COAST-TO-COAST RECORb BROKEN Dispatch Rider on Motorcycle Carries Message From Los Angeles to New York For the purpose of determining the effectiveness of the modern motor cycle for transmission of military data of kinds which cannot be sent by telegraph, a record-breaking ride across the continent has Just been completed by Alan T. Bedell, of Los Angeles. He arrived In New York City at 6.1S p. m., Jpne 13, having made the 3,296 miles from ocean to ocean In Just 7 days 16 hours 16 minutes. Bedell made this test in order to supply the military authorities with the information they desire as to the best way of sending maps, specifica tions. photographs and other kinds of military papers of such nature that they cannot be sent by wire, in cases where it is important to get them to the right place In the short est possible time. The efficient service which motor cycles have given in many ways in the great European conflict made plain that the two-wheel machine would be well adapted for work of .this nature, but is was found that the authorities had no definite data at hand on which to base their cal culations. Therefore, Bedell started from Los Angeles at 11 o'clock at night on June 5, riding a four-cylin der Henderson motorcycle, to make this trial trip as a practical demon stration so that the military experts will know just what they can count on. From Los Angeles he sped eastward with only a few brief stops/ for food, and fuel for his machine, until after dark the next evening. Then, with 554 miles of road reeled behind him he stopped at Flagstaff, Ariz., for a few hours' rest before continuing his dash. Though mountain passes, rocky trails and deserts had been crossed in this long first day's ride, he had only made a start on the big grind, and was to find the worst part ahead of him. The next two days found him tfireadlng among the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains, or crossing the bleak desolation of the deserts. His second night stop was at Albu querque, N. M., while the third found him at La Junta, Colo., nearly 1,400 miles from the starting point. Then came the greatest difficulties encountered on the whole coast-to coast trail, for the heavy rains of the week before had made the primitive dirt roads of Kansas and Missouri a continual nightmare of bottomless clay mud. Every mile was a battle in itself, with the roads cut into terrible rut and oozing brown mud that seemed impossible for any vehi cle on wheels. Here the peculiar qualities of two wheels gave the motorcycle Immense advantage, however, as Bedell' was able to steer his machine deftly over the narrow paths at the'side of the read where traction was to be found, so that he got through In good shape at many places where an automobile could hardly have passed at all. The power of his four-cylinder motor seemed equal to the most severe re quirements of every emergency, and Bedell rolled into Kansas City at noon on June 10, knowing that he had overcome the worst that weather and roads could confront him with and confident of success in the remainder of the trip. St. Louis was passed next day, In dianapolis being reached at night, Where Power's the Need Republics Lead All the Way jyjORE aUe* surpassed at any price. Five Republic sizes meet the need of every business whether one truck or ai fleet 1 2-ton chassis > $1,785 3}4-ton dreadnought, chassis Pen-Mar Auto Co. East End Mulberry St. Bridge Republic Motor Truck Co., Inc. SATURDAY EVENING, 2,514 miles having bean covered In tlx dare' riding:. He eped eastward through Dayton, Columbus and Wheeling, W. V., on June 12, reach ing Pittsburgh that night. From this point on his progress was steady, the Improved eastern roads offering little difficulty for his machine, for while the steep grades of the Alle ghenles loomed high, the road sur faces were good and the motor ate up the hills without effort. On the last day's ride he left Pitts burgh early in the morning, rocketed through Gettysburg and Coatesvllle by noon, slipped through Philadelphia in midafternoon, and checked In at the finishing point in New York City at 6.16 in the evening of June 13, tired and dusty from 3,300 miles of riding, but full of the satisfaction of a good Job well dona and success accom plished ln tho face of tremendous difficulties. In making this trip, Bedell also established a new transcontinental motorcycle record, chopping three days 19 hours 54 minutes from the former record, which had been made by E. G. Baker in 1914. The test was especially pleasing to the authorities because of the excellent condition in which both rider and machine finished, as Bedell was in fine shape physically and his machine was running smooth ly as clockwork, so that he could have started right back to carry a return message If a military crisis had made it necessary. There was none of the exhaustion that Is generally expected after a record-smashing performance while the four-cylinder motor seemed none the worse for wear and ready to keep up the pace as long as mlgnt be wanted. The Information regarding the abil ity of a motorcycle for dispatch-bear ing purposes is expected to be of great value to the War Department, as It will provide a basis upon which to calculate the work which can be done by the motorcycles that are being purchased for use by the army. The Government has Just opened bids for ten thousand motorcycles of various types and within a short time It is expected that fully forty thousand of these machines will be in service, and this trial has .emphasized the per formance that can be expected of the motorcycle men at the front. Counting out the time covered by his stops each night. Bedell's actual running time from coaat to coast was 5 days 9 hours 30 minutes, which fig ures out a grand average of 25.45 miles per hour for the whole 3,290 miles of mountain desert, good road 6 and bad. Reo Motor Car Co. Wins Barber Valve Patent Suit Another patent decision that will have a far-reaching effect on the automobile industry was that hand ed down by Judge Hazel, of New York, the other day In the case of William Barber vs. the Reo Motor Car Corrvpany, in which the learned Jurist exonerated the big Lansing manufacturer of the charge of In fringing Barber's patent on a valve mechanism. This was the case in which the patentee sought to recover the huge sum of $1,500,000 from the motor car manufacturer for alleged in fringement of an ancient patent. In the preliminary skirmish, a de cision adverse to the manufacturer was handed down—due largely to the fact that "The Reo Folk," cer tain that there was no similarity be tween the Barber patent and the well-known Reo mechanism—which, by the way, is Itself of ancient orig in—failed to treat th matter se riously.* Barber then attempted to hav the Reo Company enjoined by an in junction, from continultlgFTne man ufacture of their motors. This In junction, sought In a Michigan court at Grand Rapids, was denied. When the New York case finally c(.uie to trial, the Reo Company In troduced ■ additional evidence with tho result us above Indicated—a de cision to the effect that the Reo valve mechanism does not, either In design or In application, Infringe the Barber patent. The real Importance of this de olsion Is In Its hearing on automo bile manufacturers generally. Similar attempts on tho part of ambitious Inventors, aided and abetted by unscrupulous attorneys, to mulct big manufacturers of large sums by similar means, have been all too frequent In the past and a number of such suits are now pend ing In the courts of various States. The usual procedure is to claim precedence on some one of the six thousand parts of an automobile; Institute suit for damages in which a million Is usually the minimum; then by a flanking movement, ob tain an Injunction and thereby tie up millions of dollars worth of ma terials In process of manufacture In the hope of forcing the manufac turer to a cash settlement. In the past, manufacturers con fronted with this alternative, have deemed it best to settle rather than to suffer the tremendous loss of closing the factory down while the suit could be tried. In most cases settlement can be made for a small fraction of the damages claimed in the suit. This method proved, however, to be onljs an additional encourage ment to the practice, with the re sult that, of late, manufacturers are resolved to carry such contests through the courts regardless of cost or inconvenience. In this case the big Lansing con cern was offered several chances to settle the matter before It came to trial, but General Manager Scott was determined to make an example of it and to try the case on its merits. The result was most gratifying and, as previously stated, will have a far-reaching effect on similar suits with which other manufacturers aro threatened. Could Not Return to Horse and Wagon Method "Big changes in the way we live do not come all at once," says George L AVllliam,. of the Studebaker Cor poration. "We pa< from one era into another without knowing that the trnasition is going on, but once the changes are made we cannot go back any more than we can go back from 'fair, fat and forty" to the slender days of youth. "Stand on Michigin avenue, Chicago, any day, between seven o'clock in the morning and midnight, and you will see a steady stream of automobiles two abreas going in both directions at an average speed of twenty or twen ty-five miles an hour, each car carry ing an average of three or four people if a touring car, or a good-size double horse load if it is a commercial car. "Supposing we had to handle the traffic on Michigan avenue to-day with a horse and carriage at six or eight miles an hour, and commercial traffic with plodding two-horse teams at four miles an hour. That means that we- would have to have a street five times as wide, or five stories high, or Ave subways. You could not take this traffic on Michigan avenue and put it on Wabash, State or any other parallel streets, because they too are crowded with traffic, like Michigan avenue. "Supposing the big Chicago depart ment stores had to go back to the day of the horse and wagon at four to six miles an hour and a load radius of seven or eight miles, where to-day they use commercial cars at a run ning speed of twenty miles an hour, carrying two or three times the load over three or four times the distance. "What is true of Chicago is true of every other city. The horse is being HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH naturally eliminated; something: bet ter hag taken Ita place. Machine pow er Ib superior. lit not only has ten times the efficiency but also ten times the ecenomy. It takes Ave acres of land a year to support one horse. The same five acres of land would sup port a gocgl-alze squad of soldiers and their Hungry families, 'me ox team is a curiosity to-day—to-mor row the horse team will be equally a curiosity. "The automobile, both pleasure and commercial, Is an absolute necessity of this new era, and the automobile will continue as a necessity until something newer and better takes its place and up to the present time there Is no one that even has an inkling of something better. That's the reason why automobile men laugh at this thing they call the 'saturation polni' That's why we are so sure that the business will endure—and that is why the great companies are spending their millions in factories and ma chinery to tako care of the future of this great business and that's why any man can buy a motor car to-day as an Investment. It is a far better piece of property than a team of horses was a few years, because the horses were likely to get sick and die, or injure themselves at any time. You can insure the automobile against accident and it doesn't get sick or die. It is an Investment which is as sure and safe as that of any necessity in which you put your money." Collecting Red Cross Funds at Dillsburg Dlllsburg, Pa., June 23. —Five com mittees of the Red Cross have been busy for the past few days soliciting funds, and they have succeeded in securing a nice sum. The following are the committees: First—Marietta Menear and Mary Aller; second—Mrs. M. W. Brltcher, Mrs. Quay Nesblt and Helen Altland; third, Maud Klugh and Gretna Mayberry; fourth —Myrtle Mayberry and ICatherlne Graff; flifth —Mrs. J. B. Speece and Mrs. J. Harold RFearick. Arrangements were made fto have I (HANDLER •.., I sK^__Jl|ggf The Last Day at $1395; After That $1595 There is only a week left now in which to buy your Chandler at the present $1395 price, a price which, in view of the character of this great car, has made the present Chandler series a sensation in all motor car markets. Oh and after July Ist the price becomes $1595. Identically The Same Car There will be no change of any nature issued under that title. It shows you exactly in the Chandler at the advanced price. The how the Chandler checks with the Packard, present series will be continued identically. Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, 4 Win ton, White, And at the higher price the Chandler f tut f: IV ? erc A er an j Locomobile in charac .„ „ - , . , , tenstic high-grade features of design and will offer value far in excess of other cars constructi o n and equipment. Incidentally which some may consider of similar jf shows you how other medium-priced character. sixes do not check with them. "See How the Chandler Checks With Then let us show you how the Chandler High-Priced Cars." Ask us for the pamphlet performs. Get YOUR Chandler Now % FIVE ATTRACTIVE CHANDLER TYPES OF BODY Seven-Passenger Touring Car, 51395 Four-Passenger Roadster, 51395 Seven-Passenger Convertible Sedan (Fisher built) $2095 Four-Passenger Convertible Coupe (Fisher built) $1995 Limousine, $2695 , All prices f. o. b. Cleveland ANDREW REDMOND Third and Royd Streets Harrisburg, Pa. CHANDLER MOTOR CAR COMPANY, Cleveland, Ohio a parade and a festival this evening O. XV. SHKEFFLER BURIED to help increase the funds already Blain, Pa., June 23.—FuneraJ serv- L-ollected. A number of townspeople Ices of a. Wilson Shreltler. who died were it Wellsvllle Thursday evening, of dropsy, were held yesterday, with attending the big Red Cross meeting burial in the Union Cemetery. Serv at that place. RobertC. Bair, of York, j ices were conducted by the Rev. J. C. made an address. | Reighard. Lutheran minister. // If You Take Advantage of One of These \\ I Half tho joy of motoring is the satisfaction of having a car I I I that will respond to every demand you make on it. When * II I you buy a used car from us you know what you are get ting particularly if the car is a renewed guaranteed Packard you eliminate all risk of disappointment. 1916 1-35 Packard Twin Six Salon Touring, repainted and / I guaranteed $2,300 / / 1 1916 1-25 Packard Twin Six Touring, repainted and guar- / / I \ 1914 6-64 Hudson Touring 9500 / / \ \ 1914 Chalmers Master Six, "-passenger Touring y-ir>o / / \ \ 1914 Pullman 7-passenger Touring, / / \ \ 1913 Chalmers B-passenger Touring, | \\ ,30 ° Tur I I \V Packard Motor Car Co. \v of Phiia. US£D CAR Front and Market Sts. AfA OiS ET" Harrlsburg, Pa. * / Harrisburg 2894. /W WORLD JUNE 23, 191 7. T HCMI- I JBHEUBBS Adjustment Han U.S.LIGHT Q*. HEAT CORPORATION | ' • Batteries That Last buyers who look into the battery question will find that the 15 months guaran tee adjustment plan, given with every machine-pasted plate USL starter battery, is the broadest and longest bona-fide guarantee offer- j ed by any starter battery maker. { You get the best when you say "USL." All sizes for all cars. Free inspection of any battery at any time. Liberal allowanc&on old batteries. STANDARD AUTO Harrisburg, Pa. 9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers