MOTOR CARS AND GOOD ROADS 



BY JOHN B. FOSTER. 



While the ultimate purpose of the automobile 

 is far from being merely a speed producer, it is 

 an interesting fact in connection with its 

 development, that those who are fond of the 

 motor car because of its convenience and its 

 utilities are never averse to studying the speed 

 of machines in conjunction with other details 

 connected with them. 



In this is to be noted one of those sympathetic 

 relationships between the motor car and the 

 bicycle. Of themselves having no resemblance 

 to one another, both in their way have served 

 the purpose of permitting humans to travel 

 long distances with less fatigue than walking, 

 thereby combining a utilitarian principle with 

 one of pleasure. 



When the bicycle had rendered a whole con- 

 tinent half -crazy on the subject of "ball-bearing 

 locomotion," there were hundreds of riders who 

 accepted the wheel merely for the pleasure 

 which they derived from its use. In no sense 

 of the word could they be called "scorchers." 

 Yet they were mightily interested in discussing 

 the speed of the various makes, and pursued 

 bicycle race meetings with an enthusiasm second 

 only to the actual participants in the sport. 



So with the motor car now. The "speed 

 mania," as it relates to the few who wantonly 

 disregard laws and statutes that they may enjoy 

 the fascinating sensation of flying through 

 space, can with no justice be ascribed to the 

 thousands who use the motor car merely for the 

 convenience and the pleasure which they derive 

 from it, and yet it is difficult to find a single 

 enthusiastic motorist who is not interested in 

 the question of speed, and who will not discuss 

 it by the hour with others who are conversant 

 with the same topic. 



Hence the great attention which is paid to 

 national and international contests of the mag- 

 nitude of the Gordon Bennett and Vanderbilt 

 Cup affairs, and the necessity which exists of so 

 conducting these competitions that they shall 

 bring forth the best possible results. 



The Vanderbilt Cup race is assured again 

 for this year in the United States, and it will 

 almost without question be run over most of 

 the course which was used in 1905. Two bad 



sections of road may be eliminated and the 

 route altered to go further north. Rather than 

 a drawback, this will add to the pleasure of 

 more sightseers, who will be present early to 

 witness the speed cars, and a contest is assured 

 thus early which is likely to be of more interest 

 than either of those which have taken place on 

 Long Island. 



While 0*1 the subject of the Vanderbilt Cup 

 race, it may not be out of place to say that the 

 residents along the route are actually petitioning 

 the Automobile Club of America to hold it over 

 their roads this year, in contradistinction to the 

 policy which was in vogue in the early part of 

 of 1904, when some local opposition fought its 

 taking place. It has been proved that the race 

 may be conducted without harm to the residents 

 of the island, if they will exercise caution for a 

 matter of a few hours one morning in the year, 

 while the sums left behind by visitors and com- 

 petitors amply reward everybody ten times over 

 for the trifling inconvenience of closing a few 

 highways from dawn until about noon. Possi- 

 bly there would have been no opposition in the 

 first place, but for the fact that some of the 

 penny dreadfuls ran out of ammunition for a 

 sensation in the heated term, and declared war 

 on the automobile race, trusting for abundant 

 sympathy because the motor cars "were owned 

 by the rich." 



The Vanderbilt Cup race of 1906 will be in 

 charge of J. DeM. Thompson, of New York, 

 who has been elected chairman of the racing 

 board of the American Automobile Association 

 to succeed Robert Lee Morrell. The retiring 

 chairman gave abundant satisfaction last year, 

 but declared that he had enough of serving, and 

 would prefer to retire and view the contest as 

 one disinterested. 



Mr. Thompson has driven a motor car since 

 1898 and has witnessed every Gordon Bennett 

 race which has taken place abroad, and most 

 of the important races which have been con- 

 ducted in the United States. He owns six cars 

 personally and is a wealthy lawyer with a bent 

 toward mechanics, who finds in motoring a 

 medium to please his fancy. 



There is no question but the entries for 

 another Vanderbilt Cup race will be numerous. 

 There is too much at stake on the part of Ameri- 



