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HEARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 1013.
9 C
Overland 1914. Model Machine
A nd Willys Truck A re Received
CHARLES BOOTH
How It Feels to Travel at Night
Through Air—R. A. D. Preston on
Race Which Won Championship.
R. A, D. Preston, of the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company, Akron,
Ohio, aide in the flight of the balloon
“Goodyear,” which won the national
championship race at Kansas City,
July 4, tells the following fascinating
story of his experience on the mem
orable flight:
“The victory of the balloon ‘Good
year’ in the national championship
balloon race from Kansas City this
year is attributable to two things,
good equipment and constant watch
fulness, and the story of the race is
a story of sturdiness of our balloon
In the buffetings of wind and rain
and of the crew’s constant attention
to its navigation.
"Very little time did we have to
watch the beautiful and wonderful
cloud effects. At intervals we would
snatch a bite of lunch or drink a cup
of coffee or malted milk, but sleep
was not thought of.
Basket Is Smashed.
“Captain Berry in the ‘Million Pop
ulation Club,’ the St. Louis entry, was
the lirst to get away. He smashed his
own basket, but substituted one from
the deflated ‘Miss Sophia II.’
“A little difficulty, due to high wind,
was experienced in getting the ‘Good
year’ ready, but soon things were all
right and Upson gave the word to
let go.
“The wind carried us across the
field at a great rate, and it looked for
a few' seconds as if we would crash
into the fence. It was soon plain,
however, from our position in the balT
loon, that we were safe, although I
remember a sigh of relief from the
spectators as we cleared the fence and
shot skyward.
“We struck a fair equilibrium at
about 1,500 feet above ground, and
sailed rapidly away to the northeast.
A few minutes later we saw the
‘Kansas City Post,’ Honeywell’s bal
loon, and the ‘Kansas City II’ (John
Watts’) coming after us.
“The ‘Goodyear’ continued at ap
proximately original height until aft
er midnight, the two other balloons
appearing to be working west of us,
as occasionally we could see their
lights flashing in that direction,
though the balloons themselves could
not be distinguished. We passed over
several fair-sized towns, and at 11:50
skirted a small city which was prob
ably Ottumwa, Iowa.
Hit by Rainstorm.
“Almost as soon as we were well
in the air over in the north appeared
what seemed to be the Inevitable
thundershower for this race, and as
the night grew on another came up in
the east r and we could see more light
ning flashes away to the south. At
12:10 the sharp patter of rain above
told us that we were in the storm. In
a minute or two the rain was pouring
down on the balloon, and in a few
seconds more we started downward.
“Upson watched the instruments,
while the aide hustled inboard the
sandbags and other accoutrements we
had hung outside the basket. This
was to prevent them from being torn
off if we should drag along the
ground. About 2:30, while I was mak
ing things fast inside the basket, Up
son called to me that our dragrope
had touched ground, and to watch out
as he was going to let her bump.
“A few minutes later we struck the
ground going at high speed. The bas
ket was heavy with ballast at this
time, and it seemed as though we hit
pretty hard. The balloon was not
damaged at all, however, and the
only inconvenience was the pint or
so of sand that was shot up into my
face when we hit the ground. Wink
ing this out, I kept my eyes on the
statoscope, the instrument which
showed our vertical motion. Rain
poured for half an hour or so, and we
raced along with the storm, the rope
hitting the tops of the hills, and once
or twice the basket struck the ground,
but quickly bounced up again.
“The lightning helped rather than
worried us, as it assisted us in mak
ing out the country ahead. We
flashed by a windmill and several
trees at close range, but were not in
much danger of striking these, since
we could see them some distance
ahead.
Had Crossed Mississippi.
“Gradually th e storm drew away
from us, and it was not long before
it was light enough to see the ground
pretty clearly. We had crossed the
Mississippi during the storm, but
where we do not know. Just after the
storm an upward air current carried
hs up into low lying clouds, and for
a few minutes we were completely
surrounded by the w*et mist. As soon
as we could we descended to an alti
tude of 500 or 600 feet.
"Soon a small city appeared ahead,
which later we found was Galena,
Ill.
Called to Farmers.
“The sun was just breaking through
the clouds to the far east, and we
knew that we would shortly be well
up in the air. We let the balloon
come down a little as w r e went along
in a northeasterly course, and after
a repeated halloing to the farmers
below, we finally found at 6:25 that
we were five miles north of Mineral
Point, Wis.
“There were clouds all about us,
but the sky just above was clear.
The balloon ascended as the gas
heated up and Upson called to me to
take readings of speed as we ascend
ed. This kept me busy for the next
hour, when ho called my attention to
a large city below r us. This we knew
from the Capitol to be Madison, Wis.
“In a few minutes we could hear
the steamer whistles at Milwaukee,
and a little later, down through rifts
in the clouds, were the waters of
Lake Michigan. Just before noon
we reached our highest elevation of
nearly 13,000 feet. It was interesting
at this Jieight to look down and see
the shahow of the balloon on the
clouds below, surrounded by a bright
rainbow-like ring.
Going Through Clouds.
“Descending through the lower
cloud layer was very interesting. We
did not go into the cloud at all, but
seemed to slide down the side of this
huge ball of mist with the ground in
plain sight just over its edge.
“By 3 o’clock our ballast was all
gone, and soon our empty sand bags,
oernn «too!s, water, milk cans and
most of ou* jw:*.visions were also
gone. Reserving a little for landing,
we looked ahead and finally found a
spot of fairly smooth ground where
we landed. It was a buckwheat
patch.
“The greater part of the population
of that section of the township was
soon on hand asking the usual ques
tions.
Surprise Over Result.
“After packing up the next day, it
developed there was no train south
till 2 a. m. Not until we boarded
this train and I picked up a paper in
the smoking compartment did we
learn that we had won the balloon
championship of America.”
This race not only decides the
national championship, but is also for
the purpose of choosing America’s
representatives for the international
balloon trophy for free balloons, or
more commonly known as the Gordon
Bennett Cup. The international race
will probably be held early in the fall,
starting from the Garden of the Tuil-
eries, Paris, France.
Cartercar Is Made
Every Few Years
“We do not produce yearly mod
els,” said W. C. Mahoney, Atlanta
branch manager of the Cartercar
Company, “because we do not believe
it is at all fair to the owners.
“Why should a motor car concern
sell a car and then turn right around
and produce a new model, which will,
of course, make the previous models
obsolete? It is ridiculous to think
that the motorist should have to buy
a new car every year in order to have
an up-to-date machine.
“Suppose it were necessary to buy
new motor boats, new launches or
new bicycles every year. Yet it is
exactly the same thing. New models
are produced merely to give makers
an excuse to urge those who already
have their cars to buy new ones. This
is what we consider grossly unfair to
the owner who has paid out his good
money and expects to get a long life
of useful service from his car.
“Our stand on this matter has met
with enthusiastic approval of all Car
tercar owners from which we have
heard. And the dealers are realizing
that it means a better all-the-year-
round business for them.
Concentration upon one model will
henceforth be the slogan of the Willys
Overland Company. To design one
chassis only and to put into that
chassis every possible mechanical
perfection and luxurious improve
ment is the idea.
‘‘This is the final step of the mam
moth Overland organization,” says
W. S. Becker, of the Overland South
ern Automobile Company. “It has
been figured out by our experts, head
ed by John North Willys, that by
manufacturing one certain car and
manufacturing that car in enormous
quantities we will be able to give to
the purchaser far more real automo
bile value and luxury for every dol
lar invested than by any other
method.
Latest Thing in Cars.
“This $950 car will be the very es
sence of up-to-dateness in every par
ticular. It can be supplied in three
different body designs, roadster, tour
ing car and coupe. The coupe will
cost a few dollars more on account of
the increased expense upon the body
material and work.
“In the Willys utility truck we feel
that we have filled a long-felt want.
There has been a practice in the past
of mounting delivery bodies upon a
pleasure car chassis, but the Willys
utility improves upon this method for
lighter delivery than a one-ton truck
affords by strengthening the pleas
ure car.
“It is practically the same as the
Overland chassis, with all the good
points of that design, except that it
is strengthened in parts necessary for
bearing the load. It is a 1,500-pound
wagon and will do the utility work in
1914 Model Overland Automobile.
a marvelous manner at a very small
upkeep cost.
Tire Equipment a Feature.
“A feature of the Willys is the tire
equipment—pneumatic in front and
solid in the rear. Here’s the reason—
resiliency where it is needed and
strength where the heavy pulling
comes in. The vibrations to the
mechanism of the motor and trans
mission are brought to a minimum
by the use of pneumatics in front, and
the solid tires in the rear bear the
heavy weight of the work and the
load, giving long life and good service
to the car.
“The Willys utility will sell at
$1,250, and is going to be a great
seller.”
Sales Increase
Is 114 Per Cent
FEATURE AT GALVESTON RACES.
For three days on the Galveston
Beach two little Studebaker cars
fought out 100 miles a day in the fea
ture event of the meeting with a
field of big Stutz, National, Peugeot,
Case, Simplex, Mason and other rac
ing cars. Improving their position
each day and running the entire dis
tance without an intermediate stop,
one of the consistent little pluggers
finished fourth and the other sixth
in a field that included fourteen en
tries.
Director of Sales Charles E. Gilt-
ner, of the Velle Motor Vehicle
Company, is authority for the state
ment that during the past year sales
of the Velie Company have Increased
114 per cent over sales for the year
previous. Mr. Gilmer attributes this
big increase largely to the demand
on the part of the automobile buying
public for a car of medium price,
possessing all the features of desngn
and equipment that up to the pres
ent day have usually been only as
sociated with cars of the highest
price.
District Manager of Maxwell
Gives Interesting Account of
Climb Up “Poor House Hill.”
Charles H. Booth, the popular dis
trict manager of the Maxwell inter
ests in the South, has just returned
from Jacksonville, brimful of enthu
siasm for the future of the little Max
well “25.”
There was a convention of dealers
held in Charlotte a week ago, and
Manager Burrell and Mr. Booth roy
ally entertained the dealers of North
and South Carolina. The little “25”
was driven up “Poor House Hill,” con
sidered the worst grade in the South,
on high speed. In the car were five
large-sized men, but the Maxwell
didn’t buck a minute. Starting at
the bottom of the hill at a rate of
15 miles per hour, she developed 35
by the time the top was gained. Only
one other car, it is said, has ever
made this hill on high.
At Jacksonville last Tuesday and
Wednesday one of the greatest auto
mobile demonstrations ever known
was held by the Florida dealers.
A big banquet was given at the Ho
tel Seminole, after which the car was
tested in the Florida sands and at
every point came through with flying
colors.
An exceptionally large number of
motpr men were in attendance, and
before the convention had closed over
300 cars were sold to Florida dealers.
It is estimated by Mr. Booth that
before the contracting season closes
the Maxwell Company will have closed
with 286 Southern dealers.
C. H. SORRICK ON VISIT
TO MANAGER WYLIE WEST
C. H. Sorrick, manager of the car
riage tire department of the Fire
stone Tire and Rubber Company, Ak
ron, Ohio, thinks Atlanta Is a splen
did automobile field.
In company with Wylie West, At
lanta Firestone manager, he will vis
it all the large carriage manufactur
ers in this section.
Mr. Sorrick Is probably the best
known carriage tire man In the coun
try to-day. Through his efforts the
carriage industry has received many
important improvements.
Republic Tire Men
Enjoy Annual Feast
With Thos. Robinson
Branch managers, officials and de
partment heads of the Republic Rubber
Company to the number of two score
were recently the guests of President
Thomas L. Roninson at the Country
Club, Youngstown, Ohio. All the branch
managers reported splendid business
and were enthusiastic over the prospects
for even greater sales of quality tires.
The list Included H. K. Wick, Youngs
town; John C. Wick, Youngstown; I,. T.
Peterson, first vice president. .). H.
Kelly, second vice president and gen
eral sales manager; A. H. Harris, su
perintendent; W. D. Morris, assistant
general superintendent; C F. Garrison,
secretary; M. I. Arms, II, treasurer;
H. W. Bixler, assistant sales manager;
M. E. Murray, San Francisco; C. \V.
Hardin, New York; J. W. Maguire, Ohi-
cago; Webb Brown, adertl^ing manager;
B. C. Swinehart. Philadelphia Also
B. F. Morris, Buffalo; W. S ('arloton,
Boston; J. C. Kearns, Detroit; W R.
Goudie, New York; F. G. Hill, New
York; H. W. Pratt, New York; +f*. A.
Sohl, Atlanta; J. Palmer, Chicago; N.
W. Sayles, purchasing agent; G. L.
Stansbury, auditor; O. M. Norby, man
ager credit department; E. B. Frase,
manager hose department; Thomas
Matchett, manager belting; Tod .1. Mell,
inventor of Staggard fread; W. D. Nor
ris, shipping clerk; C. A. Rice, mechani
cal, electrical engineer; W. Dunn, pay
master; F. W. Osmun, Minneapolis; G.
M. Hoffman, St. Louis; G. N. Talcott,
Cleveland.
Detours on Hartford
Greenfield Route
An Automobile Club of America
road car has Just traversed the main
route from Hartford, Conn., to Green
field, Mass., and the crew reports poor
going, the road undergoing construc
tion at four different places.
Leaving Hartford, rough and worn
macadam is followed for seven miles.
Here the road is under construction
for one mile, but is open on. the side.
Fair macadam, with short rutted
stretches, is encountered to Windsor
Locks. Mostly good macadam, with
some rough spots, leads to Spring-
field. The next nine and one-ha'f
miles to Holyoke i» fair macadam and
followed along the Connecticut River
a worn stretch about one mile long.
From Holyoke good macadam is
to Mount Tom, and from Mount Tom
to Northampton the road is entirely
closed and will not be open all sum
mer. A detour is necessary over
rough dirt and worn macadam via
Easthampton. Now comes three miles
of rough and worn macadam, and
then a detour is necessary over a rut
ted sandy road to Hatfield-
BfSrSTEI
So Says G. W. Bennett, of Gar-
ford Company, in Advice on
Keeping Motor Trucks.
Keep your motor vehicle mainte
nance costs down—not only in size,
but also on paper. This Is the advloe
given to owners of both pleasure and
commercial cars by one of the leading
manufacturers in the aut<*nobile in
dustry, G. W. Bennett, vice president
of the Garford Company, of Elyria,
Ohio.
The naan who is constantly striving
to keep his upkeep expenditure at a
low figure is working along the right
track, says Mr. Bennett, but h© s
overlooking a good thing If he fallar
to see the importance of keeping an
account of his costs.
Method Is Needed.
“This is especially trn~ In the op
eration of a motor truck,” he says.
“Not only does the truck owner need
to know how much he is spending for
the upkeep of his vehicle, but how he
is spending It, too. Both are highly
Important. Every manufacturer ani
dealer will tell you to keep your costa
down by careful operation and hand
ling of your vehicle, but only a com
paratlvely few of them will give you
tjie best method whereby you may
accomplish this economy.
“I believe that a cost accounting
system is as essential in the operation
of a motor truck as in the conduct of
any other business. Without such a
system, which can b maintained with
very little trouble, the truck owner Is
without a key to his upkeep problem.
He may know from the total amounts
expended that he Is not getting serv
ice at as low cost as he should, but
there is no way for him to know
where the leak is.
Success in System.
“With a cost system, and it need
not be at all elaborate, he can easily
t<~” at the end of & week, month or
year just what he Is spending too
much money on and how the loss may
be adjusted.”
OUT FOR OVERLAND BUSINESS.
Thomas H. Smart, Southern district
manager for the Overland line, is Tour
ing the territory with *R. E. Becker, of
the Atlanta Overland house. They are 1
giving the dealers a chance to examine
the features of the new Overland at
close range and word comes back that
enthusiasm over this car is high.
This “On-Air Cure”
In No-Rim-Cut Tires
Costs Us $1,500 Daily
No Other Maker Employs It
Done to Save Blow-Outs
Here is another reason why Goodyear tires
hold the leading place in Tiredom.
Another big and exclusive economy.
No-Rim-Cut tires are final-vulcanized on
air-bags, shaped like inner tubes. All other
tires are vulcanized on iron cores alone.
We cure the tires on elastic air, because
they are used on air. Thus the rubber and
fabric adjust themselves to actual road con
ditions. Every part of the fabric bears its
share of the strain.
Curing involves a tremendous compres
sion. When this is done on an iron core, the
fabric often buckles. This wrinkled fabric
escapes its share of the strain, and that leads
to countless blow-outs.
We add to our cost $1,500 daily to save
those blow-outs by this “On-Air Cure.”
And no other maker does that.
Our Treads |
Alone Are
Rubber-Riveted
In the usual tire,
another big item in tire
upkeep is due to loos
ened threads.
This occurs near the
breaker strip—the fab
ric strip at the base of
the tread in every' well-
made tire.
We use a patent fab
ric, woven with hun
dreds of quarter-inch
holes. The tread rub
ber is forced down
through these holes.
Thus hundreds of large
rubber rivets are made
to prevent tread sepa
ration. Then the whole
tire is vulcanized en
masse.
This is
done in no
Th is ahnwfl how the f ftb-
rio wrinkles unless tires
ftro cured on air This
buckled fnbrio beers no
strain at all That’s the
main cause of blow-outs.
No-Rim-Cut Tires
With or Without Non-Skid Tnadt
other tire, because we have exclusive use of
this patent.
How We Alone
End Rim-Cutting
Then we control the No-Rim-Cut tire,
which makes rim-cutting impossible.
The braided wire hands, which make this
feasible, are contro’led by secrecy. No one
else can make them.
With clincher tires—the hooked-base tires
-rim-cutting ruins almost one tire in three.
This is shown by statistics lately gathered
by certified public accountants.
No-Rim-Cut tires end this waste entirely.
That we guarantee.
No Extra Price
We offer you tires that can’t rim-cut—
With “On-Air Cure”
to save blow-outs—
With the rubber-
riveted treads—
Yet they cost you no
extra price.
No - Rim - Cut tires,
with these costly fea
tures, used to cost one-
fifth more than clinch
ers. We brought the
cost down by our multi
plied output. Now no
standard tire of any
type costs less than No-
Rim-Cut tires. Some
lesser tires cost more.
All these economies,
which we aloue employ,
add not one penny to
the price to you. That’s
why Goodyear tires
outsell any other tire.
Our dealers a-e every
where.
THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO
This Company has no connection whatever with any other rubber concern which uses the Goodyear name.
Branches and Agencies in 103 Principal Cities. For Sale by All Dealers.
Atlanta Branch, 223 Peachtree Street
Phone Bell Ivy 915-916. Atlanta 797
The Most Advanced
Six Ever Offered—
The Stearns-Knight
Steam»-Kiiight Six-Cylinder Seven-Passenger Touring Car
(Wire Wheels extra)
'HE new Stearns-Knight models—just received from the fac-
, tory—are the finest and most complete cars ever placed
upon the market. In mechanical construction and body design
they combine the best ideas of American and European practice.
Power Plant
—Stearns-Knight sleeve valve
motor—c onstruotion un
changed for three years.
Left Hand Drive and
Center Control
—a necessary feature of every
high-grade ear.
Centralized Steering
Column Control
—not a cumbersome affair, but
a neat arrangement, small and
compact, just under the wheel.
Design
—tapered hood, flush with
cowl. Hood and body one un
broken surface.
Wire Wheel Option
— Rudge - Whitworth wire
wheels furnished at slight extra
expense.
Starting and Lighting
■—the Gray & Davis system on
all models.
iipholslery
—deep thick upholstery; splen
did trimming throughout
Interior Appointments
—tonneau leather trimmed,
with spacious pockets and lux
urious appointment*.
Auxiliary Seat
—tonneau etrsxra exceptionally
comfortable; upholstered arms.
Tool Boxes
—located under froijt of body,
over running-board — quickly
and easily accessible.
ILquipmtnt
—absolutely complete, includ
ing speedometer, Klaxon horn,
electric lights, etc.
The new models are ready for your inspection and approval. The
complete line embodies three-, four-, five-, six- and seven-passenger
open bodies and four enclosed types—Limousine, Landaulet, Coupe
and Sedan—all mounted on both four- and six-cylinder chasses.
Prices range from $4850 to $6200 for the six-cylinder models.
Four-cylinder c ars $3750 to $5100.
The F. B. Steams Company
Direct Factory Branch
546 Peachtree St. ATLANTA