ROAD COURTESY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19735, 27 September 1929, Page 5

ROAD COURTESY.

"A THING OF THE PAST." AN EARLY INCIDENT. The hurry-scurry habits of the present day are apt to make motorists forget the old-fashioned courtesy of the road, when, as a matter of course, they always stopped or slowed down to enquire if help was required when they saw a car disabled, and, if needed, remained and helped the motorist out of his trouble. To-day, unfortunately, this old-time courtesy seems to be a thing of the past, and its absence only serves to accentuate the fine camaraderie of the road that was a part of motoring in the early days. The writer well remembers an incident associated with the historical Dunlop reliability motor contest of 1905 (Melbourne to Sydney and back to Melbourne) that well illustrates how the "courtesy of the road" was interpreted in those day. A few of the early pioneer motorists will probably remember the incident. Seven of the contestants tied on points on the run to Sydney, and a further non-stop run was conducted up to Medlow Bath (Blue Mountains) and back to Sydney (132 miles), in the endeavour to find a winner. Only one contestant was eliminated. It was then decided that the six competitors, comprising W. J. Moffat, W. R. Grimwade, G. Hobbs, S. Day, W. B. Wilkinson, and H. Tarrant, should continue the gruelling test, back to Melbourne, making a total of 1276 miles, mostly over atrocious roads and tracks. All went well until approaching Book, ham (207 miles from Sydney), when J. W. Moffat (10 h.p. twin-cylinder De Dion) was passed at high speed by Geo. Hobbs's Mercedes, which left an almost impenetrable trail of dust behind, completely obliterating the road. Moffat, m following Hobbs, crashed into a deep "V" gutter across the road, and before he could properly straighten up his car dropped in another gutter, The front wheels locked, the occupants were catapulted out, and the De Dion shot into the air and crashed 20 feet off the road on to its side. The worst damage sustained by the car was a front wheel smashed to splinters —the occupants escaping with a severe bruising. What hurt Moffat most was the fact that the mishap put him out of the test. Shorly after the smash, which occurred during the afternoon, Messrs T. Hand and W, J. Proctor came along in Band's Deeauvilie, and stopped to eom- ; miserate with and help Moffat. After j examining the damage, they decided to proceed to Gundagai (45 miles further on) and see what could be done as regards getting a spare wheel sent up by train from Melbourne. Moffat's observer went along with them, Moffat deciding to walk to the village, Bookham, and endeavour to get "put up" for the night. He found a good Samaritan at the post office. Before leaving, Band and Proctor, laughing, stated it was no good leaving the hub, rim, and tyre of the smashed wheel behind, and they might just as well pack them away in their car, which they did. The way Moffat felt, he wouldn't h&va eared

much if they had suggested burning the capsized De Dion. Upon arrival at Gundagai, about dusk, Eand and Proctor got into touch with a local coachbuilder, to see if there was a remote chance of building a new wheel. They found a good sportsman, and a good craftsman, and by midnight a new wheel had been fashioned out of the felloe and spokes of an old buggy wheel. Without delay Eand and Proctor slipped out of Gundagai bound for Bookham. Upon arrival, after a cold drive over the ranges, they proceeded to the capsized Do Dion, and, working in lamp-light, uprighted it with jacks, etc., fitted the new wheel, and eventually succeeded in getting the j engine running, and the car back on the road. They drove to the Bookham P. 0., woke up the postmaster, ascertained Moffat was there and asleep on a sofa. When Moffat was awakened and told his De Dion was at the front door, and in good running order, he was probably, at the moment, the most amazed man in Australia. Leaving just as day was breaking, the t">o cars proceeded to Gundagai. And what a rousing reception the party got from competitors, officials, and local citizens, as they pulled up at the Royal Hotel, just in time for breakfast! Little the worse for the adventure, Moffat drove his car back to Melbourne, a greatly disappointed man, but enriched by a practical experience of that sportsmanship and camaraderie which was such a fine feature of early motoring days in Australia.