Evening Star Newspaper, May 19, 1935, Page 17

THE SUNDAY STAR, V"ASHINGTON, D. C, MAY 19, 1935—PART ONE. A=17 WE PUT A MAN-HUNTER ON THE TRAIL SHADOWED HIM WITH AN ACE How a famous operative from the New York Detective Bureau — the sleuth who introduced the Bertillon and fingerprint- tng systems in America—accepted the strangest assignment a detective ever covered — and what he learned of the private lives of the greatest tires Goodyear ever built GEDITORIAL NOTE: /7 are &' Iittle tired, and we think the pubbc 15, of vague superlatives and unsupported claims in advertising. So a year ago, when we introduced the now famous ' G-3"" All-Weather Tread Tire, we held the story of that tire to the facts about the punishment it took on the Goodyear test fleets. Now the ‘‘G-3"" has been in public service for a year or more, and we wanted the evidence, the cold truth, about its performance in the hands of users. This page tells how we went after that evidence, and then turned the findings over to a newspaper reporter for writing, that yeu, as a car-owner, may have a true picture for your guidance in tire-buying.) By JAMES CANNON Former Ace Reporter, New York Journal VERY police reporter who has ever worked Manbhattan knows the name Faurot. Inspector Faurot—Captain Faurot—head of the New York detective force—Deputy Commissioner of the New York police department—these are some of the titles he has won—and he has run down killers, traced bank robbers, broken up gangs—gathered evidence that many a jury has agreed clinched the case. Probably the biggest thrill of his career was Almost 25 years ago, when he smashed a perfect alibi in the famous Crispi case and won the first conviction in America based on fingerprint evidence. So Goodyear figured he was the ideal man to get the cold-turkey facts on how its famous *‘G-3" All'Weather tread tirewas treating the ;-w s pubhc—whether itstood up toitsrepu- tation for giving 43% longer non-skid mileage — how it ranked in safety. His quest took him over the highways and bywayr of the nation, into parking lots and gas stations, around the cook- ing fires of the tourist camps, into small towns and up country lanes. Would the Tests stand up? You may remember the brutal pun- ishment given the first *“G-3"’ All- Weather tread tires while they were still in the experimental stage. ‘The problem on all tires then—even on Goodyears—was fast tread wear, due to the higher speeds and quicker starts and stops of the nimbler, more powerful new cars. People wanted longer wearing tires—and more non-skid safety, too — both of which came right down to longer non-skid mileage. In trying to find the answer, Goodyear even shipped granite grit from mountain and desert districts to make grindstones to test tread toughness. One tire out of the many under development stood out head and shoulders above the rest—one tire marked with the laboratory symbol “G-3.” And then came the merciless road tests on that tough, new design Goodyear, the long battering day-in and day-out third degree, when the orders went out to the test fleets: *‘Speed up to 50 — jam oa the brakes—speed up to 50—jam on the brakes —and keep it up 24 hours a day!”’ .. poeving ot treads, checking parhed cars, cross-esemining car-owners—to get the cold-turhey focts om ‘' G-3" The *‘G-3" triumphed superbly in those tests, and the tires went out to the public, shattering all sales records as they went. But there was one factor in tire performance they yet had to meet, and only time could tell how they would meet it. The Part the Driver plays You may not know it, but the way you drive has a tremendous bearing on the mileage you get from tires. Some engineers figure that a tire may deliver any- where from 4,000 to 40,000 miles, depending upon the kind of > treatment it gets. Thus a man who crowds the speed- ometer all the while, whospins hiswheels on a fast getaway and smokes his tires with quick stops, is wastefully burning rubber as well as gasoline. And the tires of a B S JOSEPH A. FAUROT He introduced the Bertillon system and fingerprint identi- fcation in America— he has been Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department— head of all de: tivitles for Greater New York; present Chief of Depart- ment of Identification, Commercial Crime Commission. And he is chosen mow to run down the focts and the evidence on the Goodyesr *‘G-3"" driver like this may be flaccid and unsafe at six or eight thousand miles, even if they look pretty good,while another man’s tires, driven carefully perhaps three times as far, are actually vastly more trustworthy. Heat—destroyer of tires, internal heat, far more than impact or abrasion, is the reason. So the question remained, how would this *“G-3" tire, despite its magnificent performance under test, stand up under the varying usage it would get in the hands of different drivers. A full, true and complete answer to this question was Goodyear’s demand—so the bold step was taken, and one of the foremost detectives in America was hired to trail these tires and report. The evidence rolls in Let’s skip the days and nights of checking—peer- ing at treads — reading apeedometers on parked cars—quizzing gas station attendants and tire GREATEST NAME repairmen — rubbing elbows with crowds on busy sidewalks of small towns on Saturday afternoons — and 8l all the rest of the endless search that amassed the facts, not only about these tires but also about the people who owned them. Let’s read instead, in the laconic words of the experienced detective, of a typical case he covered: “Tire No.C3,178,387K, Goodyear ‘G-3" All-Weather, right front wheel, light sedan. East Griffin, Ga. Speedometer not working, broke at 25,000 miles. Goodyear dealer verifies estimate of more than 48,000 miles on tire under investigation. “Condition of tire. Slight trace of tread pattern remains. “Other tires. Two “G-3's"; one tire of other make, badly worn. “Report on owner. Fast but careful driver. Piles up mileage. Gas station reports he purchases about $6 worth of gasoline per week. Comes into gas station with rush, ‘scoops up gravel’ when he puts on brakes. “Owner's statement. Well pleased. Has more than 50% longer non-skid tread wear.’’ tective ac- zather Qver and over — reports show amazing mileage Here are fragments from other typical reports, condensed here for brevity: “WHITESVILLE, W. VA. .. . drilling contractor . . . 21,466 miles. Drives mountain roads. Tread smooth, but former tires gave only 10,000 miles.” “RovAL OAK, MICH. . . . police radio car, driven 24 hours a day, 3 shifts. Speeds, 35 to 80 miles per hour. Roads, paved and gravel. Mileage 20,341, tread almost perfect. At least 5% better than former tires.” “CINCINNATL, O. . . . mileage 37,713. Owner buying new set of ““G-3”’ tires when interviewed. First car he ever owned.” “ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. . . . wife of lumberman. Car used also by husband to drive roadless prairies and mountain trails. ““G-3’s"’ all around —plenty of grip. Mileage 14,164.” IN RUBBER e l TIRES THAN ON ANY OTHER KIND “Topexa, Kans. . . . 11,630, about half *“G-3's” non-skid tread pattern remains. Last tires smooth at 11,000 miles. Has reputation /nr hard driving ~two sets of brakes in 21,000 miles. Rear tires, “‘G-. 3’ ”, 5,000 miles, bought because of satisfaction with first two.’ L] * L] There, you’ve seen a leaf or two, tire buyers, right from the detective’s notebook, on one of the strangest assignments he ever was given. Insurance broker, mileage, front tires, There’s a glimpse of the fascinating human stories surrounding the everyday performance of *“G-3’s” —the answer to where these tires are going, what they have been doing, how well they are living up to their reputation. Something else is there, too—something valuable to you — information well worth remembering when next you buy tires. It sums up to the solid fact that the biggest money’s worth of slow-wearing, safe-traction, long-lasting non- skid tire mileage you ever bought is waiting for you in the All-Weather ‘“G-3’’ no farther away than the nearest Goodyear Service Station Dealer. THE GOODYEAR TIRE &8 RUBBER COMPANY, ING. AKRON, OHIO Over and over Faurot’s reports PROVED G-3” All-Weather tread delivers more than 43% luzu non- skid mileage! —because of the broader road contact of a flatter, wider All- Weathe: tread —=because of the slow, even wear of cioser-nestea non-skia blocks ano ribs —because of more rubber in the tread—ar average ol twe pounds more pe: tue AND MORE SAFETY because ot the greate) roae grip of mors non skt biocks n the cente: of tha. tamous treaal