Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, June 01, 1912, HOME, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 23

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FLANDERS CAR IN BIG DESERT Will Go on Journey To Mark a Roadway and Save Human Lives. To lessen the dangers of the great American desert and its annual toll of human fife is the mission on which a Flanders “20” motor ear has begun an all-summer trip from Pasadena. Cal. At its wheel is Lou Weston Beck, for mer prospector, but now philanthropist, who has dedicated his life to the chart ing and posting of the indefinite trails Which traverse the great inter-moun- Oaiii region and the Indication to trav elers, by plain and effective means, of spots where water may be obtained. Mr. Beck’s mission has been made possible by generous citizens of Pasa dena, acquainted with his work, who have subscribed the sum necessary to purchase the car. Mr. Beck has chris tened it the “Chuckwalla Flanders ‘2o’ ” in honor of the famous bloated lizard which is the only creature able to live in many parts of the terrible waste. An annual tribute of 25 victims, it is estimated, is exacted each year by the grim region which lies immediately east of the coast range. Practically all of these are prospectors who, ignorant of the nature of the country, leave civili zation with a scant supply of water and fail to find more. Months, perhaps years, after, their bones are found, plucked clean by the vultures, under the strag gling shade of some mesquite bush, where their miserable fate had finally overtaken them. “Desert rats” they are dubbed by those in the towns bordering on ihe vast expanse. To penetrate the desert in a motor car has been tried several times, but with uniform failure. Two years ago. a party of seven in a high-powered car attempted the trip. Two weeks later a searching party came upon the car, ap parently abandoned. Closer approach, however, showed a black huddle be neath the car. To the horror of the searching party, this was found to be a pile of corpses. Nearby was a poisoned spring from which all had apparently drank. Mi’. Beck knows the desert better, in all probability, than any living man. He expects to post his signs in away that will not only direct the “rats” to good water, but will also warn them away from that which is bad. The “Chuckwalla Flanders '2o' ” will penetrate this summer as far as the notorious “Death Valley." and will be the first motor car to essay this arid region. Its itinerary has been arranged to cover about 600 miles, touching the railroad once to take on a second sup ply of gasoline and oil. Mr. Beck hopes to continue his work until the entire desert is as well charted as a man traveled highway. In the completion of his task he Is trying to enlist the i services of the United States govern ment, which, by installing large signs on buttes and mountain tops, could ful fill a purpose very similar to that per formed by the lighthouse and life sav ing departihents on the coasts and Great Lakes. In his work Mr. Beck will be greatly helped by “Rufus,” a big red dog of mixed breeding, in which St. Bernard blood is apparently dominant. “Rufus" goes into the desert with a canteen strapped to each side, and shod with buckskin nearly to the knee as a pro tection against the hot sand, thorns and 'deadly sidewinders. “Rufus'” has a record of saving a round dozen lives. He has uncanny ability to find men lost in the desert, and has on three occasions located a lost trail, which enabled his master to return safely after hope had been aban doned. r t i.„i; ' : —— Down in the sea of in efficiency goes the good ship “Horse-haul”—and safe into port, the “see-going” Ford brings the new order of things. Safe auto travel for all the world—at minimum cost— that, the coming of the light, swift Ford has made possible. Seventy-five thousand new Lords go into service this season— proof of their tine i'| qualed merit. The price is $590 for the j] roadster, $690 for the five-passenger ear, and S7OO for the delivery ear •complete with all equipment, f. <>. It. Detroit. Latest catalogue from Ford Motor Company, Uli i I’eachtree St., Atlanta, or direct from De j troit factory. J VETERAN COLUMBIA NOW A FEATURE OF SHOW IN NEW YORK Featuring the Travel and Vacation show in Grand Central Palace, New- York, Is a Columbia automdbile that was built seventeen years ago and gave fourteen years of service. Battle scarred, but still capable of operation, the old car is far from resembling the conventional motor car of today. For its day and date it was a re markable achievement. The wheelbase is reasonably long, but when first built its length seemed eternal. The steer ing is by pivots in axle jaws, for .it seemed to be early realized that the fifth wheel steer was not practical fol cars. Full elliptic springs, tilted steering wheel, left hand drive, wire wheels and a two-cylinder vertical motor, mounted in the rear of the chassis, almost di rectly underneath the seat, are fea tures of the old relic. The motor is cooled by t>oth water and air. Up to three years ago the old car ran. giving tine service through a life of fourteen years. When it went back to the factory of the Columbia Motor Car Company at Hartford, Conn., it ran under its own power, and with slight preparation could run again. RUSSIAN MAKES DEAL FOR FLANDERS CARS George Holm, well known machin ery and automobile importer of Hel singfors, Finland, is at present mak ing a tour of the United States, visit ing the'larger automobile plants, in company with a Russian engineer of note. While in Detroit Mr. Holm closed with several concerns to handle the sale of their cars in Finland and parts of Russia. During his visit at one of the plants Mr. Holm and the Russian were Intro duced to C. Piquette Mitchel, export manager of the Flanders Manufactur ing Company. The Russian expressed a desire to see the' Flanders company's plant, being greatly interested in elec tric automobiles. While Mr. Mitchel was showing the gentlemen through the plant Mr. Holm mentioned the fact that the had never ridden in an electric car. Up to this time there had been noth ing said about an agency, but Mr. Holm was so delighted with the ride that, after a short consultation with his engineer, contracts were signed giving him the exclusive right to the sale of the Flanders in Finland. MRS. LESLIE CARTER HAS SOME STYLE IN HER CAR No foreign potentate can vie in au tomobile equipment grandeur with Mrs. Leslie Carter, the actress. She frequently is seen on Fifth ave nue., New York seated in a box six cylinder Thomas ear, painted a canary yellow, equipped with gold-plated lamps, white chamois cushions, all kinds of elaborate trimmings and Good year No-Rim-Cut tires. Mrs. Carter has a chauffeur and a footman dressed in identically the same gorgeous colors that adorn the car. Yellow uniforms with gold braid. The outfit is considered the most conspicu ous in the world, and when the noted actress appears on Fifth avenue or Broadway with her young husband, the glittering display of a London lord mayor's show is left in the background. Mrs. Carter at the present time is mak ing a theatrical tour of the country, and lias with her the elaborate regalia. OLD-TIMER AT HEAD OF OAKLAND CAR SALES One of the old-timers in the selling end of the automobile industry is J. B. Eccleston, salesmanager for the Oak land Motor Car Company, of Pontiac, Mich. In 1908, when the Oakland first was brought out, Eccleston, who was presi dent of the Centaur Motor Company of Buffalo contracted for the entire out put of 500 cars. The Cantaur company got away witii it. When the Oakland output was Increased and it became necessary to market the output direct from the factory Eccleston went to Pontiac as general sales manager. Eccleston has two hobbies—fishing and farming. He does pretty well at fishing. His farming is limited to pre cise care of a couple of brood liens and a patch of garden at his country home at Pine Lake, Mich. jtir, ateANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS:SATURDAY. JUNE 1. 1912. t I I /■ ■ i II Wins the Greatest of All Races | II THE RACE TO THE ‘ | I j Dominant Position in the Motor Car World | @ I ffU The Overland has won this coveted position upon the pinnacle of prestige in the auto- M Sfiji I bile industry by offering to the public a carefully designed car, manufactured in a ISJ I mammoth plant where system reigns supreme and quality is at its highest, backed by a CT ir | superb organization, which, with no watered stock and no bonded indebtedness, is enabled to Zgt M 1 place a price upon the product that is within the realm of conservatism and common sense. O |TTT In most races, the result marks the boundary of speed and human daring, but proves ifj? g nothing that the everyday user of an automobile wishes to know. But not so in the -ft O | great race for which the Overland holds the prized trophy—-the emblem of popularity ® RS|j | that represents absolute delight and perfect satisfaction to the user. W iY, <ll There are today 140 Overlands in daily use on the streets of Atlanta and over I WL 1400 giving perfect satisfaction in the state of Georgia. These buyers realize that, while g the Overland is the most modernly equpiped and finely appointed car made, it-is the ® | basic fundamentals of speed, power, capacity, construction, service, comfort and appearance X SS I that establishes the real value and places the Overland in the DOMINANT POSITION. One ffi 3 I model, proving the truth of all our claims, is shown below—the Model 61. Where can you W | I find the equal of this car for less than $2,000. W iXTF The wheel base of this car is 115 inches; motor, 45-horsepower; pressed steel, double- « dropped frame; front axle, dropped-forged I-section, fitted with Timken bearings; rear axle, full floating, also fitted with Timken bearings; selective transmission, fitted with I the finest F. &S. annular bearings; gear and crank casings of pure aluminum; all operating levers in center of car; door handles, inside; carburetor, best Schebler make; magneto, Bosch. The tires are big. The body is large and roomy, seating five big people. The body design ffi is gracefully proportioned; it is finished in deep Brewster green, trimmed with heavy, bright W Inickel-plate. Lamps are dead black and nickel-trimmed. The price is I Fifteen Hundred Dollars | I A i I j Qverland Southern £ar (Company || 111 1 K'* 111 11 Peachtree Street Present Atlanta, Georgia PAGE SEVEN —MAGAZINE SECTION