The Motorist.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 708, 1 October 1903, Page 15

The Motorist.

The Auckland Automobile Association held a very pleasant run on Saturday, those present being- Dr. Rayner and Mr Nathan, Mrs Rayner and Mr Haincsi, Mr Spinks and Mr Higginson, Mr and Mrs Whitson, Mr Moody and a friend, Mr A. ('leave and Rev. Kelly, Mr Graham ( Rotorua) and Mr Anderson, Dr. and Mrs Lowe, Mr Isaacs and visitors. A run was made out to St. Helier’s, where afternoon tea was partaken of. Then a course was shaped past Mt. Wellington, Sylvia Park, Panmure, Otahuhu and home 'ia the Great North Road. The pace was a cracker all the way, and everybody thoroughly enjoyed the outing, the afternoon being an ideal one for motoring.

A German scientist named Van Westrum is said to have recently discovered a means of making oil soluble in water, and this invention has been adapted for the treatment of streets. It was used with the greatest possible success on portions of the Gordon-Bennett Motor Race course (recently held in Ireland), and also, in the Phoenix Park during the recent trials. Although the sprinkling in places was so light as to be almost imperceptible, cars travelling at a speed of seventy miles an hour did not raise the smallest particle of dust.

The line between the point where the Westrumite (as the new preparation is called) wag applied and the road in its natural state was sharp and clearly defined. At one moment the cars thundered along, raising a perfect column of dust, and the next instant this dust column seemed suddenly to be cut off. The effect was very remarkable. This treatment, apparently, has no disadvantages. There is no smell, the surface of the road does not appear to be oily, there is nothing to cause a side slip or to injure rubber tyres. It is also claimed for this new preparation that it preserves and consolidates the surface of the road, a claim which seems to be well justified. The question of expense is the next matter for consideration. The cost of sprinkling a mile of average road with a 20 per cent, siolution is stated to be £9 per mile. After this has been done, a solution of 5 per cent., applied every three or four weeks, is sufficient, and would cost £2 ssj. In. other words, once a road has been initially treated, the cost per annum for each mile of road would be in or about £3O.

According to Lord Rosebery, it is esti. mated that there are over eight thousand motor cars running in England, and that another ten thousand automobiles are under order for delivery. He recently stated that this number was not half of what would be seen in England in a year, and not one-tenth of what would be seen in five years. These figures speak for the advance of motoring in England, and at the same time emphasises how far behind the times we are in Australasia.

The fascination of motor cycling is difficult to fully explain to non-cyclists, for one must have a dose of this exhilarating exercise before one can possibly realise the pleasure of cycling along country roads with a small motor doing all the donkey work. The writer admits that he prefers a fairly-oowerful motor, not necessary for continual scorching, but for use in hill-climbing and long stretches of lonely country roads where fast pace can harm no one. The fact of having just to sit comfortably on a large Brooks’ saddle, and regulate your speed

to suit your mood just by the manipulation of a small lever, is a sensation that comes only to the motorist. The delight of careering through the country, breathing fresh air, seeing new country, wandering where you will, pottering along at a snail’s ■ pace when you feel so inclined, and then letting your motor “all out” for a scorch, ai*e among the pleasures' attached to motor cycling. The majority of cyclists nowahays have felt the pleasure of spinning down hillsi, without working and pedalling, by the aid of the free-wheel, but can they imagine what it feels like to coast up hill, and from morning till night ? It is just grand to open the throttle-valve and feel the wav the motor glides l up hills that previously taxed all one’s strength to pedal up. When the top is reached thereis no need to wait for a breather as in the days gone by, for the never-tiring little engine keeps 'cheerfully “teuf-teufmg” away as fresh at the end of a 200 miles run as at the beginning- of the day’s ride. All this can be had at the expense of less than 2s a hundred miles. “ But what about the break downs ?” some may ask. Certainly these have to be faced, but to the cyclist who has taken the trouble to thoroughly master the little intricacies of his motor, putting any small disarrangement of the gear right becomes one of the pleasures of motoring. The feeling that you are master of the mechanism, knowing the needs and requirements of every working part of the engine, and having full control of its paces on the road is indeed a gratifying one. In conclusion, the public should not imagine that the motor cycle is a dangerous, death-deal-ing instrument. * * * * The makers of the Mercedes car presented Jenatzy, who won the GordonBennett championship race, with a cheque for £5OOO and a new motor. The automobile is already making its presence felt in South Africa. According to a reliable authority a new road is being constructed in the Congo country in Africa. The road is to be made for motor traffic for use by the British Government, and will extend inland some 310 miles. ’The road will be nine yards, wide on the level and five yards wide on the mountains. The motor waggons which are now fce’ng manufactured for . the British Government -will haul loads 1 of two tons each, and will be capable of travelling from twenty to thirty miles a day, according to the nature of the country passed through. * * * The crack long-distance racing cyclist of America, Walthour. who knows very little about motor bicycles, mounted the powerful pacing machine owned by Champion, the well-known French crack, in his absence. He swung out on the track at Washington, and went round at a rapidly growing pace, which soon became too dangerous. Then he lost his head, and •rot so confused that he could not stop the machine or even find a lever which would reduce the pace. Champion, the owner, now came on the scene, and soon guessed how matters stood. Without a moment’s hesitation he mounted another motor and went in pursuit. It was a fierce race, but gradually he drew on Walthour, and then prepared for the very delicate work of getting alongside. Luckily Walthour, as befitted a racing man, steered cleverly, and Champion soon was able to draw close to him and finally reach the required lever. Pace slowed down at once, and Walthour retired very much depressed at the occurrence.