable. r . The occasional stretches wher gravel surfacing was put on are a relief from what is otherwise a quag mire, so travelers state. While new grades and some gravel in the can yon between Leona and Divide are an improvement over the mudholes of former years., places almost impass able are encountered by motorists there. GRANTS PASS, Jan. 3. (Special.) The Pacific highway in Josephine county from Grants Pass to the Jack son county line is paved, but in Jack son county from the line to the town of Rogue River is in fair condition, except immediately after a hard rain. At such times there is much soft mud for short distances. This docs not interrupt travel, although going is much easier after a day or two of bright weather. From Grants Pass north to the Dougras county line much trouble is experienced at Sex ton mountain or Smith hill, as it is otherwise known. Small cars often are stalled. Plenty of power is re quired and a clearance of ten inches is necessary to traverse the bad spots in the Sexton mountain road for about five miles. From Grave creek to the county lin there is paving the entire distance. In general, the road is passable at all points. Travel is continuous from Grants Pass to Medford and the top of the Siskiyou mountains. AUTO INDUSTRY IS LEADER ONE OF EIGHT DECLARED TO BE BASIC OXES. Council of National Defense Re cognizes Essential Nature of Its Products. WASHINGTON". Jan.' 3. The high position wnrcn me automobile indus try is certain to hold in the industrial life of the nation in the future is foreshadowed by the action of the counsel of national defense in recog nizing it as a basic industry. Touching on this matter a promi nent automobile manufacturer in an interview in this city said: "By the council of national riorann selecting the automobile Industry as one of the eight basic industries from which facts and figures were desired at the recent industrial conference held in this city as the best possible remedy for the high cost of living, there is not only a positive recogni tion of that industry but it is proved that the products of that industry have become basic utilities in the pro duction and transportation of all other products. "Take the seven other basic indus tries steeT. cotton, wool, food, indus trial construction, shipbuilding, road and bridge construction. All of these industries depend to a great extent on the motor truck as well as the auto mobile In the transportation of mate rials, supplies, equipment, men and other factors that enter into their dis tributing activities. "It Is natural, therefore, when the leading and prominent executives in the eight basic industries started their conference that they would want facts and figures on Just how the motor truck and the automobile could help in keeping high prices down. Without a doubt there was such a mass of figures and statistics to prove the economy of the automobile and motor truck that In final analysis, when the plans of the conference have been approved. It will find the auto- - ' -' rf n mmmJ here's, a real mystery iix ' ' ' 1 x Cp - 41 ;i .V r A WW ' ' J " .1 ....... , --..'... 1 Thta picture shows the Columbia river hlfc-hvray bridge over Karle creek at looks In ordinary times. In photograph 3, taken on December 18, Mr. Van snow, while photosraph 4 Is another times of the year, snow or no snow. hook. S and Easle creek bridge. S Here's the Eaflt creek ranger station, with Old tilory In front, frozen stiff by the aero weather, but always c Old GloryV 6 A cold snack at one of the forest service luncheon tables for tourists. 7 Rmogilu thlsf It's looking; up the automobile loop road Into the Kagle creek camp n-rund. S An cnticina; n-llmpae of Eairle creek in winter. BY ALEXANDER G. JACKSON. Forest Examiner. United States Forest Service. ALTHOUGH, according to the for est service, 150,000 persons visited Eagle creek camp grounds during the last outing sea son, none of them saw these grounds clad in their . white winter mantle as did W. "A. Van Scoy, Ray Conway and H. H. Riddell of Portland, who picnicked at Eagle creek a few days after the recent big snow storm. Equipped with snowshoes and skis, armed with cameras, and clad for a winter outing, the three stepped off the train at Eagle creek In 18 inches of snow, through which they made their way slowly up the steep slope to the Columbia' river highway and down to the camp grounds, where a strange new landscape greeted' their wondering eyes. The familiar ferns and small shrubbery had disappeared under a dazrling white blanket, of snow which covered the whole place. Snow draped the somber fir trees and lay in fantastic-shaped : heaps on buildings, tables, picnic stoves, and other structures. Kagle Creek laky Black. Against the whiteness of the snow, the trunks of , the alders showed ashen gray, while Eagle creek, whose waters are silvery -clear in summer, ran black as a stream of Ink beneath the white-trimmed rustic bridge that mobile ' and the motor 'truck Inter woven ' throughout' the final plans, recommended by the conference as the logical ones to help reduce the high cost of living." ' . ' ' TACOM A HAS TIRE FACTORY Western Rubber Company . Plant Soon to Begin Operations. . T A CO MA. Wash. Jan. I.- (Special.) Tho Western Rubber company will begin to manufacture tires In its new plant in South. Tacoma between Jan uary 15 and February I. Machinery la bains installed In ine- completed i ' f -v snow picture of the same ridge from n But before they could register these connects , the camp grounds on the two sides of the stream. The highway bridge across Eagle creek was so completely covered with snow that only the rock-faced arch itself was in evidence, showing that a bridge was there. It was a place of silence, the mys terious silence -of snow lands. The only sound was the subdued murmur of the stream as it hurried on to the Columbia, and this could be heard but . a short distance away. The camp grounds, which in sum mer are so thronged' with tourists and campers that one feels little of the privacy of the wilderness, were absolutely deserted save for the three hardy visitors. The cozy little ranger station nestled among the trees on the hillside wis closed and unoccu pied, as Ranger Wiesendanger.. who is usually stationed there, had gone to Portland with his - family to re main until . winter wears itself out. No wild life was apparent, but num erous tracks showed where deer from the neighboring ridges had visited the camp grounds, taken a drink at the creek and then returned to their retreats. It is indeed a. dull day at Eagle creek camp grounds when some tour ist does not sign his name to the forest travelers' register in the rus tic booth where it is kept. The three winter visitors found the booth un der a heavy: snow covering, but this did not prevent their drawing the register from its shelf and record buildings. Delay was experienced in getting delivery on equipment. The piant Is so arranged that raw rubber can- be handled: from shipside to the "factory direct. As the largest part of the 'crude rubber of the coun try comes through Puget sound ports, this efficiency system will save much money, officers of the company say. The plant will start with a working fores of t25 men. Elmer Dover, for mer secretary of the national repub lican committee, and later Pacific Coast manager for .Byllesby & Co., operators of public service plants, is president of the company. Oil Can Grip. A. piece of sheet metal bent roughly the Eaitle creek ramp uroandi of Scoy cnuKht an unnsnal view of It different viewpoint. 2 Tourists reartster nt K.nsjle rreek camp around at all pertinacious ones had to brush off a couple of feet of snow from the-ren-latry ing their names. It is very probable that these were the first tourists on snowshoes to register at Eagle creek camp grounds. Plenty of Snowshoe Work. The party had planned to go as far as the Punch Bowl and get the unusual winter pictures along the way which the heavy snowfall made possible, but a short distance above the upper flat they discovered the trip was not feasible, as snow filled the cut where the trail ran and lay in a steep slope from the bluffs to the water's edge, making snowshoe ing not only difficult but extremely precarious. And anyway, they found plenty of exercise for snowshoes and cameras on the camp grounds and along the first half mile of Eagle creek trail. The picture of the canyon around the first bend of the trail above the upper camp grounds, which delighted their eyes, might have been a scene taken from the fairyland of child hood. The ermine-trimmed firs stood erect on the slopes, their shafts pointing skyward, while an inverted forest of icicles appeared above the trail, threatening to fall and trans fix any one daring enough to attempt the passage beneath them. At the bottom of the canyon the black waters of Eagle creek hurried be tween its snowy banks. After their day in fairyland. Messrs. Van Scoy, Conway and Riddell came In the shaps of a buffalo's horns, with a hole punched in the center so that it will fit under the spout, which Is then screwed in place, makes an ad mirable linger grip and enables the operator to shoot the oil more accu rately. KEEP THE BRAKES IX ORDER When Car Skids to One Side Ad justment Is Faulty. "Brakes didn't work" has spelled the cause of. many an auto accident. The brakes should bind tightly when pressure is applied, but they should be free and clear" when not - In? use. Photos by W. A. Van Scoy, tbe I tilted states forest service, as ft under the mhlte mantle left by the bla back to - earth, when they- trails; ported their outfit to the little flag station at - Eagle ' creek and waited for -. train whose degree of lateness they had no way of knowing. Tramp o Keep Warm. To keep warm the three put on their packs and tramped back and forth near the station until the train finally came along and carried them back to. Portland. From the . tracks left on the station grounds, a casual observer might draw the conclusion that a large party of tourists had taken the train at this point. Mr. Van Sooy. who is a successful hunter of the beautiful fn nature, visits Eagle creek frequently in his quest for "pictures. He has made more than a mile of movie film at the camp grounds and along the scenic trail. The snow pictures ob tained on his last trip will make a pleasing contrast to the many scenes taken when the foliage was on the shrubbery and the ground j bare. L For the benefit of travelers who wish to stop at Eagle creek camp grounds for lunch during stormy weather, the sTorest service has be gun erection of a shelter house, which will be available for this use when completed. The house will be pro vided with a table, a fireplace and benches for tourists' use. The work on this structure was interrupted by the unusual storm. " It will be finished as early as possible in the spring. If a brake shoe binds when the pres sure is released it makes the car run hard. Sometimes oil working out on to the brake lining will cause the brakes to slip. IT you see this Is the cause, wash off the lining with gasoline and then see that the leak age of grease from the rear axle is stopped. If it Is worn linings that cause the brake to refuse to hold, then have the brake relined. A tendency of the car to skid to one side when the brakes are applied is proof of unequal adjustment. The first six-cylinder car was pro duced In England. WHAT CAN THIS STCDEBAKEIl BULLDOG BE? Manager of Oregon Motor Car Com pany Says His Big Chief" Isn't' Even in Secret. Over the salesroom of the Oregon Motor Car company hangs a dark, dank fo of mystery. Its impene trable veil . conceals a secret that many a rival automobile man would give the life of his second best sales man to solve. In short, as Mr. Micawber would say. the. truth must out. It conceals the identity of the star exhibit to be made at the .coming automobile show by the (Jregon Motor Car company. Let us lift a small corner of the veil. Fred M. Leeston-Smith, man ager of the Oregon Motor Car com pany, holding up the curtain for the merest peek, is speaking. "Even W. C. Garbe. president of the company, who is paying the bills, doesn't know the whole of it," says liq. "Nobody is going to know it until they see it in the show, but I will go this far and say that it will be worth traveling from Scappoote to Portland and back again for a look. "We are calling this the StudP baker Bulldog. That is to say. the factory is calling it the Studebaker Bulldog, for the Studebaker factory is Jointly responsible with us for this exhibit. While I was at the factory a .month ago I took up plans with rj. H. McCarty, now assistant general sales manager but formerly manager f t r- St nd phn Lci in tViA nnrDi w t-tf and together we went over plans for what i can trutmuuy say win De me clos est approach to a humdinger ever seen in this territory. "Right now one of the noted spe cial designers of Chicago is rushing work on the Bulldog. What is the Bulldog like? With Sherlock Holmes I will only say, 'Come to the show and you shall "find out.' " WHIPPED CREAM AS FUEL IT'S A LITTLE MORE EXPEN SIVE THAN GAS. Bl'T Anyway, New Motor Invented by Chicago Man,. Can Burn Cream, or Olive Oil. or Kerosene. NEW YORK. Jan. 3. To run en gines, using as a fuel olive oil. melted butter or whipped cream may sound absurd,' but according to E. W. Blake ly of the Society of Automotive en gineers, at the convention of the American Society of Mechanical en gineers recently in session, this al ready has been accomplished. The experiment was accomplished recently with the use of a Hvid en gine, invented by R. M. Hvid of Chi cago, and was performed in the pres ence of five engineers representing the Russian government. The engine was kept running for a length of time on the following fuels: Crude oil, fuel oil, kerosene, olive oil, castor oil, melted butter, axle grease, and finally whipped cream. "The Hvid engine." said Mr. Blake ly, "is applicable to motor boats, trac tors and pumps. "It Is a straight four-cycle engine of conventional design, except that high compression is used to secure ignition, and a fuel Injecting mechan ism is employed, by means of which a preliminary combustion is made to force the fuel into the engine without complicated pumps or air systems. The engine is said to have all the ad vantages and none of the disadvan tages of the so-called Diesel, and will run on any oil that can flow through a pipe or any bl-product of distillation" INDUSTRY SECOND IN SIZE Alfred Reeves la Prophecy of Ncu Year Declares '425, OOO Trucks AV11I Be Manufacture's. BT ALFRED REEVES. General Manager National Automobtta Chamber of Commerce. Notwithstanding the small prod no tion in the first three months of 1919, following the armistice, when the Industry was on practically a 100 per cent war basis, motor car manufac turers made such gigantic strides during the other nine months that the year'g production of 1.891.929 motor vehicles exceeds all previous records. Including that of 1917. when 1.S6S.O00 cars and trucks were produced. The wholesale value brought the industry almost to the two-billion-dollar class. It was only 20 years ago when auto mobiles were barred from Central park yet within these two decades no year has gone by except the war year of 197 8 which has not seen an Increased demand for these time-saving vehicles now such an important part of our American life. Passenger car production was slightly less than in 1917, totaling 1.5S6.787 as against 1.740.000 for 1917. Truck production, however, increased substantially, rising from 227, OOl) in 1918 to more than 305,000 in 1919. Averaare SS3 Per Cur. The total wholesale value of pas senger cars was $l,399.2S2,99a. an aver.-igp of $S82 per car: while the truck value was $408.31 1.5S5, an aver age of J1338 per vehicle. The total value of these products was $1,807,594,580. which, when com bined with the wholesale value of bodies, spare tires and accessories to equip the cars or trucks ready for the owner's use, brings the industry close to the two-blllion-dollar class with a practical certainty that this year its position will be second only to steel among the manufacturing In dustries of the country. The rapid advance of the truck has resulted from its meritorious perform ance in the war. in general commer cial life, in connection with rural motor express lines and in practically every other department of commerce. Buses are increasing in great num ber, it being worthy of note than in Newark, N. J.. 16.000.000 passengers were carried by buses in the first half of 1919, the fares amounting to $800,000. Kla-urea Show Insuatry'a Growth. Some highly interesting figures in connection with the industry, dating from 1899, are given in the following table: I'unrntrr Csr I'rodurt Ion. Wholal Year 1 fctili m4 1 lll9 1!14 1917 1918 1919 .unip-r. 3.700 21.1IHI 127.731 S4.1.;7I 1.741.7l2 PL'A.S'it 1.5Srt.787 value. t 4.7.i.onn 33.fl.14.3n4 inn.9ix.Ans 413.h.-.!.S79 l.or.3.. sos. 7ii S'M. !37. f'. 1.309.IS2.995 Average wholesale price for 1910, JSS2 Motor Truck I'roduetlon. WhniP :ale Tear- dumber. alue. 14 411 $ 4rt.I47 ;2.2!i'J..'l2l 20.1KJ.ifl 11M1 10.K3.-. 1917 12S.K.7 191 S 227, 2.10 1019 3U.1.142 434.1 fiS. '.mu 40s.3i l.r.ss Average wholesale price for 1919, $1338. Total motor vehicle production In 1919 was 1.891.929. valued wholesale at $1.807. 594, 580. Passenger car production in 1920 should be not far from 1,250.000 cars with truck production 400,000 to 425. 000. It will depend largely on ma terials, particularly in connection wth closed cars, for which the de mand is increasing tremendously, tiporti to lncreaae. Too. Kxports are now only about $110, 000.000. but this should increase sub stantially during the next few years. The world's markets are being cov ered by the automobile industry, our automobiles going last year to SI different countries, including Iceland, which bought 21 cars and two trucks. There is a normal replacement an nually of about 16 per cent of the cars and trucks in use. Kinal fig ures from the various states would indicate that almost seven million ve hicles are now registered and run ning in the United States. Of this number, about 10 per cent are trucks. The biggest percentage of increase in the registration cf cars during the past two years las been in the agri cultural districts. The leaders are Tennessee. Alabama. Louisiana and Georgia, where the percentage of in crease over 1918 has ranged from 29 per cent aown to 16 per cent. New York ha? the greatest number of cars registered, approximately 570.000. or one for every 18 people in the state. Olio is second with about 511.000. Nebraska and Iowa are pretty close for the honor of the greatest number of cars per capita. low with 365,000 and Nebraska 201.000. or one car for every -i persons. What la Saturation Point f Mississippi has the fewest cars re-R-istereo. less than one for every 50 persons, with Alabama next one for every 43 persons. Better roads are expected to change this .situation. Just how many cars can be used In the Cnlted States depends entirely on improved roads and bettering of traf fic conditions in bic,cities by use at underground garages and parking places for cars not in use. There are many who believe that a few years from now will see 12.000.000 motor vehicles running in this country. Notwithstanding its giant strides in 20 years, the industry has not been one in which It was easy to succeed, as evidenced by the fact that more than 700 makers failed or retired from the business In the past six or seven years. Many new companies now going into the business will find the road difficult and success coming only to enterprising, well-financed and well managed concerns having vehicles on a par with those now in use. One of the real reasons for the great growth of the automobile indus try has been the appreciation that every person wants an automobile. It is generally a question of price. The makers, therefore, worked to brins down prices and thus permit of in creased production, which in turn brought prices down still further. How Makers Co-Operate. The industry is looked upon as the leader of standardized production. In .Concluded Q Page 6, Column S.) f