THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, JANUARY 22, 1922
S
RUNAAVAY TOUR GAVE TOMMY MILTON THRILL OF LIFETIME.
FIRST REAL THRILL
Tommy Milton, Speed King of
World, Tells Story.
V1 iCv-NX
DAD'S CAR APPROPRIATED
v
Youngster and Three Others, With
"Clreus" Car, Make Ixng
Trip to See Great Kace.
RACER
RECALLS HI
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Tommy Milton, acknowledged speed
king of the world, and winner of the
1921 racing championship or America,
has tasted the priory of flashing firat
over the finishing line in the Indl
anaDOlla poeedway classic: he has
been the hero of many hard-fought
races on other tracks, and he holds
the distinction of having traveled
faster in an automobile than any
other human being, when, on the
beach at Daytona, Fla., he hung up
his record of 164.6 miles an hour, but
for real thrills none of the contests
that have brought him fame and
money can compare with the first
race he was ever in. Here la the
story:
Back In 1909 when Tommy, residing
In St. Paul, was a little fellow of not
quite It, and his older brother. Homer,
was approaching 18, they conceived
the Idea of seeing the first speeding
contest at Indianapolis, the pioneer
sneedway event in this country.
Clifford Carling. son of the late
"W. G. Carling, one of St. Paul's best-
known sportsmen, and Clarence .nag
bus, now of St. Paul's municipal ga
rage, were associated with them in
the project, but none of them rould
induce his parents to loan them the
family car for the journey.
Dad's Car Nominated.
Though their relatives failed to
warm ud to the great project, the
boys planned to go. nevertheless, and
It was decided that trie uiasmooue
runabout belonging to Tom's father
should take the party down. This car
could not accommodate four boys, so
Clifford volunteered to attach the
rear seats of his father's Pope-Hart
ford to the back of the Oldsmobile.
Tom's father suspected that his car
might be impressed into service with
out his knowledge and for some time
before the time the boys intended
starting he took the precaution to
fasten his car securely every night.
using a logging chain and an enor
mous padlock for the purpose.
This did not feaze the boys in the
least and they went quietly ahead
with their plans.
At midnight, three days before the
date of the big race, the boys crept
silently Into the Milton garage, where
Tom and Clarence proceeded to file
the logging chain. Clifford and Ho
mer had brought the rear seat of the
Carling car and. while the others were
filing the chain, they attached it to
the Olds, with straps, wires and
ropes.
It was 3:45 when the chain finally
snapped, and 15 minutes later the
party stole out of the garage without
awakening anyone in the Miiton
household.
Tom was at the wheel. He drove
through HudBon, Wis., and was well
on his way to Milwaukee at noon the
next day when the first stop was
made for refreshments and to replen
ish fuel.
Here it was discovered that lit the
general excitement none of them had
remembered to bring along any money
beyond such small change as they had
In their pockets. A hurried Inventory
brought to light $5.20 and no more.
The midday meal was therefore re
stricted to crackers, cheese and cold
water, but the tank of the car was
filled with gasoline.
That night they slept on the car
cushions in an open field, and early
the next morning they pulled into
Chicago.
The car was taken to a garage, and
while it was being looked over a
member of the Chicago Automobile
club happened in and stood gazing at
the strange outfit, the body and front
seat of which was a bright red and
the rear seats a flaring yellow.
"It sure locked like- a circus car,"
says Cliff Carling. "and it still makes
me laugh every time I think of Its
odd appearance."
The auto club member questioned
the boys, and when he learned that
the lads, none of them more than 17,
had practically stolen the car for the
purpose of taking in the speedway
race, he took them over to the club,
where they were royally entertained.
The "eats" problem was solved there
and then.
Boys Jolat BIr Party.
It happened that 75 cars filled with
club members were to start by road
for the race that afternoon, and the
boys were Invited to go along as
guests of the big party. It may be
surmised that they were not in the
least bashful about accepting;
On the way to Indianapolis the cara
van was delayed In various ways until
suddenly the leader of the expedition
discovered that It was not at all likely
that any of - them could reach Indi
anapolis In time to see the contest.
The run developed into a race from
that moment, and the cars hustled
through as rast as they could with
out any attempt to keep together.
Tommy finished second in this race,
being beaten out by Just one car, an
enormous machine that should have
left him 40 miles behind. Altogether
about 30 of the cars arrived n time
to aee the start of the big speedway
classic.
Tommy's skill in bringing his car in
aa he did, made the St. Paul party
bigger heroes than they were before.
Thy were put up at the Indianapolis
As Close as
V-. :-
Lehnherr -
Phone Broadway 2511
t jF" A V i '
club, members of which provided them
with tickets to see the race.
Even in those days tire dealers were
"on the Job." One dealer who han
dled the make of tires on the boys'
cars asked permission to hang a aign
on it for the return journey reading,
"St. Paul to Indianapolis and back
without a punctured' This statement
was not, strictly speaking, within sev
eral degrees of the truth, but the lads
smothered their scruples because that
sign meant financing their return
journey munificently.
So they came back leisurely and
they landed 'in St. Paul with much
more money than they had at the
start of their adventure, and they all
had a bully time in the bargain.
Cliff and Tcmmy met on July 8. last
year, at Tacoma, where Tommy drove
in a speedway race on the Fourth,
and they satup late talking over their
wonderful trip to Indianapolis.
"Do you know, Cliff." said Tom.
"I've been In a lot of races since then,
but that one on the last lap of the
run to Indianapolis furnished me with
more thrills than I have ever experi
enced since. It was when we pulled in,
a close second after that road race,
that I decided that automobile racing
would be my business."
NEW MITCHELL PMISEB
LiGiiT six has new motor.ob
SPECIAL DESIGX.
Sales Manager Says Buyers Have
Ueported Car One of Best
Ever on Market.
The Mitchell llghf six, one of the
best known sixes on the market. Is
out with a new motor of their own
design and manufacture.
According to Ray Aloee, sales man
ager of the MItohell, Lewis & Staver
company, the new motor is a remark
able performer. Albee says. '"We
have had the new Mitchells with the
new motor for several weeka and
have not said anything about them
for the reason that we wanted to test
them out thoroughly. This we have
done and we have also placed a num
ber of them in hands of buyers wno
have made reports on them as to per
formance, economy and other wanted
qualities. We are now sure that we
have a motor in the new Mitchell
which Is very much out of the or
dinary."
The new motor will be on display
at the Mitchell booth at the auto
show this week. It is of L. head type,
3V4-inch"bore and 5-inch stroke. This
is a Quarter inch increase in bore
over previous Mitchell motors used
in the Mitchell light six chassis oi
120-inch wheelbase. A counter-bal
anced crankshaft is employed and the
motor is fitted with a specially de
signed intake manifold which is
really a four hot spot maniroid. xnis
manifold makes laf Increased econ
omy and easy . starting.
One of the new Mitchells to De
AUTOMOTIVE SALES CO.
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Stephens
SalieittSbdi
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VAuto SlioyrJ
COAST
'Wear Defiers"
Rose, Inc.
111 Twelfth Street
1
BACK IX 190H, WHEN PRESENT SPEED DEMON, IN DAD'S CAR, DASHED
WITH BOY PAJLS TO FIRST INDIANAPOLIS RACE.
The picture above, showing Tommy Milton at the wheel of his dad's old
time bus. has never before been printed. It shows the world-famous auto
mobile driver, winner of the 1921 'automobile racing championship of America,
starting on his journey to the first Indianapolis speedway race back in 1909.
Tom is at the wheel, looking aa sober as a 15-year-old boy can look. Beside,
him is Clarence Magnus, 17, while in the rear seat, left to right, are Clifford
Carling, 16. and Homer Milton, Tom's older brother, who was dean of the
party, nearly It years old.
shown at the auditorium by Mitchell,
Lewis & Staver Is the Mitchell sport
car, a handsomely finished car with
all the latest comforts known to the
Industry. .
The Mitchell and the new Jordan
will constitute the big Mitchell,
Lewis & Staver display at the show
this year. The new Jordan, although
brought out late last fall, still com
mands interest as possessing a num
ber of new and distinctive features
Edward S. Jordan, head of the Jordan
company at Cleveland, O.. was one
of the few makers of standard auto
mobiles to bring out a new model in
1921, and the car was introduced to
the public in November.
One of the departures in Jordan's
new car. which in design is very
similar to past models, is the use of
a new and exclusive motor. This mo
tor has been in process of develop
ment in the Jordan plant for the past
two years. It is of the L head type
with cylinders 3 5-16 by 4. Head
gears are replaced by silent chain
easily adjusted from without. A new
combined splash" and force feed oil
ing system is employed and the water
pump, generator and other acces
sories are rearranged for accessi
bility and quietness. The crank
shaft In the new Jordan motor Is said
We Announce the New Prices
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Touring: Car
Roadster
Coupe .
Sedan . . .
Imperial Sedan
Town Car .
Limousine .
to be the largest crankshaft used In
any four-bearing motor produced in
America. A new specially designed
intake manifold develops the idea of
pre-heating the gas to a high degree.
Other Jordan chassis improvements
include a lubricating system which
makes it unnecessary at any time to
crawl under the car to reach import
ant parts. This is eliminated by the
use of flexible tubes with Alemlte
connections.
The new Jordan is the eame 120
Inch wheelbase, practically the same
weight, 2850 pounds, as the 1920-2
models. This wheelbase and weight
seems to be properly proportioned
for easy riding comfort and chassis
balance.
Mitchell. Lewis & Staver company
will exhibit at the Portland show one
of the new Jordans in he opaque vel
vet finish. This is beautiful dull gray
finish which has met with widespread
approval because of the ease with
which is may be cleaned and the ex
tent to which It Is free from the
menace of scratches and mars so fatal
to finishes of high luster.
The new Jordan body is of alumi
num and in it are incorporated some
of the fine features wanted by dis
criminating motorists. Tools are car
ried in a special locked compartment
Copyright C. H. Wills & Company
of the
SAINTE CLAI RE
The 8-cylinder Mo-lyb-den-am Car
Att Prices O. B. Marysville
C. H.WILLS AND COMPANY
Marysville, Michigan
CHAS. C: FAGAN CO.,
Chas. C. Fagan, Pres.
Distributors ' .
Ninth and Burnside Sts.
y (I
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in the left front door. Curtains are
carried in the compartment of the
door to which they fit. A special
compartment has been made under
the front seat with door opening into
the tonneau. The Jordan instrument
board is a thing of beauty, all in
struments being centrally located
under the glass
$2475
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3275
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Inc.
The New
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builder of six-cylinder motor cars!
1921 was the TEST YEAR for motor
car values. It was a year of discrimi
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And in 6uch a year Studebaker built
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A CM of 112-inch wheel bue. built complete la Stnd.
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Geaalne trather upaolKerr .
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Studebaker led in 1921 because it
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prices.
Studebaker will lead again in 1922 be
cause, in the new models, the refine
ments of the new year have been added
to the proven values of the old. Be sure
to see the new models at the show.
in the New Light-Six at the Shorn :
Patented Internal hofeepoC, which mean ereacer em.
doner. Completely marhined crenloehaft end coej
Herring rods.
Cowl ventilator controlled from dash. Cowl perking iiahta.
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SIX
At the
AUTO
SHOW
Auditorium
January 18 to 23
i.
t