Evening Star Newspaper, September 16, 1923, Page 68

The Sunday Motorist An Abridged Magazine for Car Owners. EDITED BY WILLIAM ULLMAN Your ability is elastic. Unless you try to drive more skilltully than Jones it may smap some time when you need it most. Find the Happy Medium. Speeding as a hazard pales into in- significance with excessive driving, which is particularly prevalent dur- ing the summer and fall months, when motorists try to get as far away from home as possible. The tendency “jump” cover entirely too much ground, with the result that the driver becomes weary to an extent where he is incapable of properly operating the car. is to make each Many an accident toward the end | of the day is due to th the motorist, who is t 200 or more miles per economize on time and hotel bill Some people should not drive over 100 miles a day; others seem capable of doing 300 without fatigue. But there is a_happy medium somewhere between the two and this should be the limit. It should be prima f: evidence of misdemeanor i being the cause of an accident, veariness of Ve proved that the driver covered an | excessive amount of mileage during the previous twenty-four hours. The territory covered, of course, makes a difference. A greater limit should be allowed in open country, while on routes which carry the mo- torist through thickly populated cities the “mileage limit” should be much stricter. The man who tries to motor an excessive distance in one day is as much of a menace as the man who tries to drive excessively fast ppropriate time. In fact, he is more of a menace, for excessive mileage in a given time usually in volves excessive speed. 3 The only time the average motorist really understands WAY a vacuum 1ank is %o named happens when he is caught on the road without gas. He can ace then that there's nothing n it. The 01d Mechanic Says: “The trouble that fellow is out of whack reminds me of the way one of th lights on m 1 think I spent a half h job I could' have done in ex minute if I'd my wits I think you fellows my_experience. he light went out way, except that it sionally and sometimes burned steadily but dimly, just enough to show that whatever was wrong wasn't quite in earnest. The driver of the car had tried a new bulb, but with no better results. So 1 tackled the fuse. “But there w; the light. The chap happened to be yfrom a state where they had passed Ya law requirin’ the installation of an sapproved tail light; > we began to suspect that the device he had added was not well put together. This led *to an inspection of the plug and its ‘connection, but we were still ten miles could ‘prof in the usual flickered occa- from the nearest solution and gettin’ | further away all the time. “Just by accident I punched the {screwdriver between the lamp bracket and the license tag and the light (came up bright and steady. The up- goin’ to | in order to find out why his tail light | < no improvement in | shot of it was that there wasn't a £00d contact between the old bracket of ;the car and the bracket for the neiw lamp. This meant a poor elec- trical contact and. unsteady light. Furthermore, the license tag screws had Joosened, so that the contact was practically broken. The remedy was so simple that I asked the chap into the shop and treated him to a home- brew highball.” Signs Seen En Route. “Repairs of every description”??? “This Way Inn." rom a bite to a banquet.” “Obey the Law—or." Anent Mushroom Hotels. Motorists and hotel men have a new problem to face, a problem which is best explained by that familiar roadside sign, “Tourists Accommodated.” Many of the | resort hotels, particularly in the moun- | tains, have beem puzzled to know why, with all the inorease in cars, business was not beyond capacity everywhere this season ; and it Is now becoming evident that thes mushroom hotels are the cause. One investigator counted 1,000 such places on a 180-mile stretch of road between two principal eastern cite: Most of these places are private homes, turned into lodging houses to af- ford their owners “pin money." Double rooms, including breakfast, are often of- fered for $3, with no charge for the garage. Ac mmodations are, of course, varied, running from the best to the wos Tt is obvious that the established otel cannot compete at such prices and that the problem affects the mo- torist, in that if he continues to pat- ronize mushroom hoteis he cannot ex- pect a continuation of the plan to provide each principal town or city with at least ome first-class, thor- oughly modern hostelry. | There is no guarrel against private enterpri which aim to establish roadside inns. That is legitimate ho- tel business, only on a small and re- stricted scale. But the general pub- lic, it would seem, ought not go into the hotel business, and the motorist s only courting trouble when he takes chances on places he knows {notLing about. The authorities will—in time, of course—force the great bulk of these ishroom hotel people out of busi- by compelling them to comply with hotel regulations, but the motor- t has much to lose in the mean- ne if he continues to aggravate the |trouble. It's well to remember that you can't get something for nothing. Constable of Police. Few motorists who pester, admire and fear the “cop” know that the {word is derived from an abbreviation | of ‘“constable of police,” the title be- |stowed upon those who kept the peace in the days of Sir Robert Peel. Did You ]inow—- That the quickest way to clean out petcock that has become clogged | with dirt is to run the engine and ac- lerate it as you open the petcock? | Usually this will remove an obstruc- |&ton that resists being punched out | with a pin. That, unless the engine is old and |the piston rings likely to be worn, |weak compression in a cylinder is due to valves which do not seat tightly? They may be warped or coated with .carbon, requiring re- THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTO :rinding, or the trouble may be sim- Jly due to too little clearance at the . Of course, make sure that the spark plug {s tight and that the petcock does not leak. ‘Worth Remembering. When cleaning the breaker points, adjusting them or just cleaning around them be careful not to strain the spring of the, breaker arm. A bad plan is to pull it way back and let it snap to its original position as a means of testing its strength, but this usually paves ‘the way for a broken spring a few milés later on. That click so often heard when fust starting off, forward or back- ward, {s either a loose key in a rear axle or a key temporarily strained by letting in the clutch too suddenly. The odds are against the former, in view of the known disposition’ of drivers_to -start off like a. cannon ball. If the rear wheels seem to creak when letting In the clutch, try tightening the nut which holds each wheel to the tapered end of its axle. This trouble is confined to cars equipped with semi-floating rear axles and three-quarters floating a few types are still designated. Is It Not Sot The highways are sald to be the backbone of the nation. It is gener- ally agreed by those who have strug- gled over the humps and bumps that the comparison is dead accurate. Two Parking Pointers. When finding it necessary to articles of value in the car parking it place them in the front compartment rather than the rear. Professional thieves Invariably open the rear door of a car first, as that is where they are most likely to find loose articles worth stealing. As they seldom take a chance on open- ing the front door after finding not ing in the rear the owner is reason- ably sure that his property will not be_disturbed. y Make a habit of pulling ,out your watch and noting the exact time when leaving your car. Do this in full view of any persons who might be standing along the street. If an officer sees you in this act he will be assured - that - you intend watching your time s0 as not to overstep the parking limit. If, on the other hand, you are tagged unfairly -you may be lucky enough to find some one who witnessed you leave the car and who will agree with you as to the exact time. It may save a trip to court. leave after Significant Facts. Sixty per cent of the total number of visitors to the national parks, sea- son of 1922, came in their own motor cars—just another evidence of the value ‘of the automobile in long-dis- tance transportation. In 1900 the annual consumption of petroleum per head was thirty-five gullons. Now this figure just about represents what each car owner would like to see charged to his monthly garage account. An Insrance Inquiry. Q. If a machine Is wrecked beyond further use to a motorist should he have it towed to shelter and protected against further damage before notify- ing his insurance company? A. Always protect the property. Any damage caused by avoidable sub- sequent neglect is not covered by the policy contract. The provision stipu- lating that there shall be no abandon- ment to the company of the insured's property specifically covers this point. The car is never the insurer's prop- erty until it has been settled for in full, or to the satisfaction of both partles. (Copyright, 1023.) AUTUMN WARNINGS GIVEN MOTORISTS Fallen Leaves and Discarded * Tags Held as Sources, of Danger. Belleving that the increased road travel of the present day calls for super- precaution on the part of all automo- bilists, the National Motorists' Associa- tion has issued a bulletin of specific in- terest to those who will motor extensive- v during the early fall. “‘Beware of “leat skidding,’ the Na- tional Motorists' Assoctation bulletin warns. “This s the most pernicious form of skidding on record because, un- less the driver be trained to anticipate it, he is always caught unawares. In the late summer or early autumn the falling of leaves on hard-surfaced roads fur- nishes a special hazard in wet weather, the water remaining under the leaves Nhen'the remainder of the roadway is Under these circumstances, it is pointed out, the motorist proceeds as though the ‘road were safe for normal speed and is consequently caught in a bad skid or slide when he is obliged to lock his wheels. It is estimated by some engineers that the wheels of the car do not have to be Jocked to produce the skid, so effective are the wet leaves in encouraging the car to lose traction. Tags Thrown Away. “A second source of danger.” the bul- letin adds, “is the discarded license tag. Toward the end of the summer many tags which were purchased by tourists in order to comply with the non-resident laws are discarded in such a manner as to be easlly found and illegitimately used by other car owners or by thieves. The danger to the tourist in this re- spect is Interesting. “In_event of coilisions with a car lllegally tagged the tourist has no way of obtaining judgment against the of- fender even if he takes his number. When the case is followed up the name of the original owner is all the authori- ties can link up with the particular tags, and he can usually prove his innocenc The motorist, therefore, is warned to be certain of the identity of-the party he happens to collide with, should he be unfortunate enough to have an accident. It is not enough to take the other fellow’s number. It is also pointed out that summer tourists who have taken out additional L-O-S-T Many motorists lose their crank handles and fail to re- place them. Have you one—if not we have a complete stock for all makes of cars. D. M. Stephens Co., Inc. 1423 P St. N.W. Main 8693 More Grip on the Road Buick Four-~wheel Brakes Buick four-wheel brakes give all 1924 Buick cars twice the amount of grip on the road, thereby doubling their braking efficiency. It is the friction or grip of the tire on the road surface that brakes or slows down the car. outside or guiding front wheel so it is jastantly responsive to the steering mechanism Buick four-wheel brake construction distrib- utes braking friction over four drums and four wheels Thisreduces wear onbrake linings and D. C, SEPTEMBER 16, 1923—PART 3 licenses should ‘be particularly careful not to discard them in such a way that they can be used illegitimately. The loss of such tags during tie remainder of the ear may causie a motorist considerable convenignce, since ho will be heid technically responsible for anything that happens to a car on which they appear. Proving your innocence is not slways an matter. he National Motorists' Assoclation also warns against the hazard of in- creased night driving resulting from the coming of shorter days and the regular return to standard time in localities where daylight saving is now in effect. Headlights, neglected during the hot weathen, are likely to be out of focus at the very ¢ime when they are most needed and when drivers are out of practice in night driving at touring speeds. JAY-WALKING MOST PERILOUS IN COUNTRY Pedestrians Advised to Follow Rule of Keeping to Left of Road for Safety. BALTIMORE, September 15.—De- spite frequent campaigns against Jay- walking In cites, little has ever been sald concerning the pedestrian on the roads in the suburbs and in the coun- try. According to a warning issued by the Automobile Club of Maryland this menace to public safety is more acute in the ruralidistricts than in the bet- | ter-lighted streets of the citles. H. M. Lucius, secretary of the club, commenting on the danger to pedes- trians along country highways, says: “It is difficult to see a pedestrian In the dark If a car is traveling even at moderate speed. From the rear he fades into the obscurity of the night. Dark clothes, a dark hat and dark shoes are almost indistinguishable. “Our traffic rules always direct pedestrians to keep to the right. Gen- erally this is & safe rule to follow. But in the case of pedestrians on country roads it is not. If a pedes- trian keeps on the left side of the road approaching cars are not only visible to him. but he is visible to the motorist. A white shirt front or the walker’s face and hands are thrown into relief against the darker back- ground of his clothes.” | I (| 0, URGES MOTORSSTS | 0 PICK SAFE ROAD Following the example of the Long Island railway officlals, who have is- sued a request that motorists use a boulevard which bridges the road's tracks In favor of one which presents the usual crossing hazards, Capt. Harry M. Horton, local Duesenberg Straight Eight dealer, advocates vol- untary use of safer streets and cross- ings both by motor car drivers and pedestrians. “There is a wide difference in the degree of hazard between various streets, intersections and rallroad crossings,” says Capt. Horton, “and it is frequently just as convenient for the motorist or the pedestrian to use the safest choice offered to him. agth Gl Be Sconnpiissoiin the A “anck Out” TIRES Miller, Ajax and General Oversize CORDS $9.89 Size 30x3% CHAS. E. MILLER, Inc. Franklin 3684 812 14th St. way of accident prevention If the more dangerous of the thoroughfares and crossings could be eliminated and traffic diverted to the safer streets, but I feel that the motorist, Who 18 niso the pedestrian, is sensible enough to act on a workable sugges- tion without being forced by laws, of which we already have plenty. “The city should begin to make an effort to have pedestrians cross at the safest points. Traffic should be encouraged to avoid certain inter- ections. Main touring routes should e studied with a view to re-routing them if a less them it angerous course “Any driver who cares to 1, out will see which points he ceud profitably arrange to avoid. Partjon larly at this time, when the mulo- car as a problem has so !Hddenlr dawned upon the horizon to tax the Ingeniousness of traffic experts, it 1 far more practical to develop lesy hazardous routes than to waste thegs safer routes and Tun unnecessyry risks while the more dangerony routes are undergoing expensive and tedlous_improvements for safet A Few Blocks From the Big Department Stores There {s Located a Small Automobile Accessory and Necessity Shop Doing a Big Business At -Department Store Prices A Few Specials - Tiltlok Steering Wheels, $11.00. Bumpers, Several Styles, 20% and 25% Off. Motormeters, 20% Off. Monogram Caps—Large Cars, $4.50. Small Cars, $3.00. Parking Lamps, $2.00. Spot Lamps, $2.25. NATIONAL . Automobile Parts Co. “Jesse Brooke” 219 John Marshall Place Above Pa. Ave—Opposite “Ford Building” —and prices are lower Think of it! A brand new, finer looking orming Oakland at lower and even better rices—prices never fore associated with such a thoroughly fine car. Note these new featwres— many Brand Smoother, quieter, more of them exclusive. new L-head engine. Four-wheel brakesforsafety. Simple—practical—proved. Beautiful new blue bodies built by Fisher. Hand ‘on steering wheel. Full sutomatic spark con- trol at controls centralized all speeds. * Permanent top and new type, Disc steel wheels standard close fitting curtains. at no added cost. Disc clutch and new essy shifting gear set. These facts and prices Sedan Five-Passenger Touring Car Three-Passenger Roadster . Three-Passenger Sport Roadster. Five-Passenger Sport Touring . Three-Passenger Business Coupe Four-Passenger Coupe. . « » Five-Passenger * 045 945 1095 1095 1195 1345 PR - Prices f. o. b. Pontiac e eo’e will astonish you, but wait until you see and drive the True Blue Oakland and compare it with others! DISTRICT OAKLAND COMPANY 1709 L Street. Main 7612 A Nation-Wide Demonstration *True Blue Travelers’—with thowsands of miles of test duty on their speedometers—are touring the country to demonstrate the high quality of Oakland construction and the remarkablé efficiency buyers of these 1924 Oaklands will receive, even after months of the most gruelling service. Every True Blue Oakland carries the fong cxablished 15,000 mile guarantee and the Mileage Basis Gauge of Value.’ tires, "thereby assuring their longer life and greater efficiency, with fewer adjustments. Buick . four-wheel brakes [on all models] to- gether with countless other distinctive features of the 1924 cars further establish Buick as the Standard of Comparison. Buick four-wheel brakes not only provide a greater power to stop in case of emergency but, because of this four-wheel road grip, re- duce skidding dangers to a minimum. In turning, Buick four-wheel brake construc- tion automatically releases whichever is the BUICK MOTOR COMPANY, FLINT, MICHIGAN g Division of Genaval Motors Corporation Pioneer Builders ot Valve-in-Head Mutor Cars Branches in All Principal Cities~Dealers Everywhere e BUICK MOTOR COMPANY, WASHINGTON BRANCH 14th and L Streets N.W. C. C. WATERS & SON Gaithersburg, Md.« EMERSON & ORME 1620 M_Street N.W. Phone Franklin 3860 . FLETCHER MOTOR 'CO. ROSSLYN MOTOR CO. OREM MOTOR CO. * Alexandria, Va. Rosslyn, Ya. ‘Waldorf, Md.- When better automobiles are built, Buick will build them e — : STANLEY H. HORNER 1015 14th St. N.W. Phone Main 5208