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^How to Operate 
A Motor Car 


With an Alphabetically Arranged 


Chapter, devoted to Car Troubles, 

V. ’ ' —: 7 — 

* 

' their Causes and Remedies : : : : 


. 

C • 

^ ^ By 

^ A, Hyatt Verrill 

y 







STREET & SMITH CORPORATION 
Publishers 

79-89 Seventh Ave., New York 











'.jt- ■ ' ■. t''■• ■ ••_ ,''. :•■' 




I ' 


Copyright, 1018 

BY 

STREET & SMITH CORPORATION 


How to Operate a Motor Car 
-- . 


APR 26 1918 



96211 









CONTENTS 


i 

t 

How to Choose a Motor Car. 11 

Price. Requirements of the car. Light and heavy cars. Upkeep 
and* economy. What to look for. Mechanics versus paint. 
Assen^bled cars. Accessibility. Complicated cars. Me¬ 
chanical details! Tires and rims. Finish. Equipment rNew 
or used cars. Dishonest dealers. Junk. 

; ■ 

The Mechanism of the Motor Car. 18 

‘ I 

Out of sight out of mind. Parts of the car. The motor. Prin¬ 
ciples of operation of the motor. Four, six, and eight- 
■ ' cylinder motors. Parts of the motor. Kinds of valves. 
■* Valve gears. Piston rings. Lubrication. Cooling systems. 
Carburetors. Ignition. High and low-tension magnetos. 
Batteries. Transmission. Clutches. Transmission gears. 
Gear shifts. Universal joints. Propeller shafts. Differ¬ 


entials. Bearings. Axles. Springs. Brakes. Steering 

, gear. Self-starters. Electric lights. . • 

Caring for a Motor Car.... 48 

Cleanliness. Inspection. A stitch in time. Loose parts. Freez¬ 
ing. Tires. Making sure. 

Learning to Drive.53 

First steps. Controls. Thfottle and spark. Gear shifts. Brake 


controls. Ignition switch. Learning with the car station¬ 
ary. Starting the motor. Cranking. Using the clutch. 
Shifting gears. Using brakes. 


First Lessons on the Road. 60 

Where to learn to drive. Starting off^.' Steering. ^ Changing 
speeds. Reversing. Turning around. Passing other 
vehicles. Turning corners. Stopping. Shifting down or 
double declutching. Driving on hills. Climbing hills. Dan¬ 
gers of hills. Stopping when climbing a hill. Driving down 
hill. ^ Controlling the speed. Dangers of descending hills. 
Turning out on hills. Stopping on a down grade. IDriving 
at .night.^ Caution. Lights. Dazzling lights. “^Bad spots. 
Driving in wet” weather. Chains. Driving in snow. 









76 


Handling Cars in Traffic 

Dangers of traffic. Looking out for the “other fellow.” Keep¬ 
ing your mind on your own business. Traffic officers. Sig¬ 
naling your intentions. Stopping. Traffic signs. One¬ 
way streets. Circular traffic. Speed. Overtaking vehicles. 
Passing vehicles. Safety zones. Trolley cars. Pedestrians. 
Taking chances. Ready for emergencies. The six “Cs” 
of driving in traffic. 


Accidents, Their Causes and Prevention. 83 

Avoidable and unavoidable accidents. Incompetent drivers. 
Causes of accidents. Intoxication. Speeding.* What is 
excessive speed. Taking chances. Skidding. Causes of 

skidding. How ’to stop skidding. Rear-wheel and front- 
wheel skidding. Railway crossing. Stop, look, listen! 
Bridges. Fording streams. Fire. Accidents on hills. 


Rules and Regulations....97 

Rules of the road. American and British rules of the road. 
Local rules. Passing trolley cars. Turning corners. Con¬ 
fusion of rules. Officers’ signals. If in doubt, ask. Traffic 
rules in cities. ^ Violating rules: Obeying the law. Pedes¬ 
trians and their rights. Ho7se-drawn vehicles. What to 
do in case of accident. StatS' laws. 


_ # 

First Aids in Emergencies.102 

Tools. What tools and spares are needed. Grinding valves. 
Aligning wheels. Broken springs. Leaks. Loose bolts. 
Brake troubles. How to start without a crank. Clutch trou¬ 
bles. Steering-gear repairs. Backing up a hill. Repairing 
spark plugs. Broken fan belts. Axle$. Pulling out of 
holes. Making a Spanish windlass. Getting home without a 
tire. 


Common Motor Troubles, Their Causes and Remedies.. .125 

Motor troubles alphabetically arranged with their causes, symp¬ 
toms, and remedies. 






7 


{ 


INTRODUCTION 

This book is not a treatise on the mechanics of the 
modern automobile, nor is it intended as a complete 
manual covering all classes and types of motors, car§, 
and equipments. To treat adequately such a broad field 
would be impossible in a work of the present size and 
scope, for there are hundreds of irwtors and motor- 
driven vehicles, each of which varies in minor details; 
while many portions of the equipments or accessories 
would require special volumes in themselves. Ignition 
and starting devices, generators, electric lighting, and 
other electrical equipments form an immense subject 
quite apart from the mechanical side of the motor car, 
and unless the owner of a car is an expert electrician, 
it is wisest to let the electrical equipment severely alone, 
save for minor adjustments and repairs. 

But there are many points in common in all cars and 
motors, and every owner or driver of a motor vehicle 
should be familiar with the principles of the car and it& 
motor, should be able, to locate and remedy ordinary 
troubles^ should understand the requirements of his 
vehicle,' and should be/a^^_l^ alive to the shortcomings, 
the dangers, and the limits of^his car and motor as to 
its good points, its safety, and its ability. The modern 
car has been developed to such a high degree of effi¬ 
ciency, that people, as a rule, abuse their cars outra¬ 
geously, and the wonder is that there are not more acci¬ 
dents, more breakdowns, and more troubles. The motor 
car is a very highly perfected and delicate piece of ma- 







% 


8 Introduction. 

« 

chinery, and, like every other piece of mabhinery, it 
requires proper care, intelligent haudling^bnst’ant atten¬ 
tion, and a modicum of mechanical knowledge on the 
part of its operator in order to deliver its full efficiency, 
fulfill its purpose, and stand up to its work satisfactorily. 

If rattles, knocks, and pounds are neglected, a car may 
soon be ruined, whereas a few minutes’ attention and a 
little care will not only eliminate the unpleasant noises, 
but will save expenses and possible accidents in the end. 
“A stitch in time” is especially applicable to motor cars, 
and if every owner or driver would take a ‘"stitch in 
time” there would be fewer accidents, fewer complaints, 
and fewer discarded cars. Even such important matters 
as lubrication are neglected until too late in many cases; 
for there seems to be a rather prevalent idea that, as long 
as a motor will run and a car will travel, nothing else 
matters. As a matter of fact, attention to the little things 
is what counts most in the long run. No one would think 
of driving a horse until he falls exhausted or dead in the 
road, and few would ride in a carriage with squeaking 
axles and noisy springs; but there are scores of cars in 
daily use which groan, squeak, rattle, and protest at every 
yard they travel. 

It is not necessary to be a mechanic, an electrician, 
or an engineer in order to care for your car, to remedy 
the ordinary troubles which arise, to make adjustments 
and simple repairs, and to recognize and locate the cause 
. of^any unusual noise, acUgll^or behavior, and by remedy¬ 
ing it, prolong the li^i^^id efficiency of the machine; 
but even if you do "hot care to attend to these matters per¬ 
sonally, the knowledge will save you many vexatious 
delays and unnecessary expenses, for if you know what 
the trouble is, and what should be done to remedy it, you 



Introduction. 


9 


will not be a t ^ the mercy every unprincipled garage 
proprietor of^eclian|c who does your work. 

Much of the life and efficiency of a motor car depends 
upon the way it is operated and driven, not to mention 
the danger to life and limb which results from incom¬ 
petent drivers strange as it may seem, very few 

people who drivt motor cars are really competent. 

It is to aid the inexperienced, to point out the most 
essential matters for attention, to serve as a handbook 
and guide to the owners and operators of motor cars, 
especially the beginners, and to aid them in securing 
greater efficiency and more pleasure from their cars that 
this book has been prepared. It is not intended to cover 
all types of cars, motors, or equipments, but, to cover in 
a general way the stancjar^ Certain cars, such as 

the Ford, Metz, et cetera,^differ, in some ways from the 
standard cars, but the distinctions are mainly in the 
methods of control, and the makers of these cars furnish 
excellent books of instruction which will provide ample 
information in these matters. 

The principles of operation, the motors, most of the 
mechanical details, and the method of driving, aside from 
control, are the same in all cases, however, and the chap¬ 
ters on these subjects, as well as the information regard¬ 
ing troubles and their remedies, are equally applicable 
to every make of car. 

Considerable space has also been devoted to the chap¬ 
ters on driving, accidents, rules of the road, et cetera; for 
it is just as important to know how to drive a car prop¬ 
erly, how to avoid accidents, and how to act in emer¬ 
gencies as to understand the mechanism of the car. 

Many people consider a motor car a dangerous thing, 
and forego the pleasures of motoring through fear of 


10 


Introduction. 


accident. They^ constantly read accounts of accidents 
and fatalities, but they seldom stop to consider the thou¬ 
sands of cars in use, the tens of thousands of people 
using them, and the hundreds of careless, incompetent 
drivers who handle them'.-w^ Used and operated with intel¬ 
ligence, a motor car is nq^more dangerous than a horse- 
drawn vehicle. In fact, it is far safer, for, unlike the 
horse, it has no whims, ca;^rices, or will of its own, and 
properly handled by a cautious, cool-headed, and skilled ; 
driver, the automobile may hf safely driven where it 
would be impossible to drive a horse and carriage. But, 
like many other harmless things, a motor car may be¬ 
come a fearful engine of destruction if improperly used, 
and there is no more sense or reason in condemning 
'motor cars as dangerous than for opposing the use of 
railway trains, trolley cars, or even elevators, just be¬ 
cause accidents have happened through their use. Re¬ 
member the slogan, “Safety first,” and let your watch¬ 
word be safety first, last, and all the time. 








11 


HOW TO CHOOSE A MOTOR CAR 

There are so many makes, styles, and types of automo¬ 
biles on the market that it is often very difficult for the 
prospective purchaser to decide which he should buy. 
Moreover, every manufacturer and dealer will claim his 
car is the very best value for the money; he- will point out 
innumerable features which he- claims are not possessed 
by the cars of his competitors; he will boast of the low 
upkeep cost, the simplicity, the saving on tires, the 
economy of fuel, and the countless other advantages of 
his car. Finally, he will dwell at length on the paint and 
varnish, the upholstery, and the exterior finish of the car 
he is trying to sell. Strangely enough, if the car he is 
boosting is a standard make, his claims are probably all 
borne out by facts. Although, to the uninitiated, all cars 
may seem much alike, in reality each has an individuality, 
certain details, little refinements and improvements and 
particular advantages of its own. But competition is so 
keen, cars have been developed to such a standard of 
efficiency, and the public has learned to look for and 
demand reliability and performance to such an extent, 
that unless a car is really good value it has little chance 
of a market. 

At the same time, there is a vast difference in the 
economy, the performance, the life, the comfort, the 
simplicity, and, most of all, the prices of various cars. 
To the average purchaser, price is a^vory great and im¬ 
portant factor, and when the man of nonmechanical benj;^ 
starts forth to buy a car he is confronted with prices 


12 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 

ranging from five hundred to ten thousand dollars, and, 
in many cases, he cannot see where the difference of 
several thousand dollars comes in. As a matter of fact, 
in a great many cases the difference is entirely a matter 
of finish, of stylishness, or of name. But, on the other 
hand, there is a vast difference between a cheap car, a 
medium-priced car, and a high-priced car in materials, 
workmanship, mechanical details, and efficiency. Not 
that the low-priced cars of to-day are cheap in the sense 
of being poor value, for, dollar for dollar, many of the 
lowest-priced automobiles give greater value than their 
higher-priced rivals; but it is manifestly impossible to 
put the same grades of material, the same careful work, 
and the same mechanical perfection in a cheap car as 
in an expensive one. Moreover, each type has its own 
field, its own advantages, and its own purpose, as well as 
its own disadvantages, and the first thing to decide is 
which is best suited to your own particular needs. Per¬ 
haps the most important matter is price. Unless you’re 
a millionaire there is probably a limit to the amount you 
wish to invest in a car, and by crossing off all cars which 
cost more than you have decided to spend, you will elimi¬ 
nate a very large proportion.of the cars on the market. 
Next, decide upon the purposes and the uses to which 
your car is to be devoted. If your family is lat^, it is 
useless to get a small car or a car too light to accom¬ 
modate the passengers you will wish to carry. Whereas, 
if you are single or require a car for only two or three 
passengers, it is foolish to purchase a big touring car. If 
you intend to take long cross-country tours, you’ll need 
a car that can stand up to the work, a car that will not 
develop rattles and squeaks after a few thousand miles, 
'a car that will be economical and that will insure com- 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


13 


fort and easy-riding qualities. Then, too, you’ll need a 
car that will have enough power pull out of sand, mud, 
or ruts, and that will take any reasonable hill without 
difficulty. On the other hand, if you intend to use your 
car for business purposes, or to use it about town, or only 
for short day trips, a far lighter, smaller, and lower- 
powered car will serve just as well. Finally, there is the 
question of upkeep and economy. Most modern cars are, 
comparatively speaking, economical, and with proper care 
and attention their upkeep is not excessive, but you can¬ 
not get the same fuel or tire mileage from a heavy, high- 
powered car as from a.light, Ipw-powered (^r; and don’t 
forget that the fuel consumption, the tire^mileage, and 
such data presented by the manufacturers are based on 
tests by experienced and skilled drivers and mechanics 
under the most favorable conditions, and with every¬ 
thing adjusted and tuned to the highest state of per¬ 
fection. 

Having thus decided upon the price you will pay, the 
type of car you desire, and the purposes for which it is 
to be used, study the mechanical side of the matter, and 
compare, point by point, the various cars which remain 
on your list as possibilities. Don’t be guided by paint 
or finish—paint is about the cheapest thing on a car; and 
while details of finish are all very well-, if everything else 
is equal, uphplstery, color, varnish, and such things do 
not make a good motor, long-lived mechanism, or effi¬ 
ciency. Don’t be swayed too much by what your friends 
tell you of their cars. The satisfaction a car gives de¬ 
pends very often upon the individuality of the owner, 
and what suits one may not suit another; people can no 
more agree on cars than on cigarettes or food. 

First, look for a car with standard parts. Some cars 


14 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


are manufactured from end to end in one plant, while 
others are partly manufactured by the makers of the 
car and are partly assembled or built up of parts from 
one or more other manufacturers; while still other cars 
are completely “assembled,’’ and few, if any, parts are 
actually made by the firm turning out the finished car. 
If the various parts of an assembled car are made by 
reliable and well-known firms, they are probably equal to 
the parts made by the car manufacturer, and as these 
accessory makers specialize on the parts they make, their 
product is often sup'erior to similar parts found in cars 
built in one factory. Certain motors, for example, are 
used in many of the best cars, and if the car you have 
in mind is powered with one of these standard, widely 
known, and acknowledged firms you need have no fear 
as to the engine’s quality and performance. The same 
is true of axles, bearings, gear shifts, transmissions, dif¬ 
ferentials, et cetera; but because each of these various 
parts is in itself of recognized high quality, it does not 
follow that the car as a whole is equally good. There 
may be carelessness in assembling, the chassis may be 
weak, the car may be too light or too heavy for its power, 
the body may be poor, or there may be some little, unsus¬ 
pected detail which detracts considerably from the value 
of the car as a whole. Hence, as a rule, it is preferable 
to buy a car which is made throughout in one plant. 

Don’t buy a car-in which everything is not easily acces¬ 
sible. Nine times out of ten if anything goes wrong 
it will happen where it is difficult to reach, and you do 
not want a car which has to be torn all to pieces to get 
at some little bolt, nut, or adjustment. There is mighty 
little fun in paying a repair man twenty or thirty dollars 
for time required to take apart and reassemble your car 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


15 


in order to make a repair that in itself should take ten 
minutes. There has been a most praiseworthy tendency 
to make cars accessible within the past few years, but 
there are very few which are accessible enough to-day. 
Look for simplicity, also. If under the bonnet you see 
a complicated multiplicity of wires, tubes, pipes, and 
small parts, avoid that car as you would the plague. 
Modern electrical devices are very highly perfected, they 
are reliable and efficient, and if they are good they are 
simple. The” more wires the more troubles, as a rule,, 
for despite the perfection of electrical devices about 
ninety per cent of all motor troubles are electrical, and 
nine times out of ten the troubles are in the wires. If 
possible, select a car with dual ignition system—battery 
and magneto—as, in that case, if one system fails you 
have the other. Be sure that you can easily obtain new 
parts at any time and in any large city, and be equally 
sure that you can find a service station for your electri¬ 
cal equipment when you need it. Don’t get a car that 
lacks adequate lubricating devices, and be sure there is 
an oil or grease cup, or some means of efficient lubrica¬ 
tion, at every bearing, joint, or moving part. Examine 
for take-up adjustments, especially on steering mechan¬ 
ism, fan belt, bearings, brake rods, and all other parts 
which are subject to wear. Don’t select a car which 
depends upon gueSswork for anything. See that there 
are gauges for fuel, oil, charging, and discharging bat¬ 
teries, and such things. A new motor should run quietly, 
and if there js any appreciable vibration, any rattle or 
noise, when the motor is idling, cross the car off your 
list; for with use, every rattle, noise, and vibration will 
rapidly increase. Be sure the car is equipped with de¬ 
tachable rims and with tires large enough to carry the 


16 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


car’s weight without undue strain. Every tire manu¬ 
facturer or dealer can furnish you with tables showing 
the sizes of tires for various weights, and it is an easy 
matter to weigh the car. Be sure that the clutch is easy, 
that you don’t have to exert all your strength to throw 
it out, and that it takes hold smoothly and evenly with¬ 
out jerking or jumping. Have the car demonstrated on 
the level, on hills, and on rough roads, and test for easy 
riding, quick get-away, easy gear shifting, quiet running, 
hill-climbing ability, grip of brakes, and ability to run 
slow on high gear. 

Finally, see that the car is well'finished, that the paint 
and varnish are good, that the top is well made and 
^ easily raised and closed, that the side curtains are satis¬ 
factory, that the car is well equipped with power pump, 
tools, extra rims, tires, etc. 

Oftentimes the question arises as to whether it is best 
to buy a new or a used car. There is no question that 
many used cars are very great bargains, and that, for the 
same money, one may obtain a much better car from 
the used-car market than would be possible among new 
cars. But in order to purchase a used car to advantage 
one must know cars, must be well up in motor mechanics, 
and must be “from Missouri,” for many of the dealers 
are utterly unprincipled, their so-called “guarantees” are 
not worth the paper they are written on and they are 
in business to do you or any one else. Of course, there 
are reliable and honest dealers in used cars, but they are 
mighty hard to find. If you decide to buy a used car, 
go to a dealer in new cars, an agent of a manufacturer 
who sells used cars taken in trade for new ones, and 
upon whom you can depend to the same extent, as if 
you were purchasing a new car. The only other way, 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


17 


if you are not a car expert, is to hire or get some reliable, 
car-wise friend or mechanic to advise you, when making 
the rounds of the used-car dealers. Above all, beware of 
the used car resplendent in a new coat of paint and shiny 
varnish. Many a crack, break, and repair has been 
effectively concealed under a coat of paint. Don’t take 
anything for granted in buying a used car. Don’t believe 
anything the dealer tells you until you have verified it. 
Don’t imagine he is robbing himself to give you a bar¬ 
gain, and be sure the car is not an accumulation of as¬ 
sembled junk with a standard exterior. Leave no detail 
unexamined, test the car thoroughly, and then, if every¬ 
thing seems all right and' the dealer is willing to allow 
a week’s trial, you may be reasonably certain of the car. 
But, most important of all, pick out a dealer known to 
be reliable, honest, andswith a reputation to maintain. 


18 


THE MECHANISM OF THE MOTOR 

CAR 

At first sight the mechanism of a motor car appears a 
very complicated affair, but in reality it is very simple. 

In fact, it is doubtful if there is any machine of equal 
efficiency and scope which has been so simplified as the 
modern automobile. Any one with intelligence can soon 
master the principles and operation of a motor car, and 
can make any adjustments and minor repairs which may 
be necessaiy. The first duty of every owner or driver 
of a car should be to familij^rize himself, or herself, with 
its mechanism, its various parts, and their functions, , 
until he or she feels competent to locate and remedy any 
ordinary troubles. 

Many of the most important portions of a car are out 
of sight, and, as is usually the case, “out of sight is out 
of mind,” and as a result little attention is given to any¬ 
thing until it goes wrong. But if you understand the 
important relationship between each and evei*y portion 
of a car’s mechanism, and bear in mind that some small 
and insignificant trouble or the failure of some minor 
part, such as a screw, bolt, or cotter pin may result in 
a fatal accident, and if you look after such matters as 
carefully as the outward appearance of your car, you wdll 
seldom have troubles and vexatious breakdowns, and 
your repair bills will shrink tremendously. 

Broadly speaking, a motor car consists of the motor, 
the driving mechanism, the running gear, the chassis, and 
the body; but with the exception of the body and chassis 
these parts are made up of various units. Thus the driv¬ 
ing mechanism includes the clutch, the transmission 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


19 


gears, tHe universal, the propeller shaft, the differential, 
the axles, et cetera, with their various parts. The motor 
includes the cooling system, the fuel system, the electrical 
equipment, et cetera, while the running gear includes the 
wheels, springs, steering devices, et cetera, although 
strictly speaking the latter is partly included in the chassis. 

Hence it is easier to consider each principal unit sepa¬ 
rately ; and as the motor is the most important and most 
complicated unit of all, we will take it up first. 

Primarily the motor consists of cylinder, piston, con¬ 
necting rod, valves, and crank shaft, with the valve- 
operating mechanism consisting of cam shaft and cams, 
gears, et cetera. 

Before discussing the functions of the various parts 
and their relationship, it may be well briefly to explain 
the principle or operation of a gasoline motor. There 
are two principal forms or types of motors—the one 
known as the two-cycle or two-stroke motor, the other 
as the four-stroke or four-cycle motor; but as the former 
are seldom used in motor cars, I shall deal only with the 
four-cycle type. In this class of motor there is but one 
impulse or explosion to each two revolutions, or four 
strokes of the crank shaft in each cylinder, hence the 
name. By increasing the number of cylinders to four, 
an explosion is produced at each stroke, while by adding 
more cylinders more frequent explosive impulses are 
obtained. In every case, however, the principle of opera¬ 
tion is precisely the same, and an explanation of what 
takes place in one cylinder will serve for all. In Plate 
I a diagrammatic section of a four-stroke, single-cylinder 
motor is shown. In Fig. i the motor is shown with the 
Piston, A, at the top of the stroke, and ready to move 
downward. In this position the Inlet Vahe, C, and the 


20 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Figs. 1-4 —Operation of four-stroke motor. 


Exhaust Valve, D, are both closed, but as the piston com¬ 
mences to move downward the inlet valve is opened by 
means of the valve mechanism, thus allowing the fuel 
to be drawn into the Cylinder, E, by the suction exerted 
by the descending piston. At about the limit of the 
downward movement of the piston, as shown in Fig. 2, 
the inlet valve is closed, thus preventing the fuel charge 
from escaping, and the upward movement of the piston 
compresses the gas until the piston reaches the upward 
limit of its stroke, Fig. when the gas is fired or ex¬ 
ploded by an electric spark. The force of the explosion 
drives the piston down, thus giving an impulse to the 

















































































21 


How to Operate a Motor Car, 



Crank Shaft, F. Then, when the limit of this downward 
stroke is reached, the exhaust valve, D, is opened by 
its mechanism, H, and the upward-moving piston forces 
the burned gases out through the opening under D. As 
the limit of this fourth stroke is reached, the motor as¬ 
sumes the position shown in Fig. i, and is ready to draw 
in a fresh fuel charge as explained.^ 

From this it. will be seen that the single firing, or ex¬ 
plosive, stroke is depended upon to complete two revolu¬ 
tions of the crank shaft, and that the momentum of the 
flywheel is all that carries the shaft around and com¬ 
pletes the whole operation of the motor until another 
impulse occurs. The four strokes of this motor are 


















































































22 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



3M/OnS~ 




1 






U //?taA€ ^/fi'rj^ Ccir)^rt's^tc*f^^^ 


Figs. 5—8 —Four-cylinder firing. 






























































































































How to Operate a Motor Car. 


23 



fnt'oJie 


Conjf>tt*su6H Fir/ny 

F/cj.? 



D 



Comj^resstdff Fir)n^ Tnlr^k^ 

r/j.8 































































































































21 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


known as The Intake Stroke, Fig. i; The Compres¬ 
sion Stroke, Fig. 2; The Firing Stroke, Fig. g; and 
The Exhaust Stroke, Fig. 4. It is to avoid the jerky, 
irregular operation which would occur, to overcome the 
necessity of a heavy flywheel to carry the motor through 
its cycle, and to provide a more even torque or force 
on the crank shaft, as well as to produce more power 
without proportionately increasing the size and weight 
of the parts, that multiple-cylinder engines are used. 
Thus, in the case of a four-cylinder motor, there is an 
explosion at every stroke, for one cylinder will be firing 
while another is exhausting, another is compressing, and 
another is drawing in a charge of gas, as will be more 
easily understood by referring to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8. By 
using eight cylinders, an impulse occurs at every half 
stroke, or four impulses to every revolution of the crank 
.shaft, while a six-cylinder motor gives three impulses to 
each revolution {Fig. p). 

Now, having grasped the principles of operation-of a 
four-stroke motor, let us study the various parts, their^ 
functions, their relationships, and their principles of 
operation. 

Aside from the Cylinder, E, Piston, 'A, the Piston 
Rings, M, the Connecting Rod, L, and the Crank Shaft, 
F, which are common to all motors, and vary only slightly 
in design or type, there are the Inlet Valve, C, the Ex¬ 
haust 1 /alve, D^ the Push Rods, I, Valve Springs, G,G, 
the Cam, H, the Cam Gear, J, and the Driving Gear, K. 
But in their valve mechanism there is a great difiference 
in different motors. The commonest form or type has 
valves of the style illustrated in the diagrams, and which 
are known as '‘Tapped or ''poppeV valves, but the 
Knight motors have a very different valve system, con- 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


25 



Fig. 9 


Fig. 9—Six-C 5 ’]inder firing. 

sisting of sliding sleeves, as shown diagrammatically in 
Fig. 10. Even motors equipped with tappet valves vary 
greatly in their valve-operating devices, and they may be 
operated directly from the cams, as in Figs. 1-4, or they 
may have overhead valves operated by rocker arms; 
while still other motors may have one set of valves of the 
overhead type, and the others of the direct or ^^L-head" 
type. 













































26 How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Fig, 10—Ki^lsht motor-valve system. 


The valve gears may also be of any one of many types, 
but they are always proportioned so that the large or 
valve gear, J, makes one revolution to every two revolu¬ 
tions of the crank shaft and gear, F, K; and, moreover, 
the gears must be very carefully set so that they will 
open and close the valves at exactly the right time in 
relation to the stroke of the piston. 

The Piston Rings, M, are very important parts of the 
motor, for upon them depends the compression of the 




















































How to Operate a Motor Car. 


27 


gas, and much of the power and successful operation of 
the motor. They consist of cast-iron rings, open at one 
side, and fitting saugly into grooves in the piston. They 
are eccentric, or thicker on one side than the other, and 
are set on the piston so that the joints or openings do 
not come in line. When in position, in the cylinder, they 
press firmly against the cylinder walls, thus preventing 
the gas from leaking between the piston and cylinder, 
and at the same time allowing the piston to move freely 
in the cylinder without binding. Any leakage past these 
rings will decrease the power of the motor, and so it is 
very necessary to keep the rings well oiled, free from 
carbon, and tightly fitting. In addition to these essential 
parts of a motor, there must be devices for lubricating 
the various moving parts, for vaporizing and feeding the 

liquid fuel to form a gas, to ignite or fire the charge of 
fuel at the proper instant, and to keep the motor cool and 

at an even temperature. There are various systems of 
lubricating, but in nearly every case they are very simple, 
consisting of an oil pump which forces the oil in the 
crank case to the various parts requiring lubrication, and 
which, in the best motor cars, are provided with a gauge 
which shows whether or not a sufficient amount of oil is 
being fed. The cooling systems employed on motor cars 
are of two general types, the air cooled and water cooled. 
Only a very few cars are air cooled, the Franklin being 
the best known; and as no attention is required in this 
system, and the only mechanism is the fan, it is not 
necessary to discuss it. The water-cooling system is the 
one in ordinary use, and there are two types of this 
system—one known as the thermo-siphon system, the 
other as the forced circulation. In both types there is 
a radiator which senses to cool the heated water from 


28 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


the water jackets about the motor’s cylinders, and which 
is connected near the bottom and near the top with the 
water jackets. In the forced-circulation type, the water 
is forced around the cylinders, and is kept in circulation 
by means of a rotary pump, while in the thermo-siphon 
system circulation depends upon the principle that heated 
water rises and cold water sinks. Thus the heated water 
from the cylinder jackets is constantly being pushed up 
and into the top of the radiator by the water which, 
cooled by radiation, sinks to the bottom of the radiator, 
and enters the jackets at their bases. But even when 
equipped with a radiator and with water constantly cir¬ 
culating around the cylinders, a motor will soon become 
overheated, and in order to maintain the water in the 
radiator at a uniform temperature, a revolving fan must 
be provided for the purpose of forcing a constant cur¬ 
rent of air through the radiator. As the efficiency of the 
cooling system depends upon a free and constant circula¬ 
tion of both air and water, it is highly important to keep 
pumps, fans, radidators, pipes, and all other parts of 
the system in perfect condition, for nothing injures a 
motor more than overheating. 

The apparatus designed to vaporize and^ feed the fuel 
to the motor is known as the carburetor, and, while there 
are many designs and types in use, the principles of all 
are identical, and an explanation of one of the simpler 
types will serve as an example for all. The essential 
parts T)f a ^float-feed carburetor, such as are used on 
motor vehicles, are shown in the diagram, Fig. ji, and 
consist of a chamber or'bowl, 5 , which contains the liquid 
fuel, which enters through the Inlet Pipe, G; the Float, 
IF, which operates the Float Valve, H, and regulates the 
flow of gasoline and maintains it at a constant level; the 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


29 



Needle Valve, D, by which the amount of fuel fed to the 
motor is controlled; the Venturi Tube, C, through which 
air is drawn to vaporize the liquid fuel before it is drawn 
into the cylinder, and the Air Valve, A, by which the pro¬ 
portions of air and liquid may be adjusted. The operation 
of such a carburetor is extremely simple, notwithstanding 
that the average automobile owner looks upon the car¬ 
buretor as a strange and mystical device beyond all com- 
























































,*50 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

prehension. When the fuel is turned on, it enters the 
bowl or float chamber until the float, rising with the 
liquid, closes the float valve, H, and shuts ofif the supply. 
As long as the motor is not in operation, the fuel in the 
chamber remains at the same level; but as soon as any 
fuel is drawn into the motor, the float drops and opens 
the valve, thus allowing more fuel to enter and keep the 
bowl filled. As the piston moves on the intake or suc¬ 
tion stroke, a current of air is drawn through the tube, 
C, and past the needle valve, D, to the inlet valve of the 
motor. 

This inrushing air draws a small portion of the liquid 
fuel from the needle valve and vaporizes it to form a 
gas, which is fired or exploded in the cylinder. As the 
motqr^s speed increases, a stronger current of air is pro¬ 
duced, and more fuel is drawn into the cylinder with it, 
and if the air opening remained constant this would soon 
result in an excess of fuel being used, and a gas would 
be formed which would be too rich or “wet” to produce 
the full power of the motor or even to explode at all. 
To prevent this, an air valve, A, is used, and is kept 
, pressed against its seat by a spring which may be adjusted 
to varying degrees of tension. With the increase of the 
suction of air, this valve is drawn back, thus permitting 
more air to enter, and in thi^ way the proportions of air 
and liquid fuel are maintained automatically; for it is 
possible to obtain any proportion of gasoline to air by 
loosening or tightening the air-valve spring or by open¬ 
ing or closing the needle valve. In some carburetors 
there are two or more needle valves or jets, so arranged 
that one feeds fuel \yhen the motor is running slowly, 
while the others furnish supplementary fuel as the speed 
increases. Other types of carburetors have supple- 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


31 


mentary air intakes, while still others depend upon balls 
resting on openings for regulating the? amount of air, the 
increased suction lifting the balls and permitting more 
air to enter. Still others have no needle-valve adjust- 
. ment, the proportion of fuel being entirely regulated by 
the air valve; but in every case the principle is the same. 
In addition, nearly all carburetors are provided with a 
Throttle, R, which permits more or less gas to enter the 
cylinders, and by which the speed and power of the motor 
is largely controlled. In most cases, too, a Choke is 
provided, S, by which the air may be shut off, thus pro¬ 
ducing a very rich mixture for starting the motor. . 

The means by which the charge of gas is fired or ex¬ 
ploded in the cylinders is known as the Ignition System, 
and this varies in its details with various motors, although 
in principle it is the same in all motors. In its simplest 
form the ignition system consists of some device—either 
a magneto or battery—for producing an electrical cur¬ 
rent; an apparatus for producing a hot electrical spark 
within the cylinder, and mechanism designed to control 
the flow of electricity and produce the spark at the proper 
instant and in the proper relation to the movement of the 
piston. 

Many cars use magnetos exclusively for ignition; 
others use batteries only; and still others possess a dual 
system by which either a magneto or battery may be 
used. There are two classes of magnetos, known as 
high and low tension, and the principle and operation of 
each is very distinct. The simplest form of ignition is 
probably the high-tension magneto, for with this system 
the number of wires and parts is reduced to the minimum. 
The magneto consists primarily of a Magnet, Fig. 12, A, 
within the arms of which is a revolving device known as 


32 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



an Armature, B, and which, rotating in the magnetic field, 
produces a current of electricity which is gathered up 
and distributed by means of a segmented piece of copper 
known as a Commutator, C, and bits of metal or carbon 


























How to Operate a Motor Car. 


33 



called Brushes, D. In addition there is a Breaker, Fig. ig, 
which interrupts the current and allows it to flow through 
the wires to the spark plugs at the proper instant; and in 
each case there are brushes of some sort for distributing 
the current to the proper plugs in the motor. Some 
makes of magneto have a commutator which passes over 
stationary brushes; others have a single brush and a 
separate mechanical distributor; while still others have a 
stationary winding or armature, while the magnets re¬ 
volve and the current passes through a coil without a 
breaker. As a rule, each magneto requires special care 
and adjustments, and it is far wiser to.secure a detailed 
explanation of the magneto and directions for its care, 
use, and adjustments from the manufacturer, than to 
attempt to master all the various types of these instru¬ 
ments. Moreover, magnetos give little trouble, and if 
they are kept dry and clean they seldom require any at- 



34 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


tention save an occasional adjustment of the breaker or 
the removal or cleansing of brushes. 

In the low-tension type of magneto, the current, in¬ 
stead of being passed directly to the spark plugs, is led 
through a coil, which increases the intensity of the cur¬ 
rent through a distributing device known as a timer or a 
distributor. When batteries are used, either storage or 
dry, the coil and distributor are also employed; but in 
every case, whether battery, high-tension, or low-tension 
magnetos are used, the spark is produced in the cylinder 
by means of a spark plug, and, as much of the power and 
efficiency of a motor depends upon a hot, intense spark 
being produced at the proper instant, it is most important 
to have the entire electrical equipment in perfect con¬ 
dition, and especially to have the spark plugs clean and 
properly adjusted. 

The transmission, or driving mechanism, of a car con¬ 
sists of a clutch; the transmission gears, also known as 
the gear set; the universal joint; and the dilYerential, with 
the various shafts, bearings, gears, controls, et cetera, 
which belong to them. 

The clutch is a device for connecting or disconnecting 
the motor from the driving mechanism at will; and, while 
there are several types of clutches in use, their principle 
and functions are the same in all cases. The leather¬ 
faced clutch consists of a conical ring or disk faced with 
leather, and which fits within the hollow of the Flyzvheel, 
Fig. 14. The leather face, B, is pressed tightly against 
the inner surface of the flywheel by a stiff spring, C, and 
by the friction thus obtained the power of the motor is 
transmitted to the driving mechanism of the car. Behind 
the cone, and connected to it, is a device, D, connected 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 35 



Fig. 14 ^ 

Fig. 14—Leather-faced clutch. 


to a foot pedal, and by which the clutch may be drawn 
back or thrown out, thus allowing the motor flywheel to 
revolve while the clutch remains stationary. Another 
type of clutch, known as the Disk Clutch, operates on 
the same general principle, but instead of having a 
leather-faced cone fitting in the flywheel the disk clutch 
consists of a number of metal plates keyed alternately 
to the motor shaft and clutch casing and which are held 




/ 



























36 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


pressed together by a strong spring which may be re¬ 
leased by a foot pedal. 

The function of any clutch is to enable the trans¬ 
mission gears to be shifted from one speed to another, 
or from neutral into a speed or vice versa, as well as to 
release the driving power of the motor in case of emer¬ 
gency. It will be easily understood that if the motor 
were attached permanently to the driving mechanism it 
would be impossible to operate the motor without mov¬ 
ing the car, and that, even with gears which could be 
thrown out or into mesh, it would be impossible to shift 
the gears while they were revolving and carrying a load. 
Hence the clutch is a very important part of the car, and, 
although hidden away and seldom seen, yet it is worthy 
of the same care and attention as any other essential 
portion of the machine. 

Baek of the clutch, and usually close to it—sometimes 
attached to the rear axle—is the Gear Set, or transmis¬ 
sion gears. There are many types of gear sets in use, but 
all are similar in principle, and the commonest is the 
three-speed-selective type. In this form of gear shift 
there are three forward and a reverse speed, as well as a 
neutral position, and the various speeds or movements are 
obtained by sliding the gears in or out of mesh by means 
of a lever or handle,' which operates either in an H-shaped 
slot or on a ball-and-socket connection. It is not neces¬ 
sary to enter into a minute or detailed explanation of the 
gears or their arrangement, except to say that by moving 
a large gear on the propeller shaft into mesh with a small 
gear on the motor or driving shaft, the first or low speed 
is obtained, and by which the power of the motor deliv¬ 
ered at the rear axle is increased. By moving this large 
gear out of mesh and substituting another, the second 


How to Operate a Motor Car, 37 

or intermediate speed is obtained, while by another move¬ 
ment of the lever the gears are thrown out of mesh arid 
the driving and propeller shafts are locked together, thus 
obtaining direct or third speed. The reverse motion is 
obtained by moving the gears to mesh with a separate 
gear on another shaft, while by throwing the lever into 
neutral position all gears are out of mesh and the driv¬ 
ing shaft is free to revolve independently of the propeller 
shaft. Some gears have a fourth forward speed, but 
their principle is the same. The exact positions of the 
lever to obtain the various speeds are not always the same 
in all cars, although what is known as the standard gear 
shift is the most common. In this type of gear shift, 
pulling the lever to the left and back gives the first speed; 
to the left and forward, reverse; to the right and for¬ 
ward, second; and to the right and back, third or direct. 
It makes little difference whether a lever with a slotted 
plate or the cane-handle type with ball-and-socket joint 
is used, for the motions are similar in each case, and by 
moving the lever to one side or the other and pushing it 
forward or pulling it backward the gears are shifted as 
desired. Moreover, if one speed is known, all the others 
come easily, for reverse and low are always on one side 
at opposite ends of one throw, and second and third are 
at the opposite ends of throw on the other, side. Thus, 
if low is left and back, reverse will be left and forward, 
second will be right and forward, and third will be right 
and back. 

The interior of the gear case is a sealed book to most 
motor-car owners, and if the gears are kept properly 
lubricated by keeping the gear case packed with grease, 
and if gear shifting is done intelligently and carefully, 
there is no reason why the case should ever be opened 


38 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

until the gears and bearings need to be replaced through 
long usage and normal wear. 

Somewhere between the clutch and the rear axle, and 
usually back of the gear case, is the Universal Joint, a 
flexible connection between the rigidly fixed motor or 
gear shafts and the propeller shaft, and so designed as 
to permit movement in any direction, while at the same 
time transmitting the power and motion from the motor 
to the wheels. Many diflferent forms of universals are 
in use; but the purpose of every one is to permit the 
wheels and rear axle to jump or swing with the inequali¬ 
ties of the road and the elasticity of the springs, without 
bringing a strain on the driving mechanism. As a rule, 
universal joints require little attention except greasing; 
but they should be adjusted for wear as required, and 
should always be kept covered with a leather boot to 
prevent dust and mud from getting into the joints and 
cutting the bearings. 

The shaft which connects the universal with the rear 
axle is known as the propeller shaft, and, as it is incased 
in a tight sleeve or tube with its bearings, it seldom re¬ 
quires any attention except lubrication. 

.At its rear end, the propeller shaft is connected to the 
axle by means of a device known as the Differential. 
As the principles and purpose of the differential is often 
a great puzzle to motor-car owners, a short explanation 
is necessary. When an automobile is turned around, 
one of the rear wheels must travel much farther than the 
other, and consequently it must revolve faster (Fig. i^). 
If both wheels were fixed immovably to the same axle, 
one wheel would drag or slip, thus producing a great deal 
of friction and strain and making turning next to impos¬ 
sible. If the axle with the two wheels fixed to it was 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


39 





Fig. 15—Wheels ia turning a comer. 


driven by power, turning would be even more difficult, 
and the vehicle would either be slued about or upset or 
else something would have to break. It is to overcome 
this and to distribute the power equally to both wheels 
that the differential is used. There are various types of 
differentials, some constructed with spur gears, others 
with bevel gears, others with skew gears, and others with 
worm gears; but in principle they are all alike. All con¬ 
sist of gears or pinions placed between the inner ends 
of the axles, meshed and keyed in such a way that either 
axle may revolve independently of the other; or one can 
remain stationary while the other revolves. Thus, if a 








40 


How to Operate a Motor Car* 



right-hand wheel is held immovably, the power is trans¬ 
mitted to the left-hand axle, and the pinions or gears 
on the right-hand side merely turn around on the internal 
gear, as shown in Fig. i6. By such an arrangement, the 
two wheels drive equally when the car is running in a 
straight line; but as soon as a turn is made, the differen¬ 
tial automatically distributes the power in proportion to 
the resistance offered by the wheels and the speed and 
distance which they travel. As the differential is inclosed 
in a tight case, and nothing is visible from the outside, 
this important part of the car’s mechanism is often neg¬ 
lected. Every care should be taken to see that the dif¬ 
ferential case is kept well filled with grease, for undue 
wear or friction of these gears will result in jerky, irreg¬ 
ular running, rapid wear of tires, and a strain on all the 
driving mechanism. Moreover, the bearings of the rear 
axle are lubricated from the grease in the differential, and 








How to Operate a Motor Car. 41 

unless attention is given to this matter very serious results 
will follow. 

The bearings of a car are a most essential feature of 
the whole, and they are an excellent'example of the ‘‘out- 
of-sight-out-of-mind” parts. In addition to the motor 
bearings and the bearings of the gears in the gear shift, 
there are bearings in the clutch, in the universal, in the 
propeller shaft, in the differential, on both ends of the 
rear axles, and in the hubs of the front wheels, not to 
mention the fan ^Dearings, the bearings in the steering 
mechanism,-and a dozen or more other small bearings; 
for wherever there is a moving part, a bearing of some 
sort must be provided. The purpose of any bearing is 
to permit free motion and reduce friction, and in any 
motor car thpre are a number of different types of bear¬ 
ings used. Broadly speaking, there are but three classes 
of bearings— Pl&in Bearings, Ball Bearings, and Roller 
Bearings; but each class embodies many different types 
and designs, and each is used where its own particular ad¬ 
vantages best suit it for the purpose. A plain bearing is 
the simplest of all types, for it consists merely of a piece 
of metal fitting closely about a revolving shaft, and the de¬ 
sign used, as well as the metal employed, depends largely 
upon the speed and load of the shaft which it supports. 
A great many bearings are made of brass or bronze, 
while others are made of a composition kpown as Babbitt 
metal. In every case a lubricant of some sort must be 
present between the bearing and the revolving shaft, or 
else great friction will result, the bearings will heat up 
and seize, ^nd will be scored, cut, or melted. 

Many people seem to think that a bearing must fit 
tightly around a shaft, and that the bearing metal itself 


42 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

forms the bearing surface and reduces friction. This is 
a great mistake, for the elimination of friction is obtained 
by a thin film of oil or similar material between the bear¬ 
ing metal and the shaft, and if the bearing is set up too 
tightly there will be no space for the film of oil, or else 
it will be so thin as to be useless. Ball and roller bear¬ 
ings are very dififerent from plain bearings in principle 
and design. The former consists of a number of steel 
balls arranged in a disk or ring and known as a Cage, 
and which bear upon a smooth plate, cone, or cylinder 
of hardened steel. Roller bearings differ from ball bear¬ 
ings inasmuch as they are provided with steel rollers in¬ 
stead of balls. Ball and roller bearings reduce friction 
to a minimum, owing to the fact that only an infinitesimal 
point, in the case of the ball, or a minute line along the 
axis of a roller, touches the revolving shaft it supports; 
and, as the balls or rollers revolve freely in their cages, 
the result is the same as if the moving part had a great 
number of tiny bearings instead of one large bearing. 
But oil or lubrication is just as important in a ball or 
roller bearing as in a plain bearing, 'while, to prevent 
undue wear and friction, they must be kept carefully 
adjusted. If too tight, the balls or rollers will bind, heat, 
and cut in the same way as a plain bearing; and if too 
loose, the load will come on the balls or rollers unequally, 
some will be worn faster than the others, they will jam 
and break, and a ruined bearing or more serious trouble 
will soon result. Qf all the bearings on a car, those which 
are called upon to do the hardest work and support the 
greatest load are the rear-axle bearings, and as a rule 
these are the very ones which are given least attention 
and care. But modern bearings are so well made and 
so perfectly adapted to their use that with ordinary 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


43 


attention and an occasional adjustment they seldom give 
trouble. The main thing is to be sure they are always 
properly lubric&ted, and at the first squeak, grind, or 
other symptom of friction they should be examined and 
the trouble remedied. 

* Rear axles are of two principal types, and known as 
Full Floating Axles and Semifloating Axles. In the for¬ 
mer, the outer bearings are between the hub of the wheel 
and the axle casing, and the axle itself carries no weight, 
its only work being to transmit motion to the wheels. In 
the other type, the axles support the weight, or a portion 
of the weight, of the car, as well as transmitting the 
power, and hence the full-floating type is preferable and 
more widely used. But in either case, if the bearings 
are kept in good shape and the car is not abused, there 
is little chance of axle trouble, although the best axles 
will at times break withqpt any apparent reason. 

Connecting the axles with the chassis, or frame, of the 
car are the springs, much abused, seldom cared for, and 
yet most important units in the efficiency, life, comfort, 
and economy of the car. There are many types of 
springs, but the purpose of all is to absorb or take up the 
vibration and jars caused by uneven road surfaces. They 
are not provided solely for the ease and comfort of the 
passengers, as some owners seem to think, but are de¬ 
signed also to give ease and comfort to the motor and the 
rest of the car’s mechanism, and hence they should be 
cared for and kept in good condition at all times. Much 
of the elasticity, or resiliency, of a spring depends upon 
its various sections, or leaves, moving readily on one 
another. If a spring is dry, rusty, or dirty, there is an 
immense amount of friction between the leaves, and as a 
result the car receives jars, jolts, and vibrations which 


44 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

would be eliminated if the leaves were kept lubricated. 
There are many devices on the market for this purpose, 
and a number of cars are equipped with them. But if 
your car is not, it is an easy matter to have them inserted 
in the springs, while just as good results may be obtained 
by oiling the springs from time to time. At the ends 
of the springs there are pins or bolts passing through 
bushings, or bearings, and these should also be kept lubri¬ 
cated. Most cars are provided with grease cups for this 
purpose, and they should always be kept well filled. Then 
there are the brakes, which also require a certain amount 
of attention, for your life and the lives of others will 
often depend upon the brakes being in good condition. 
There are usually two sets of brakes, Internal Expanding 
Brakes and External Contracting Brakes, and sometimes 
one set is the service brake and sometimes the other. 
Brakes should not be tight enough to drag or bind. They 
should not be so loose that they slip when applied, and 
care should be taken that the bearings, or pivots, and the 
joints of all brake rods and connections are kept clean 
and well oiled. 

A very important and essential part of the car’s mech¬ 
anism is the steering gear, and, as any failure or derange^ 
ment of the steering gear is likely to result in a serious 
accident, too much attention cannot be paid to it. 

Most modern cars are equipped with a type of steering 
gear known as the Worm and Sector; but others, espe¬ 
cially among the lighter and cheaper cars, have steering 
gears equipped with pinions' or spur gears. As a rule 
the gears themselves give little trouble and require little 
care, with the exception of keeping them well greased 
and taking up the adjustment for wear from time to time. 
Connecting the gears proper with the front wheels are 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


45 


two. rods or tubes; one connecting the arm at the lower 
end of the steering column at one wheel, and known as 
the Reach Rod, the other connecting the two wheels and 
known as the Cross Rod. At the ends of each of these 
rods are ball-and-socket bearings, and these are the parts 
which usually require most attention. A vast amount 
of wear and strain comes upon these bearings, for they 
not only take all the strain of steering, but also resist 
the tendency of the wheels to turn or swing on inequali¬ 
ties of the road, on curves, et cetera. Moreover, they 
are below the springs and receive the full benefit of all 
jars, knocks, and vibrations, and are usually covered with 
dust, water, or mud. These joints should always be kept 
well adjusted; they should be packed with grease fre¬ 
quently, and they should be protected from mud and 
dust by leather covers or boots. Another portion of the 
steering gear which should be kept in mind is the bearings 
at the ends of the front axle, and which allow the wheels 
to swing when turning the car. They are usually plain 
bearings provided with take-up adjustments and grease 
cups, and they should always be kept well lubricated and 
carefully adjusted. If through wear these bearings be¬ 
come loose, the front wheels will work back and forth 
and will get out of line, which is most destructive to 
tires and makes the car steer badly, as well as bringing 
undue strains on the steering gear. 

Practically all modern cars are provided with electric 
lights and self-starters. The lighting and starting sys¬ 
tems are usually very mysterious affairs to most people, 
and many of them are in redity very complicated and 
have a multiplicity of wires which are confusing; but in 
principle they are very simple. A self-starting system 

f 


4G How to Operate a Motor Car. 

consists of a dynamo or generator, a motor, and a storage 
battery. The generator produces an electrical current 
when the motor is running, and this is led into the storage 
battery, which possesses the property of accumulating 
electricity and storing it until proper connections are 
made, when the stored current is given off. The motor is 
much like a generator or dynamo reversed; for, whereas 
the revolutions of the dynamo produce electricity, a cur¬ 
rent of electricity passed through the motor causes the 
shaft of latter to revolve and produce power. The motor 
is connected with the flywheel of the engine by means 
of gears or pinions, which may be thrown into mesh at 
will. When the self-starter pedal is pressed, the electric 
motor is thrown into mesh with the flywheel and a cur¬ 
rent of electricity is passed through it, thus causing the 
motor shaft to revolve and turn the flywheel of the engine 
exactly as if it were cranked by hand. 

As the electric motor consumes a great deal of elec¬ 
tricity, the battery would soon be exhausted if it was 
not constantly refilled or recharged with electricity, and 
it is to keep the battery fully charged that the generator 
is provided. It is a very easy matter to see that the bat¬ 
tery is being constantly charged, for a clocklike dial 
known as an Ampmeter is placed on the dash, and this 
indicates whether the batteries are being charged or dis¬ 
charged. If at any time, when the motor is running, 
the dial fails to register charging, or if with the lights 
turned on or the starter in operation it fails to register a 
discharge, you should remedy the trouble at once; or, 
better still, go to the nearest service station of the makers 
of the car or of the starting and lighting system. 

As the lighting system is operated by the current from 


47 




How to Operate a Motor Car. 

the storage batteries, and consists merely of wires led 
to the lights and to a switch, no explanation of its prin¬ 
ciple or details is necessary. Many cars also use the cur¬ 
rent from the storage battery for ignition, and in order 
to obtain satisfactory operation of the engine the battery 
must be kept fully charged at all times. 



CARING FOR A MOTOR CAR 


As I have already mentioned, , every owner or user 
of a car should be familiar with its mechanical details 
before attempting to learn to drive. I do not mean by 
this that you should know everything about the thousand 
and one parts, or that you should attempt to make a seri¬ 
ous study of mechanics^but in order to care for a car 
properly you must know something of its operation, its 
parts, and their purposes, because no car can be depended 
upon unless it is properly cared for. 

Even if you employ a chauffeur, or keep your car in a 
public garage where there are competent mechanics, it 
is very unwise to depend wholly upon others to keep the 
machine in the pink of condition. Neither the chauffeur 
nor the garage man takes the personal interest in the car 
that you do yourself, and it’s not their pocketbooks that 
suffer if anything goes wrong and expensive repairs are 
necessary—rather, it is to their advantage. It is an easy 
and simple matter to inspect your car and see that every¬ 
thing is properly taken care of, and a few minutes spent 
this way will result in a vast saving of time and money 
in the long run. 

Few men would dream of starting out with a car with 
its paifft covered with grease and mud, or with its metal¬ 
work corroded and dirty, yet not one man in a score can 
show a decently clean and well-kept motor under his car’s 
bonnet, and yet the motor is the most important and es¬ 
sential part of the car, and all the shiny paint and nickel 
in the world will not make a car run well if the motor 
is neglected. 


Haw to Operate a Motor Car. 49 

If you wish to get the utmost value out of your car, 
if you take pride in its performance, if you are looking 
for economy in upkeep, or" if you wish to avoid vexa¬ 
tious breakdowns and accidents, look after the inside of 
your car as carefully as the outside. Examine the motor 
before and after every trip or long run; see that it is 
kept clean and runs quietly and smoothly and that it 
throttles down until it is barely turning over. If there is 
a rattle, squeak, or grind, or the least trace of a pound 
or clank, locate the trouble and remedy it at once. Don’t 
wait until some part is worn out, but make adjustments, 
replacements, and minor repairs as soon as the parts 
show the least lost motion or unusual noise. Don’t forget 
that every motor must have oil and fuel and that all 
water-cooled motors require water. Use only the best 
oil and don’t feed too much or too little; there is a definite 
quantity required, and an excess is bad for the motor. 
Moreover, it is a useless waste of money. Fill up your 
radiator before you start out, even for a short trip, and 
whenever you stop see that it’s full. If your radiator 
steams or boils, something is radically wrong and the 
trouble must be remedied at once. If there is a leak in 
your radiator, or anywhere in the water system, bx it 
is soon as possible; it is a nuisance to have continually 
to fill the radiator, and, besides, the efficiency of the cool¬ 
ing system suffers. See that all the grease cups are kept 
full of grease, and give them a turn or two every few 
days. Watch the springs and see that they are not loose 
on their seats, that a leaf is not broken or cracked, and 
keep the leaves oiled. Examine the steering gear; keep it 
clean and well lubricated, and If any part is loose or 
rattles, tighten up the necessary adjustments at once. Be 
sure your fan belt is not slipping; see that the packing 


50 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

on the water pump is tight; drain out the carburetor once 
in a while, especially in damp or rainy weather; draw 
off the oil from the crank case and replace with fresh oil 
occasionally; keep the gear case, universal, and differen¬ 
tial packed with grease of the grade recommended by 
the maker of the car; be sure the brakes are properly 
adjusted and the joints in their rods are oiled and don’t 
stick; and now and then jack up the front wheels and 
test them for play or looseness in the ball bearings of 
the hubs or the plain bearings at the axle ends. If you 
wish a quiet car, watch out for loose mudguard fasten¬ 
ings, loose lamp glasses and connections, a loose bonnet, 
a shaky wind shield, and rattling doors. If everything 
is kept tight, if all moving parts are kept well oiled, if 
the motor, axles, steering gear, hubs, brakes, and all other 
parts are kept clean, your car will give you steady, reli¬ 
able, economical, and long service. And don’t forget 
the ignition, the starting, and the lighting systems. Ex¬ 
amine all the wires and their connections at frequent 
intervals; run th^ motor in the dark and watch for 
flashes of light; see that none of the wires touch metal 
or are exposed to water, grease, or mud; clean the spark 
plugs and give the magneto, generator, and other mov¬ 
ing parts of the electrical system a drop of oil now and 
then, and you’ll seldom be held up through ignition 
troubles. Don’t overlook the battery. See that its ter¬ 
minals and connections are clean, bright, and free from 
corrosion; keep the battery free from water, mud, and 
dirt; keep the cells filled with distilled water to the proper 
level, and your battery troubles will be a thing of the 
past. 

Remember that water will freeze, and as soon as cold 
weather sets in add some antifreezing mixture—dena- 


How to Operate a Motor Car* 51 

tured alcohol is the best—to the water in the radiator. 
Don’t wait till it does freeze; put it in ahead of time. 

Finally there are the tires. Tires, as a rule, figure more 
largely in upkeep than any other item on a car, and ninety 
per cent of tire expense is due to lack of care and atten¬ 
tion. Perhaps more tires are prematurely destroyed by 
lack of proper inflation than by any other one cause. It 
is only a few moments’ work to inflate your tires to the 
proper pressure, especially with a motor-driven or spark¬ 
plug pump; and even with a hand pump it does not take 
hal-f as long as to change a tire and pump it up. But 
somehow or other the average motorist seems to have 
an inborn dread of doing anything to his tires until they 
fail, and one constantly sees cars being driven with their 
tires half flat. Every tire is designed to support a definite 
load when it is filled with a certain pressure of air, and 
if the pressure is less than was intended by the makers 
the tire is suffering at every foot it travels and its life is 
going to be shortened. No man with any brains would 
attempt to carry a load greater than his strength would 
permit, and yet that’s just what he expects his tires to 
do if he doesn’t keep them inflated to the proper pres¬ 
sure. But there are many other things which decrease 
the life of a tire and increase upkeep expenses. Letting 
a tire stand in oil or grease will soon ruin it; a rusty or 
dirty rim will play havoc with tubcii^ and casings; the 
use of chains when not necessary is injurious; swinging 
around curves without throwing out the clutch or slow¬ 
ing down spells tire expense; slamming on brakes so 
that the wheels slide will wear a tire more in ten seconds 
than would normal use in a hundred miles; and exces¬ 
sively fast driving is a terrific strain on tires. Keep 
tires clean; keep them inflated to the proper pressure; 


52 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

keep the rims clean and free from rust; slow down or 
throw out the clutch when rounding corners, traveling 
on car tracks, macadam, or rough roads; use your brakes 
gently and gradually and keep your^spare tubes and shoes 
clean and protecTed from sun and weather, and you will 
cut your tire bills in half. When the car is laid up for the 
winter, jack it up and keep its weight off the tires. Of 
course blow-outs and punctures will occur. They are un¬ 
avoidable ; but much can be accomplished if you use tires 
of standard makes, new stock, and, if possible, oversize. 
Last, and by no means least, never take anything for 
granted. You may think your fuel tank is full; you may 
have every reason to believe that the motor is supplied 
with oil, that grease is in the gear case and differential; 
you may be confident that your tires are properly inflated, 
and you may feel sure the radiator contains water; but 
it is far easier to look,at your fuel tank, to fill your radi¬ 
ator, to examine your oil gauge, and to test your tire 
pressure than it is to tramp miles to get gasoline or to 
have your motor ruined or your tir^ blown out. 

In caring for a motor car, in driving it, in everything 
connected with it he sure you^re right before going ahead. 
Take nothing for granted, assume nothing, make care 
a habit and “Safety First” a monomania, and always bear 
in mind the old adage: “If you want a thing well done, 
do it yourself.” 


53 


LEARNING TO DRIVE 

The first step in learning to drive a car is to learn 
the uses of the various controls and to become thoroughly 
familiar with them. The controls of a car consist of 
spark and throttle, the clutch pedal, the gear-shift lever, 
and the brake levers or pedals. The throttle and spark 
levers are usually placed on the top of the steering col¬ 
umn, while an auxiliary throttle control kno\vn as an 
Accelerator is usually placed on the floor of the car and is 
operated by the driver’s foot. The throttle lever operates 
a valve at the carburetor which regulates the size of the 
charge of gas entering the cylinders. Closing the throttle 
slows down the motor, and opening it increases the speed 
and power of the motor. Although some drivers use the 
hand throttle lever for controlling the motor, it is a much 
better plan to use the foot control or accelerator and 
keep the hand lever at its closed position, so that the 
motor runs very slowly when idling. The speed of the 
motor is also partly controlled by the spark lever. This 
operates by moving the distributor, or breaker, and thus 
' causing the spark to occur in the cylinders either earlier 
or later in relation to the position of the piston on the , 
firing stroke. If the spark is retarded, the explosion 
occurs when the piston is just at the upward limit of its 
stroke or slightly after; whereas, if advanced, the spark 
takes place just before the piston reaches its upward limit. 

To get the highest efficiency from the motor, the spark 
should be advanced as far as possible without causing the 
motor to knock or pound, and it is seldom necessary to 
change it unless climbing a stiff hill or pulling through 


54 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


heavy mud, sand, snow, or running with the motor throt¬ 
tled down-. As long as the motor runs well and does not 
pound, the spark should be kept advanced; but at the 
first sound of laboring or pounding it should be retarded 
until the motor runs smoothlv. 

The gear-shift lever is usually placed in the center of 
the floor in modern cars, but it is often at one side— 
usually at the right—of the driver’s seat. Its purpose 
is to move the gears from one speed to another, as al¬ 
ready explained; and when the car is not traveling it 
should always remain in the central or neutral position. 
The clutch pedal is a foot pedal, usually the pedal on 
the left, and its purpose is to disengage or throw out the 
clutch when the gears are shifted or, in case of emer¬ 
gency, when stopping suddenly, et cetera. The brakes 
are usually operated by a foot pedal for the service brake 
and a hand lever for the emergency brake; but in some 
cars the clutch pedal also acts as the service-brake pedal, 
while the second pedal operates the emergency brake, 
and there is no hand lever. 

When the car is not in use, the emergency brake should 
always be left on. In addition to these controls, there is 
a switch, usually on the dash, for turning on or off the 
ignition current; switches for turning on or off the lights; 
a pedal or foot button for operating the self-starter, and 
a lever or handle known as the ‘Thoke.” This is for 
the purpose of cutting off the air intake to the car¬ 
buretor and drawing in a rich charge of gas; ordinarily 
it is used only when starting the motor. 

It is a very wise plan to learn to operate the various 
controls, to shift gears, and to apply brakes with the car 
stationary; and when you have become accustomed to 
them and can shift gears quickly, quietly, and easily, can 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 55 

control the speed of the motor, and can apply the brakes 
without stopping to think what you are doing or fumbling 
for controls, you may take the car out for a road trial. 

To learn to operate a car when stationary is much 
easier than to learn on the road, for there is no danger 
of an accident; you do not have your attention distracted 
by learning to steer or avoiding other vehicles and bad 
spots, and there is no feeling or nervousness. 

Moreover, if you learn to handle the controls with the 
car stationary, all you have Lo learn on the road is to 
steer, and you can devote your entire attention to that. 

The first thing to do is to jack up the rear axle until the 
rear wheels are clear of the floor or ground. Then put 
good solid blocking under the axle, place blocks or heavy 
cleats in front of and behind the front wheels, and see 
that the car cannot shake off the blocking under the axle 
and that the front wheels are locked by the blocks in front 
of and behind them. Then be sure the gear-shift lever 
is in neutral, that the emergency brake is set hard and 
locked, that the radiator is filled, that the motor base is 
properly provided with oil, and that there is' fuel in the 
tank. Advance the spark lever slightly, open the throttle 
about one-third, and you are ready to start the motor. 
If, as is probably the case, the car is provided with a self¬ 
starter, it is only necessary to turn on the ignition switch, 
})ress down on the starter button, and if the motor does 
not start after a few revolutions, close the choke. As soon 
as the motor starts, take your foot off the starter button, 
open the choke, and then gradually close the throttle and 
advance the spark until the motor is idling smoothly and 
quietly. If it misses or seenis about to stop, open the 
throttle a little more; and if it sputters or backfires, 
partly close the choke until the motor is warmed up. If 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


50 



Fig. 17 ' 

Fig. 17—How to hold a crank. 


the car does not have a self-starter and must be cranked 
by hand, partly open the throttle, retard the spark, and, 
inserting the crank, turn the motor over quickly, and, as 
soon as started, throttle down as directed. Before crank¬ 
ing a motor be sure that you know how to do it. It may 
seem like a very simple matter, but many a man’s arm 
or wrist has been broken by lack of care or knowledge in 
cranking a motor, and not one man in a dozen cranks a 
car properly and with due regard to his own safety. 

In the first place, always be particularly careful to see 
that the gears are not in mesh; if they are, and the car 
starts, you may be knocked ‘down, run over, and killed. 
In the second place, retard the spark fully; if the spark 
is advanced, the engine may “kick back” and break your 
arm or wrist. Don't start to crank the motor with the 
handle of the crank uppermost, so that you have to press 
down on it; have the handle down and start to crank by 
pulling up. Use your left hand, if possible, then if any¬ 
thing happens you will not lose the use of your right 
hand, at any rate. Don't grasp the crank handle with 
your fingers on one side and your thumb on the other; 
keep your thumb on the same side as your fingers, so that 
if the crank kicks back it won’t tear your hand. (Fig. ly.) 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 57 

If the motor doesn’t start after one or two turns, prime 
it; or, in other words, inject some gasoline into the cylin¬ 
ders through the cylinder relief cocks, or, if provided 
with a choke, use this instead. 

It is seldom necessary to spin a motor, or, in other 
words, to whirl it around and around; if the crank is 
pulled sharply up several times, the motor should start 
if it is properly adjusted and everything is all right, if 
you cannot start it in this way, throw oif the switch, spin 
the motor, throw on the switch, and move the spark lever 
back and forth; this will often start a very obstinate 
motor, and it is far safer than spinning it with the switch 
on. A self-starter avoids all this hard work and the dan¬ 
ger of cranking, and if your car is not equipped with 
such a device, by all means have one put on; it is a good 
investment. Nevertheless, you should know how to 
crank a car, for the best of self-starters fails at times, and 
then cranking may become necessary. 

Having started the motor, and having throttled it down 
until it is running smoothly and slowly, accustom your¬ 
self to the use of the clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. 
Practice throwing out the clutch and letting it in slowly 
and smoothly; practice touching the accelerator and 
speeding up the engine, not with a sudden rush and roar, 
but so that it picks up speed quickly and smoothly. Then 
learn to shift gears. Release the brakes, and, with the 
engine running slowly, depress the clutch pedal, grasp 
the gear lever, and move it into the first-speed position, 
probably to the left and back. Then let the clutch in 
gently, and at the instant it takes hold speed up the motor 
slightly with the accelerator. Then try using the foot 
brake. Take your foot off the accelerator, throw out 
tlie clutch, and apply the brakes. Don't shove down the 


5S How to Operate a Motor Car. 

brake pedal suddenly, but push it firmly and steadily, 
bringing the wheels to a gradual stop. Next try using the 
emergency brake. Apply the service brake as before and 
also apply the emergency, exerting your pull evenly and 
firmly. To slam the brakes on suddenly is a strain on 
the car and is ruinous to tires. Moreover, it is never 
necessary, as a car can be brought to a full stop just as 
quickly by a firm, smooth application. Keep the clutch 
depressed while the brakes are on, release brakes, let in 
clutch, and speed up with accelerator. Repeat this until 
each motion becomes almost automatic, as this is some¬ 
thing you will be called upon to do many times when actu¬ 
ally driving. Now practice the operations necessary 
when stopping at the curb or elsewhere. Throw out the 
clutch, move gear-shift lever from first speed into neutral, 
and apply brakes and let in clutch at the same time. If 
you hear the least grinding or grating sound in the gears, 
you may be sure that you have not thrown the clutch 
entirely out or that you have let it in too soon, or that you 
have thrown the shift lever too far and partly into an¬ 
other speed. Keep at it until you can do it all swiftly, 
easily, and silently, and then try shifting gears from first 
to second speed. To do this, throw out clutch, move 
lever to second-speed position—if left and back was first, 

right and forward will be second-let clutch in 

smoothly and speed up motor exactly as when getting 
into first speed. Then try shifting from second back 
into neutral by throwing out clutch, moving lever into 
neutral position, and applying brakes. Then practice shift¬ 
ing into first, from first into second, and from second into 
third or high speed. Remember to throw out the clutch 
whenever the gear-shift lever is to be moved from om 
position to another, and don't let it in until the lever has 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


59 


been moved to the limit of its throw. Don't let the motor 
race; keep it throttled down and barely turning over 
when shifting gears, as the car is not on the road the 
engine is not doing any work, and the wheels will spin 
and make gear shifting difficult if the motor is speeded 
up. If the wheels should spin and there is difficulty in 
shifting gears, apply the emergency brake slightly and 
leave it locked in that position. This will have the same 
effect as if the car were traveling on the road. 

When you are thoroughly familiar with the controls 
and their operation, when you can shift gears easily, 
noiselessly, and smoothly and feel perfectly at home with 
the pedals, levers, et cetera, you can safely try a road 
lesson. 

Let me suggest here that the quickest and best way 
to learn to drive a car is to have some competent driver 
in the car with you—one who can teach you all the little 
knacks and tricks of driving far more quickly than you 
can acquire them yourself. There is only one objection 
to having another teach you, and that is that you are very 
likely to learn his faults^and his mistakes along with other 
things, and it’s much harder to unlearn than to learn. 


60 


v' . 

/ 


FIRST LESSONS ON THE ROAD 

If your car is in a garage or other building with a nar¬ 
row doorway, or if you are obliged to pass through a 
gate to reach the road, it is a wise plan to push or drag 
your car to the road. A slight mistake, the least nervous¬ 
ness or lack of skill, may result in knocking down a fence 
or a door frame, and, as pleasure cars were never built 
to serve as “tanks,” a bent mudguard^ a smashed radi¬ 
ator, or a broken wheel may result. 

Choose a smooth, straight road for your first attempts, 
and if you cannot find an unfrequented place choose an 
hour when traffic is at its minimum. Don’t attempt to 
learn to drive on a narrow, crooked, or hilly road; on a 
road with deep ruts, holes, and bumps; or on a road 
bordered by deep ditches or with many crossroads; and, 
above all, don’t start to learn on a road where there is 
a trolley track or a trolley or railway crossing. Also 
be sure to select a dry day and a time when the roads 
are neither wet, muddy, icy, nor slippery. 

Having looked after all these various details, start your 
motor, grasp the steering wheel, throw out the clutch, 
shift to first speed, and let the clutch in very slowly and 
gently, at the same time speeding up the engine slightly 
by means of the accelerator. As the clutch takes hold 
the car will move slowly forward, ‘for even with the 
motor running quite fast a car on low or first gear will 
barely crawl along. Let the car travel on first gear for 
a few hundred ieet, or until you get the “hang” of the 
steering gear, and then shift to second speed in exactly 
the same manner as you did with the car jacked up. The 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


61 


pace of the car will now be considerably increased, and 
you may begin to have some difficulty in steering. The 
greatest rfffstake that beginners make is to move the steer¬ 
ing wheel too much. Only a very slight motion is re¬ 
quired to swing the car to right or left, and by holding 
the wheel firmly but not immovably and moving it slightly 
you will soon learn to keep the car traveling in a fairly 
straight course. Don’t let it run far to one side and then 
bring it back with a quick pull; correct any tendency to 
swerve before or as soon as it is noticeable, for the whole 
knack of skillful, perfect steering consists of overcoming 
a variation in steering before the deviation occurs. In 
other words, one must instinctively swing the car back 
^ and forth on its course by “feel,” and at the same time 
must do it so easily, quickly, and with such a slight mo¬ 
tion that the car maintains a straight course and does not 
zigzag like a drunken man all over the road. If, when 
learning, you see another vehicle approaching, or hear 
another overtaking you from the rear, the wise plan is 
to stop your carbon the right-hand side of the road and 
wait for the others to pass, for it is a dangerous matter 
for a beginner to attempt to pass another vehicle. In the 
first place, the other chap does not know you are green, 
and he may assume you are a skilled driver and tear past 
with only a few inches to spare. In the second place, 
there is a psychological effect in a passing or approaching 
car which tends to make a beginner turn toward the other 
vehicle, and which is often so strong it cannot be over¬ 
come for some time. 

As soon as you can steer fairly well on second speed, 
shift into third or high, but drive slowly and cautiously, 
for accidents happen in the twinkle of an eyelid when a 
car is moving rapidly. Of course you should also prac- 


G2 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

tice stopping 'and starting by throwing out the clutch, 
shoving on the brakes, and moving the gear-shift lever 
into neutral; and you should also practice slowing down 
and stopping without disengaging gears by using the 
clutch and brakes alone. But don’t come to a dead stop 
in this way and then attempt to start again if your gears 
are in third speed. Whenever you are at a standstill, 
start on first, then when the car is moving shift to second 
and then into third. Many cars can be started on second 
and many on third on a smooth, level road by a competent 
and practiced driver; but the beginner should never at¬ 
tempt this feat and should always ^^go through” the gears 
from first up whenever the car is started from a full 
stop. 

You must also learn to reverse your car and turn 
around, for these are very important matters. Try run¬ 
ning your car backward and keeping it in a straight line, 
and become accustomed to handling the steering wheel 
while reversing. Then select a wide, clear space and try 
turning. 

First run your car as far to the right-hand side of the 
road as possible, come to a stop, and shift into low or first 
gear. Then swing your car .sharply to the left, turning 
the wheel as far over as possible, and if the road is wide 
enough you will have no difficulty in turning completely 
around; but the chances are that there will not be space 
to turn and you will be compelled to go through certain 
evolutions to get the car around. When you are as near 
the edge of the road as you can safely go, bring the car 
to a full stop, shift to reverse gear, turn the front wheels 
hard over in the opposite direction, and slowly run the 
car backward. Then stop, shift to first, turn the steering 
wheel to swing the car to the left, and go ahead. All this 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


03 



Fig. 18 

Fig. 18—Turning around. 


is very simple and is shown in the diagram, Fig. i8. You 
will soon be able to accomplish it quickly, neatly, and 
without a hitch. Moreover, it is mighty good practice, 
for it teaches you to judge of the possibility of turning, 
of how far to swing the car to accomplish a desired result, 
and to gauge the turns your car makes under varying 
conditions. 

After learning these matters, you can give your atten¬ 
tion to passing and being passed by other vehicles, to 
turning corners, to climbing hills, to coasting, et cetera. 

The main thing in passing or being passed by another 
vehicle is to slow down, give the other fellow plenty 
of room, and keep your eyes on your car and the road, 
not on the other car. 

There is a right and a wrong way of passing other 
vehicles, and it is far easier to learn the right way first 
than to unlearn the wrong way later. If you are ap¬ 
proaching another vehicle, either from the rear or head 
on, don't continue in a straight line until the last minute 
and then suddenly swing sharply out. If anything hap¬ 
pens, if your car skids, if the steering gear jams or fails, 
or your motor skips, you may crash into the other vehicle, 







61 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Fig. 19—Passing other vehicles. 


and, besides, it is a strain on the steering gear and car. 
Swing gradually to the left or right, as the case may be, 
and turn back into your straight course in the same way. 
Then the other fellow knows of your intention as soon 
as you commence to turn, there is no danger of some 
vehicle behind you crashing into your car, and there is . 
less danger of accident from any cause. Moreover, if 
you wait until you are, close to another car and then 
turn, you may find yourself in imminent danger of a col- : 
lision with some car which has been hidden from your j 
view; whereas, by swinging around gradually, you have ] 
an unobstructed view ahead long before there is danger 
of a collision. This may perhaps be more clearly under¬ 
stood by the diagram. Fig. igf. 

Finally, don't try to pass other cars with only a few 
inches to spare; it does not show good driving, as many 
seem to think, but instead it is proof of carelessness, stu¬ 
pidity, and lack of common sense. If a tire goes flat, | 
if a rut, stone, or other object is in your path, if the car i 
skids or either driver swerves in the least, an accident? 
may follow. Allow at least a foot between your car and ^ 
the other, and don't attempt to pass another moving car \ 
unless there is that much room to spare. | 























I 


1 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Fig. 20—Turning corners. 


In turning comers, slow ^down j don^t try to swing' 
around too sharply, throw out your clutch and let the 
car coast or glide around the curve. Remember always 
to sound your horn when approaching another vehicle or 
when about to turn a corner, as well as when there are 
pedestrians or intersecting roads ahead. When turning 
a corner, don’t swing across the whole width of the 
street. In turning to the right, hug the right-hand curb; 
and if turning to the left, keep to the right across the 
intersecting street, and then, swinging to the left, con¬ 
tinue along the right-hand side, as shown in Fig. 20. 

Then practice stopping at a given spot or in a given 
distance. Place some object, such as a white rag, on the 
road or beside it, run toward it at fairly good speed, and 
see how close to the object you can stop the car. A little 
practice of this sort will soon enable you to judge very 
accurately the distance required to come to a standstill 












CO How to Operate a Motor Car. 

at various speeds; but don't slam on brakes and lock your 
wheels so they slide. Use the service brake first, and 
then the emergency, and use them both intelligently and 
with even, steady pressure. 

The next most important thing to learn is to shift down 
with the gears. In some cars this is far easier than in 
others, owing to the details of gear construction; but the 
principle is the same in all cases. In shifting up from 
low to high there is little difficulty, for the engine under a 
load is moving faster than the propeller shaft and driving 
gears, and as the clutch is thrown out and the motor 
slows down the gears mesh easily; but when shifting 
down from a higher gear to a lower, the speed of the 
driving gears is increased beyond the speed of the motor 
and injury to gears, motor, and other parts may easily 
result if the operation, is not carried out properly. The 
method of'accomplishing this is known as double de¬ 
clutching, and every driver should know how to do it 
easily, smoothly, and quickly, as it is often very neces¬ 
sary.- For example, if you are climbing a hill on high and 
find the grade too stiff, it will be necessary to shift to a 
lower gear to make the hill; but this will be impossible i 
unless you understand double declutching perfectly. 

Again, you may often be traveling fairly rapidly, and, ■ 
upon coming to a bad spot—a sudden hill, congested j 
traffic in a city, or a corner—it may be necessary to get 
into a lower speed. Of course, in such a case you can ■; 
bring your car to a full stop, start in low, and go through 
the gears to the one you desire, but it is much easier and , 
better to be able to shift down. 

In a nutshell, the whole secret lies in bringing the 
speed of the motor with the various gears into uniform 
ratio. Hence, as the motor must be slowed down in 




How to Operate a Motor Car. G7 

changing gears up, just the reverse is the case in shifting 
down, and the motor must be speeded up when shifting. 

This may be accomplished by throwing out the clutch, 
shifting the lever to neutral, letting in the clutch, and 
accelerating the motor, and then throwing out the clutch 
and shifting the lever to the lower speed, when the clutch 
may be let in and the motor speeded up. As a matter of 
fact, the operation is much simpler than it sounds in a 
description, and once you master the proper sequence 
of movements the change from a high to a lower gear 
can be made almost as quickly and easily as from low to 
a higher gear. Don’t attempt to shift from third to first, 
or even from second to first, until you are proficient in 
the art. Try from third to second with the car moving 
as slowly as possible on third, and be sure to let the clutch 
slip in very softly and so that it takes hold gradually. 
Then, when this can be accomplished, try it with the car 
traveling at a more rapid pace, and finally practice getting 
from second into first; but never attempt going from 
third to first, and never, nezwr shift into reverse from a 
fortvard speed, or into a forzuard speed from reverse, 
until your car has come to a full stop! 

In driving on hills, the most important matter is to 
know just what gear to use, and this is something that 
depends entirely upon the hill, your car, and the load you 
are carrying. Most modern cars will take any ordinary 
hill on high; but if the road is rutty, rough, wet, slippery, 
or crooked, always slow down or take it on second or 
first. Remember that a car is always under better con¬ 
trol on low gears than on high, and that it always is 
easier to shift from a low gear to a high than vice versa. 
Moreover, even if your car will take the hill on high, it 
may he ])iitting an undue strain on the motor and trans- 


68 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


mission to attempt it, and a car climbing easily up a hill 
on second will often move faster than if laboriously 
struggling up on high. But the ability to judge which 
speed to use in hill climbing will only come with experi¬ 
ence, and after driving a short lime you will be able to 
tell at a glance whether your car can sail over a hill on. 
high or whether it is necessary to drop back into second. 
If your car is climbing on high speed, and the motor 
commences to pound or knock, retard the spark; and if 
it still pounds and labors, shift to second, or even to 
first speed. 

The greatest danger in climbing a steep hill lies in your 
car stalling and running backward down the slope, and 
the chances of becoming stalled are far greater on high 
than on low gear. If your motor stops on a hill, shove 
on both sets of brakes to the limit, throw your gears into 
reverse, and shut off ignition and open throttle. This 
may seem a strange thing to do if your car is moving 
backward, but if you stop to think of it you will under¬ 
stand the reason. The reverse gears are usually the low¬ 
est gears of all, and, just as the motor’s power is in¬ 
creased by driving through these gears, so the power of 
the wheels is decreased when they are driving the motor. 
In other words, the motor when driving through low or 
reverse gears revolves much more rapidly than the 
wheels; and so, when the motor is shut off and the car 
is moving, the motor is forced to revolve at increased 
speed, and with the ignition shut off and the throttle 
open each of the cylinders will act as a pump and the 
resistance exerted by the pressure in'the cylinders will 
serve as a brake. Even if it does not stop the car entirely, 
it will decrease its speed to such an extent that it may 
easily be guided safely to the foot of the hill or brought 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


69 


to a standstill by running it gently and gradually into a 
bank beside the road. 

If you have a companion with you, let him jump out 
as soon as the car slows down sufficiently to permit it, 
and, by placing stones or a piece of wood back of the 
wheels, the car can be brought to a standstill. In fact, 
in many cases a car which cannot be completely stopped 
by the brakes may be brought to a full stop by a man 
pushing against it, for oftentimes only a very slight ad¬ 
ditional effort is required to check the movement. Never 
attempt to start a car forward on a hill when it is moving 
backward. Bring it to a full stop before starting on a 
' forward gear. A car cannot travel both ways at once, 
and if you start the motor and throw in a forward gear 
when the car is moving backward the chances are you’ll 
strip your gears or wreck the motor or transmission. 

In case you wish to stop when going uphill, bring your 
car to the side of the road, turn your forward wheels 
toward the side as far as they will go, and let your rear 
wheel jam ^^ainst the curb, bank, or wall that borders the 
road; then, if your brakes should slip, there is n‘o danger 
of the car running wild down the hill. (Pig^ 21.) 

In some ways, driving down a hill requires far more 
skill and care and is far more dangerous than driving 
uphill. It may seem a very easy and simple matter to 
throw off the clutch, shift your lever to neutral, and gayly 
coast downhill, but this is exactly what you should not do. 

If the hill is not very long or steep and it is a clear, 
straight road with no hidden crossroads, there is little 
danger in coasting with clutch thrown out and gears in 
high; but be sure and keep one foot on the service brake, 
be ready to seize the emergency at an instant’s notice, and 
keep your motor going. But as a rule the only safe 


70 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Fig. 21 


Fig, 21—Stopping on a hill. 

method is to shift into second or even first gear at the 
top of the hill, open the throttle, shut off ignition, and 
throw out the clutch. Then, if your car’s speed becomes 
too great and you cannot control it with the brakes, let 
in the clutch and let the motor serve as an additional 
check. The safest and best method of all, especially 
on a bad hill and with a heavy car, is to keep the motor 
running with the gears in first or second speed and keep 
the clutch in. Then, by a judicious use of the brakes, 
the car may be kept under perfect control. But don’t 
throw out the clutch and let it in again under these con¬ 
ditions, for the strain on gears and motor is tremendous 
and something will be injured or broken. Whichever 
method you use, it is a wise plan to depend mainly on 
the motor as a check and use the brakes merely as a sup¬ 
plementary control; for if the brakes are kept on they 
will heat, wear, and burn, whereas using the motor will 
serve to cool it off and will save the brakes. 

If the motor has been shut off, it may be started again 
when the bottom of the hill is reached and the car slows 
down by switching on the ignition; but as soon as it 





I 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 71 

starts, throw out the clutch, and, when the car is almost 
at a standstill, let the clutch in gently as if you were just 
starting. Perhaps the greatest danger in descending hills 
lies in crossroads. Very often these roads are concealed 
by bushes, fences, et cetera, and if you are traveling rap¬ 
idly a collision may result, for it is a difficult matter to 
stop a car suddenly on a hill. Sound your horn, keep 
the car under control, and don't coast fast when there 
are any crossroads or houses with driveways beside the 
road. Another grave danger on hills is meeting another 
vehicle. The car or team coming uphill is traveling 
slowly and cannot swing to one side quickly, and your 
car is moving rapidly and unless you remember and make 
allowance for this and give way for the other fellow an 
accident may result. But don’t attempt to turn out to 
one side with your car racing downhill, for if you do 
you’ll probably find yourself lying bruised and injured 
in the ditch and your car a wreck. Always bear in mind 
that a car moving rapidly has a tremendous amount of 
momentum and that its tendency is to continue in a 
straight line. If the front wheels are turned, this tend¬ 
ency will cause the car to slide sideways, to tip, or to fly 
off the road, and the crown or curve of the road surface 
aids in doing this. If you have ever noticed a railway 
track or a race course, you may have observed that on 
the curves the outer side or rail is higher than the inner 
side or rail. This is to overcome the natural tendency 
of a moving body to tip toward or fly off the outer side 
of a curve, or, in technical terms, to overcome the cen¬ 
trifugal force. On a highway the sides are lower than 
the center, and hence in making a turn to one side the 
tendency to fly off, or the centrifugal force, is made even 
greater than normal. So be very, very cautious in taking 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


72 





Fig. 22 


Fig. 22—Stopping on a down grade. 

turns or in swinging out to pass vehicles, and never at¬ 
tempt it when traveling rapidly. 

If you should wish to stop the car or to leave it on 
a down grade, run the car close to the curb or bank and 
turn the front wheels until they bear against the curb or 
bank. Then if the brakes slip, the car will jam against 
the obstruction and will not run away and be wrecked. 
(Fig. 22.) 

Finally there is night driving. .A man may be an 
expert and competent driver by daylight, and yet he may 
find night driving very difficult. It is a good plan to 
pra'ctice night driving, for experience is the only method 
of becoming a competent nig-ht driver. In the dark one’s 
vision is confined to objects hear at hand, and it is very 
difficult to judge distances or speed, and even with the 
best and most powerful lights objects have a most dis¬ 
concerting way of seeming to leap out of nothingness 
into your path, while in turning corners or curves every¬ 
thing beyond the turn is invisible until your car swings 
enough to throw the lights ahead. Far greater care and 
caution must be used when driving at night than in the 













How to Operate a Motor Car. 


73 


day; and even on open, lonely country roads you must 
be ever on the alert, ready to check your car at-an in¬ 
stant’s notice, and with your entire attention concentrated 
on the road ahead. At any moment a stray animal or a 
pedestrian may step from the wayside into your path, 
while crossroads and driveways, plainly visible by day¬ 
light, cannot be distinguished at night until you are close 
upon them, and your lights will not reveal a vehicle, a 
pedestrian, or an animal traveling on the crossroad. In 
addition, there is the ever-present danger of overtaking 
or meeting some cart or wagon, or a herd of cattle or 
sheep; while, if there are trees which cast heavy shad¬ 
ows, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the 
irregular dark patches and obstructions in the road. Still 
another great danger in night driving is the glare of pow¬ 
erful lights on approaching motor cars and trolleys. Of 
’ course any decent driver will dim his lights, if not 
equipped with nonblinding glasses, when approaching an¬ 
other vehicle; but many drivers are reckless—they care 
nothing for the safety of themselves or others, and they 
take a fiendish pleasure in blinding any driver they meet. 
If you see a dazzling light approaching, the only safe 
course is to turn out as far as possible, slow down, and 
proceed cautiously or even stop your car and wait for 
the other car to pass. It is better to be safe than sorry, 
and it is no reflection on your skill to let the road hog 
have his way. Much of the dazzling effect may be over¬ 
come by using green or yellow goggles, or by using a col¬ 
ored transparent disk on the wind shield; while on a level 
road one hand held before your eyes, or eyen a hat brim 
turned down, will prove a great help. Always remember 
that a red light means danger, and whenever you see 
it slow down or stop until you find out what lies ahead. 


74 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

And now a word in regard to driving over bad spots. 
Try to avoid such places as much as possible, and train 
your eyes and hands to work together to select the best 
parts of the road instinctively. A patch of loose maca¬ 
dam, a stretch of soft mud or sand or water may cause 
a car to skid, swerve, or overturn if you are moving 
rapidly, especially if in trying to check your speed to 
take the bad spot you apply the brakes, or if in turning 
aside to avoid it one wheel remains on a firm, hard sur¬ 
face and the other is in the soft material. A careful and 
really expert driver will avoid such spots, and if they 
cannot be avoided the clutch should be thrown out, the 
service brake applied lightly, and the car allowed to coast 
or glide over the bad spot. This will relieve the motor 
and transmission of jars, strains, and jerks, and will 
largely reduce the danger of skidding. If there is a long 
stretch of bad road, slow down or stop and take the 
stretch on second or even first speed. Haste makes waste 
in driving a motor car, as in most things. Oftentimes, 
too, you may be called upon to drive your car in rainy, 
foggy, or snowy weather. If the roads are slippery, wet, 
muddy, or covered with snow or ice, be sure to use tire 
chains. Nonskid tire devices are all very well as far 
as they go, but you never can count on them, and in 
snow they are absolutely useless as the snow packs into 
the spaces between the projections and transforms them 
to slippery, smooth surfaces even worse than a plain- 
tread tire. In deep snow don’t try to drive rapidly; it 
is impossible to do it with safety. But if you come to 
deep drifts, it may be necessary to rush them. 

If you are going to drive in snow, carry along a shovel 
to dig through the worst spots, use chains on all four 
wheels, and be sure to have a good strong tow rope along. 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


75 


If the car gets stuck, you can often pull it out by fasten¬ 
ing one end of the rope around a post or tree and attach¬ 
ing the other end to a spoke of the rear wheel close to 
the hub. Then, by starting ahead on low gear, the wheel 
will act like a windlass and will pull the car forward on 
the rope. Oftentimes, too, a small rope wound around 
the tires will give far better traction than chains, and, 
moreover, it will not cut or injure the tires. Don’t adjust 
the chains too tightly; they are supposed to slip on the 
tire so they will not come in the same spot all the time; 
and don^t use chains on dry pavements or where they 
are not required; it will only result in undue tire wear. 

Be extra cautious, too, when turning aside for another 
vehicle to pass, or when turning a corner on wet, icy, or 
snow-covered roads. Take the turn slowly, with clutch 
thrown out and brakes very lightly applied, and if there 
is snow use first gear and be careful not to get off the 
road and into a ditch which is concealed by the snow. 
Often there are deep ruts in snow, and sometimes the 
snow becomes frozen into a hard icy mass on either side. 
To turn out for another vehicle in such a place requires 
great care and caution, for it is a tremendous strain on 
steering gear, wheels, tires, car, and motor. Don’t attempt 
it on high gear or when moving rapidly, but slow down 
or stop, use low gear, and try to select an irregular or 
low spot in the side of the ruts. Sometimes the only 
way is to get out and break or shovel away enough of 
the frozen mass to enable you to turn out. If possible, 
avoid such ruts, for the ice wears and cuts the sides of 
the tires like sharp rasps. 


70 



HANDLING CARS IN TRAFFIC 

Driving a car on a country road is a very different 
matter from driving on the congested streets of a large 
city. Here emergencies are constantly occurring which 
call for quick, decisive, instinctive action, the ability to 
keep one’s head under all conditions, and an almost in¬ 
tuitive sense by which the driver foresees and avoids an 
emergency before it occurs. At every minute the driver 
is confronted with problems which must be solved in¬ 
stantaneously. He must stop, start, turn, shift gears, sig¬ 
nal to others, look after his own cars and all others 
besides; he must keep his mind on his driving and the 
traffic officers as well, and must have his car under abso¬ 
lutely perfect control. A moment’s hesitation, the slight¬ 
est mistake, the failure to notice or give a signal, atten¬ 
tion diverted elsewhere for the fraction of a second may 
result in a serious accident. And to make matters worse 
there is a constant din and noise which is confusing. 
Finally, the driver cannot use his own judgment as to 
speed, path, or maneuvers, but must act in absolute 
unison with scores or hundreds of other vehicles, all 
under the direction of the traffic officers. If you have 
any tendency to get rattled or nervous, if you are not 
thoroughly familiar with the traffic regulations and with 
rules of the road, and if your eyes, brain, hands, ears, 
and feet will not work together in perfect unison, don’t 
attempt to drive through crowded city streets. The test 
of a really good driver is in his ability to navigate the 
most congested streets in safety and ease, and you 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 77 

should not feel satisfied with your ability as a driver until 
you feel as much at home and as self-confident in the 
steady stream of vehicles on a city street as on the open 
country roads. 

Granted that you can keep your head,, and that you 
have your car under perfect control; that you can con¬ 
centrate your attention on the work in hand, even if 
you are carrying on a conversation with other occu¬ 
pants of the car, the most important essentials are to 
look out for the other fellow, make up your mind what 
to do, and do it. Don’t vacillate; don’t start to do one 
thing and then, after signaling your intention to others, 
suddenly change your mind. The drivers before and 
behind you, as well as beside you, are not mind readers, 
and if you signal you are about to turn a corner, and 
continue straight on, or vice versa, you can’t blame them 
if they smash into you. And, speaking of the “other 
fellow,” remember that he has just the same rights as 
yourself. Even if you are green or careless, and are 
willing to endanger your own car and its passengers, you 
have no right to imperil others. The drivers of the 
other cars don’t know you’re a beginner, at least until 
your inexperience becomes self-evident, and they assume 
that you wouldn’t be driving in traffic if you didn’t know 
how. They are usually skilled drivers, accustomed for 
years to traffic, and they can judge to the fraction of an 
inch just where to stop, and how much space to allow 
in passing another car. If you cannot do the same, if 
you swerve or stop too suddenly, or don’t stop quickly 
enough, something will usually happen. On the other 
hand, some of the drivers near you may be just as 
inexperienced as yourself. So don’t take it for granted 
they are going to do the right thing at the right time; 


78 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

don’t trust to them, but assume that every one is going 
to do the wrong thing; magni fy the dangers rather than 
minimize them; be sure yon are in the right, and then, 
if anything happens, you cannot be blamed. 

Of course, there are a lot of road hogs and a lot of 
dare-devil reckless drivers in the cities as well as else¬ 
where, but that’s no reason you should emulate them. 
Don’t lose your temper; if you are caught in a blockade, 
or held up at a crossing when you’re in a hurry, be 
patient. Getting angry or excited will not do any good, 
and it will divert the attention that should be given to 
driving the car. If another driver crowds his car in 
ahead of yours, if he dashes past with less than an 
inch to spare, if he bawls at you to move along, or makes 
uncomplimentary remarks about your driving, just ignore 
him, or smile and keep your mind on your own business. 

If there are traffic officers or semaphores upon the 
streets, watch them and obey them implicitly, and don’t 
get out of patience with a traffic officer if he makes a 
mistake or becomes irritable or confused. Remember 
these men have a most difficult, nerve-wracking, and 
tiresome task, and as long as you obey them to the let¬ 
ter you are on the safe side. Take things quietly, and 
don’t try to hurry too much. If you intend to stop, hold 
out your hand—or have one of your companions do so— 
in order that others behind may know your intentions. If 
you are about to turn, indicate which side by your hand, 
and then make sure the following vehicles understand 
your signal before you turn or stop. If you are about 
to draw up at a curb, don’t swing in suddenly, for there 
may be a car just behind you, but edge gradually to the 
side of the street, signal your intention, and stop as 
close to the curb as possible without scraping your 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


79 



Fig. 23—Circular trafiSc. 


wheels. Don’t cut corners diagonally, don’t stop beside 
or within twenty-five feet of a fire hydrant or a fire- 
engine house, and don’t'draw up in front of a church, 
hotel entrance, or theater entrance unless you are merely 
stopping a moment to allow passengers to alight. Watch 
out for signs denoting one-way traffic on certain streets, 
and also for signs or lights denoting circular trafik. Cir¬ 
cular traffic (Fig. 2 g) means that all vehicles must turn 
to the right or must travel in a circle or semicircle, and 



















80 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 

while such spots are usually indicated by signs bearing 
arrows, or by green or blue lights, yet oftentimes there 
is nothing to indicate the rules aside from the signals of 
the traffic officers. Don’t attempt to speed or to drive 
fast in a city, even where there is comparatively little 
traffic. Speed has no right in the city, and ten to fifteen 
miles an hour is about as fast as one can drive with 
safety or as the law allows. In spots where the traffic 
is congested, or when approaching corners where there 
are many pedestrians, reduce your speed so that the car 
can be brought to a full stop within its own length or 
even less, and blow your horn at every crossing, at every 
corner, and whenever you are about to overtake another 
vehicle. 

Although, when navigating traffic, you must frequently 
stop and start, don’t proceed by a series of abrupt stops 
and short dashes. This is hard on the car, the tires, and 
the engine, and is very unsafe. Don’t speed up close to 
the car ahead and slam on the brakes, but glide up easily 
with clutch thrown out, or slipping slightly, bring your 
car to a standstill by a steady, gentle use of the brakes, 
and don’t stop too close to the car ahead. In the first 
case, a sudden stop not only wears out your car and tires 

unnecessarily, but if the brakes fail or the wheels slide, 

« 

you may crash into the cars ahead, while the following 
car, not knowing you are going to stop so abruptly, may 
cra.sh into you. If you slow down and glide forward the 
stream of traffic may be in motion again before you 
come to a standstill, and it will not be necessary for you 
to stop or shift gears. If you stop too close to the 
vehicle ahead there is always danger of the driver of 
the other car backing slightly and smashing your car 
and his own. Always bear in mind that your car will 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


81 


never stop twice in the same distance; a slope in the 
road, a hollow, a spot of oil or water, a fruit skin, a 
heavier or lighter load in your car, and a thousand and 
one other items all affect the distance in which a car 
can be stopped, and it is no use in trying to gauge the 
distance by inches. 

Be very cautious when overtaking and passing other 
vehicles, especially large trucks, busses, et cetera. Never 
pass them when they conceal a corner or cross street 
ahead. You never can tell if another car is approaching 
and hidden by the vehicle ahead, and you should always 
sound your horn, slow down, and pass the other vehicle 
on the proper side, which is the left. If a bus or trolley 
car slows down or stops, don’t pass it, but slow down 
and come to a full stop several yards behind it, and stay 
there until the car starts forward again, unless there is 
a “safety zone” or a traffic officer beckons for you to 
proceed. 

Always remember that pedestrians always have the 
right of way over all vehicles. The streets and roads 
were not made for the exclusive use of motor cars. 
Don’t sound your horn and keep on as if ordering the 
pedestrians to jump out of your path; sound your horn, 
slow down, and, if necessary, stop until the way is clear. 
Never pass trolley cars on the left, and if you are driv¬ 
ing on car tracks remember your wheels may slip, and 
make due allowance in stopping. Bear in mind, too, 
that a trolley car can stop much more quickly than your 
car, and allow plenty of space between it and your car. 

Don’t take chances, even if you see other drivers doing 
so, and don't try to imitate the taxi drivers. These men 
are probably the most expert city drivers in the world, 
and their low-geared cars are under perfect control. 


82 ' How to Operate a Motor Car. 

Besides, they constantly take risks and violate every rule 
of common sense and traffic as though they bore charmed 
lives. Make it a point to think out emergencies and prob¬ 
lems ahead of time. If you are approaching a corner, 
always assume that another car is about to dash into 
view, and be ready for it. If you are nearing a cross walk 
where there are pedestrians, assume that some one is 
going to fail to hear your horn, or is going to become 
confused and step directly in your path, and be ready 
to act accordingly. Then, when the expected does hap¬ 
pen, you will be ready and will act instinctively. 

Imagination is a very valuable asset to the driver of a 
motor car, especially in traffic; for if you always imagine 
a thing is going to happen, if you imagine just what you 
will do in an emergency, if you imagine that the other 
fellow is going to do the wrong thing, then the chances 
are ten to one that when the trying situation arises your 
imaginary actions will become realities, and what you 
have planned to do in your imagination will be done 
mechanically. 

The six great factors in driving, especially in a city, 
all begin with the letter C, and if you bear these in mind 
you can’t go far wrong. They are: Control, Capabil¬ 
ity, Caution, Care, Consideration, and Confidence. 


ACCIDENTS, THEIR CAUSES AND 

PREVENTION 


With the enormous increase in the use of motor-driven 
vehicles the number of accidents has also increased by 
leaps and bounds, and unfortunately the majority of 
these accidents are avoidable. 

In fact, broadly speaking, all but one or two classes of 
accidents' are avoidable. These are, when a driver is 
stricken suddenly ill or dead at the wheel, when an acci¬ 
dent occurs through some part of the car giving way, or 
when an accident results from a runaway horse or other 

outside cause. Even such accidents are, as a rule, avoid- 

« ’ 

able.' 

If a man is subject to sudden fits, apoplexy, heart fail¬ 
ure, or any other trouble which may render him helpless 
without warning, he should not attempt to drive a car; 
if a car is being driven at moderate speed, if it is regu¬ 
larly inspected and cared for, and the driver is familiar 
with its mechanism, a breakdown will seldom result seri¬ 
ously, if it occurs at all. Then, too, if horses were 
properly hitched they will seldom run away. But even 
admitting accidents of these classes to be unavoidable, 
they form but a very small percentage of the total num¬ 
ber of motor-car accidents, and are perhaps the rarest 
of all. 

Probably the greatest number of accidents are due 
directly or indirectly to speeding, and every accident of 
this sort is avoidable, and the offending driver should 
never go unpunished. 

If we analyze the matter still further, we will find that 


84 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


every accident, aside from those which I have mentioned 
as really unavoidable, can be traced to incompetent, igno¬ 
rant, careless, or inexperienced drivers. This may sound 
like a mighty broad statement, but let us consider the 
matter, and see if it is not so. Practically all motor-car 
accidents may be classed under fifteen headings: 

First—those due to speeding. Second—violation of 
rules of the road and traffic regulations. Third—skid¬ 
ding. Fourth—failure to sound warning signals. Fifth 
—failure of brakes. Sixth—disregard of others’ rights. 
Seventh—getting “rattled.” Eighth—mechanical trou¬ 
bles. Ninth—intoxication. Tenth—tire troubles. Elev¬ 
enth—running without lights or with inefficient lights. 
Twelfth—carelessness or inexperience. Thirteenth—sud¬ 
den illness or death of driver. Fourteenth—children sud¬ 
denly running in front of machine, falling when roller 
skating, stealing rides or fooling with a car left stand¬ 
ing unattended. Fifteenth—outside causes, such as run¬ 
aways, explosions, falling trees, fires, et cetera. 

All accidents in the first class are avoidable, and are 
due to incompetent drivers, for only an incompetent 
driver will travel at such a rate that an accident due to 
speeding can occur. In the second class, accidents are 
manifestly avoidable, and are due to careless or reckless 
driving. The third class is the same, for a competent 
and careful driver will use chains to prevent skidding, or 
will keep his car so well under control that a skid will 
not result in an accident. Those of the fourth class are 
equally avoidable, for no driver worthy of the name will 
fail to sound warning signals, and, even if he did, if his 
car is not moving too rapidly for safety an accident 
would not occur. The same is true of accidents due to 
failure of brakes, for the competent driver will see that 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


his brakes are in good condition, and, moreover, he will 
not permit himself to get into a situation where a failure 
of the brakes will result in an accident. Disregard for 
others’ rights is criminal, and should be punished. No 
man should drive a car who can get “rattled.” Mechani¬ 
cal troubles seldom occur if the driver is competent to, 
look after his car, and, if not speeding, a mechanical 
fault will seldom result seriously. No man who ever 
drinks to excess should be permitted to drive a car—a 
drinking man is an incompetent driver. Tire troubles 
will not cause an accident if the car is traveling at a 
sane rate of speed. Only an ineycperienced or incom¬ 
petent driverxwill run without lights or with poor lights. 
The twelfth cause speaks for itself. The next I have 
already passed on, as I have on the last. In the case of 
children falling in front of a car, stealing rides, fooling 
with a standing car, or dashing suddenly under the 
wheels, there are times when, no matter how cautiously 
and slowly a car is proceeding, such an accident may 
happen. But if.a car when left standing has its brakes 
set, and is turned against the curb and the switch is 
locked, it is seldom possible for a child to start it, and as 
a rule accidents to children may usually be traced to care¬ 
lessness, or too much speed, on the driver’s part. 

Of course, it may be argued that speeding, in itself, 
is not due to incompetent or careless drivers, but as a 
matter of fact, speeding is due to ignorance or incom¬ 
petency or intoxication, and nothing else. A really good 
driver, a man who possesses a thorough knowledge of 
his car, and who has any regard for others’ rights, will 
not travel at an excessive speed. A man’s ability to race 
his car across the country, or to tear madly through cities 
and towns, does not prove he is a good driver, for any 


/ 


/ 


so How to Operate a Motor Car. 

one who can handle the steering gear and wishes to risk 
his own life and the lives of others can run a car as 
fast as its mechanism will permit; but if he does so he 
should be treated as a dangerous criminal. Skill in driv¬ 
ing is not measured by the number of miles an hour you 
travel, but by your freedom from accidents and near 
accidents. It takes far more skill to guide a car through 
traffic, to tour across country at a moderate speed, and to 
hold a clean record, than it does to drive madly for a few 
miles. The man who burns up the road is not a good 
driver, except for the race track, for the very first essen¬ 
tial to a good driver is caution, and the speed maniac is 
never cautious. There is, I admit, a very strong tempta¬ 
tion to put on more and more speed when a car is sail¬ 
ing smoothly along a straight and level road and there 
seems little danger in '‘hitting her up” a bit. But this 
is one of the greatest mistakes in motoring, for every 
mile that you add to a reasonable speed adds to the 
danger of something happening, and if anything does 
go wrong its consequences are magnified a hundredfold. 
A very slight accident to the mechanism, a puncture, or 
a blow-out, which might be of no consequence if the car 
was traveling at thirty miles an hour, might result in a 
complete wreck and loss of lives if the same thing oc¬ 
curred when going at sixty miles. Even a small obstacle 
in the road, a rut, a patch of sand or mud, which would 
not be noticed at a moderate speed, may overturn or 
wreck the car if it is traveling at an excessive rate. 
Moreover, the strain and wear and tear on engine, car, 
and tires increases out of all proportion to the increased 
speed of a car, and, if only for this reason, you should 
never travel beyond a safe and reasonable limit. Then, 
too, the question arises as to what is a safe and reason- 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


87 


able limit. It is impossible to set any definite limit in 
miles per hour, for cars vary as to the speed at which 
they can be safely driven, and the drivers’ abilities vary 
more than cars. It would be ridiculous to attempt to 
drive a light, cheap car at a speed which might be per¬ 
fectly safe for a powerful, high-priced car, and it would 
be equally foolish for a newly-fledged driver to speed up 
to what might beia safe limit for a driver of long experi¬ 
ence. The only safe rule to follow is never to drive your 
car at such a rate that it cannot be brought to a full stop 
mith one set of brakes within the clear space of road be¬ 
fore you, or zvithin a distance of two hundred feet on a 
level, open road. Never approach a corner or cross street 
so rapidly that you cannot come to a full stop by one set 
of brakes before you reach the corner, and never drive 
through traffic or behind another vehicle at a speed 
greater than zvill enable you to come to a f ull stop within 
ten feet. 

If you must speed, by all means go out alone, and the 
sooner you break your neck the better; or else take to 
the race track, and become a professional racer, where 
you can satisfy your desire for speed without endan¬ 
gering the public. 

Next to speed, the greatest cause of accidents is in 
taking chances; the pedestrian takes chances, the driver 
takes chances, the trolley cars take chances, the horse- 
drawn vehicles take chances, and the wonder is that there 
are not more accidents. Even accidents directly trace¬ 
able to speed are primarily due to taking chances, for 
the speed fiend takes the greatest chances of all. So, 
above all things, don’t take chances; you may escape acci¬ 
dents by the narrowest margins for months, you may be 
lucky and escape your fate for years, but sooner or later. 


8S How to Operate a Motor Car. 

if you take chances, some day chance is going to take 
you, and it is no use gambling with life and death. Igno¬ 
rance also is a prime cause of many accidents, and by 
this I do not mean ignorance in driving, but ignorance of 
the dangers which.exist. Modern cars are so well built 
and reliable, and are so easily controlled, that many driv¬ 
ers cannot realize the perils which are latent and may be 
suddenly developed by unskillful or careless handling. It 
is impossible to construct any mechanical device which 
will not break or fail at times, and while, under normal 
conditions, such a break or failure may be of no great 
importance, yet if the machine is overloaded, if it is 
being strained or is being overdriven, a slight break may 
cause most serious results. Such accidents cannot be 
foreseen, although if the car is properly cared for and 
inspected the chances of their occurring will be reduced 
to the minimum, and there is no fun in motoring if you 
keep your mind filled with dismal forebodings of what 
might happen. The percentage of such accidents is very 
small, and if you drive cautiously, and at a reasonable 
speed, the danger will be negligible. But there are plenty 
of perils which may be foreseen and guarded against, and 
foremost among these is skidding. 

There are various classes of skidding, but in common 
terms, any slippage of a car’s wdieels, either sideways, 
forward, or diagonally, is termed skidding. The causes 
of skidding are manifold, but as a rule they are wet, oily, 
greasy or slippery roads, street-car rails, or soft sand. 
These may perhaps be more properly termed the natural 
causes, for even on a smooth, dry road a machine may 
skid if being driven too rapidly when a turn is made or 
the brakes are applied suddenly. The worst feature of 
skidding is that one never can tell when or how a car 


V 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


83 


may skid, for there are innumerable factors which influ¬ 
ence skidding, and these are never twice the same. The 
condition of the road, the kind of tires, the extent to 
which they are inflated, the weight of the car’s load, the 
speed, the gradient of thread, the distribution of weiglit, 
the way the brakes are used—all have a direct bearing on 
skidding, and the only safe way is to take no chances. 
You may drive for miles on a wet pavement and have 
no trouble; then, within the next block, you may skid 
without warning and wreck your car. If there’ is any 
chance of skidding," use chains, and never apply the 
brakes suddenly, for if the wheels are locked they must 
slide or slip, and no driver in the world can tell just how 
far or in what direction that slip is going to occur. A 
straightforward slip on a dry road is usually more in¬ 
jurious to tires than anything else, but if a car really 
skids or slues to one side very dire results often follow. 
Such side slips, or true skids, happen in the fraction of 
a second, and it requires lightninglike thought and action, 
a cool head, and great skill to overcome or check such a 
skid. 

If both wheels of the car had exactly the same adhe¬ 
sion or traction on the roadway, if the brake bands ex- 

■V.j 

erted exactly the same grip and friction, and if the sur¬ 
face of the road was absolutely uniform, a skid would 
seldom or never occur. Unfortunately such an ideal con¬ 
dition of affairs is impossible of attainment, and hence 
side skidding is bound to occur. There are many causes 
of skidding of this sort, and very often several minor 
causes combine to produce a skid. An unequal air pres¬ 
sure in the two tires, an unequal distribution of weight 
in the car, wheels or axles out of alignment, worn or 
unevenly adjusted brakes, a jerking clutch, loose steer- 


DO How to Operate a Motor Car. 



Fig. 24—Rear-wheel skids. 


ing gear, a worn or loose differential, an excessively 
crowned road, unevenly wet surfaces of the road—all 
are prime factors in skidding. Some cars appear to 
have little or no tendency to skid, while others are con¬ 
firmed skidders, and will slue around at the least provo¬ 
cation. Fortunately rear-wheel skids (Fig. 24) are far 
commoner than front-wheel skids (Fig. 25), for the latter 



Fig. 25 

Fig. 25—Pront-whool skidding. 






















How to Operate a Motor Car. 91 

arc far more dangerous and difficult to overcome than 
the former. 

As I have before mentioned, the best way to prevent 
skidding is to use chains, and if every driver made it an 
invariable rule to use chains whenever there was water, 
ice, mud, snow, sleet, or oil on the road, there would be 
few accidents from skidding; and it would be a mighty 
good thing if there was a law compelling the use of 
chains, or if lack of chains was considered evidence of 
criminal carelessness when an accident occurred through 
skidding on a wet pavement. 

As a rule, chains on the rear tires are sufficient, while 
one chain on a rear wheel and another on the opposite 
front wheel will often serve even better; but if there is 
deep snow, ice, deep sand, or mud, chains should be used 
on all four wheels. Even rope is far better than nothing, 
and in sand or snow it often serves better than chains. 
But there are times when you may be caught without 
ropes or chains, or where there is a wet surface for a 
short distance only, and hence every driver should be 
prepared for skidding, and should understand how to 
act and what to do to check it when it happens. 

When a car suddenly swings around to one side, there 
is an almost irresistible temptation to jam on brakes 
and steer azvay from the direction in which the car is 
sliding. In reality this is the very zvorst thing to do. 
The right way is to steer tozvard the side to which the 
car is skidding, and apply brakes gently and by little dabs, 
not with a steady pressure. In other words, if the car 
skids to the right, steer to the right; if to the left, steer 
to the left. By doing this the traction of the front wheels 
is increased, allowing them to guide the car, and at the 
same time counteracting the lateral slip of the rear 


92 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

wheels. For example, if a car’s wheels are sliding to the 
left and the front wheels are turned toward the right, the 
car will swing completely around in a circle, or will shoot 
off to the left at a tangent, for the front wheels offer no 
resistance, and, for that matter, even aid in the skid. On 
the other hand, if the rear wheels are skidding to the left, 
and the front wheels are turned toward the left, they 
tend to throw the rear wheels back to the right, for in 
order to continue to skid the front wheels must be slid 
sideways. Thus, by steering to the side toward which 
the car is skidding, and lightly applying the brakes to 
check the wheels’ motion, the car will resume its straight¬ 
ahead position, and may be brought to a standstill or 
under control. Don’t attempt to correct the skid and 
apply brakes with the clutch engaged; throw out the 
clutch as soon as the car begins to slue, and let it in 
very gently and’fcarefully as the wheels again straighten 
out. 

Front-wheel skidding rarely occurs without some very 
good and obvious reason. In crossing or turning out of 
a wet or greasy car track, in rutty roads, in sand or mud, 
or when climbing a hill with too much weight in the rear 
of the car, a car is most liable to skid straight on, regard¬ 
less of how the front wheels are turned. The only safe 
method to follow is to apply the brakes and straighten 
up the front wheels. Don’t jam on the brakes and hold 
them there unless there is danger of crashing into some¬ 
thing ahead, but give a sudden hard dab to the brake 
pedal, release it, and throw it on again, and unless you are 
driving dangerously fast, the car will slow down and 
the wheels will grip and steer properly. The idea of this 
method is to cause the weight of the car to pile forward 
on to the front wheels, and increase their traction, and if 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


93 


the brakes are shoved on so hard that they lock the 
wheels, the chances are that a rear-wheel skid will result, 
and an upset or serious accident will follow. Another 
method which often serves very well in overcoming a 
front-wheel skid is to throw out the clutch, accelerate 
the motor, and let in the clutch with a little jerk; but this 
is a strain on the motor and car, and should only be used 
as a last resort. Quite another type of front-wheel skid 
sometimes occurs when turning a corner. In this class of 
skid the front wheels slip sideways, and the whole car 
slides across the road. This is usually caused by taking 
the corner too rapidly, and, in a way, it safeguards the 
car and its occupants, for if it did not occur the car 
would in all probability capsize. It is extremely dan¬ 
gerous to other people, however, and the only way to 
avoid it is to take corners slowly, with the clutch thrown 
out or slipping slightly. In skidding, as in most things, 
prevention is far better than cure, and the best preven¬ 
tion is chains. 

Many very serious accidents occur at railway and trol¬ 
ley crossings. Here, to take a chance is almost suicidal, 
and no motor driver should ever cross a railway or trolley 
track without slowing down, looking up and down the, 
track, sounding his horn, and, if necessary, stopping his 
car to listen for sounds of an approaching train or car. 
Don't assume because no train is due, or there is no 
danger signal, that a train is not coming. There are 
such things as specials and extras, and signals often fail 
to work, while watchmen sometimes drowse or forget. 
If there is a long stretch of track within view, it is easy 
enough to see if anything is coming, but the best and 
safest plan is to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN before going 
on. Driving under bridges, especially where there is a 


94 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


sharp turn or a blind crossing, is also very dangerous, 
for the noise of cars or traffic overhead may deaden the 
sound of an approaching motor car’s horn. Go slowly, 
sound your horn steadily, and hug the right-hand side of 
the road as closely as possible. 

Don’t ever attempt to cross a small, flimsy-looking 
country bridge on an unfrequented road without exam¬ 
ining it carefully. If it appears strong enough to sup¬ 
port your car, let your passengers get out, and then run 
over it at a fairly good speed; the longer the car’s weight 
is on the structure, the greater the strain, and many a 
bridge which can safely be crossed at fifteen or twenty 
miles an hour would give way if you crossed it at three 
or four miles an hour. It’s like skating on thin ice—the 
more quickly you get over it, the less chance there is 
of going through; but don’t risk your passengers by at¬ 
tempting it; let them walk over first. If the bridge 
doesn’t appear strong enough to cross, either ford the 
stream, find another road, or reenforce the bridge by 
poles, fence rails, or posts. Always carry an ax when 
touring for long distances, for you never can tell when 
it will come in handy. 

If you are obliged to ford a stream, and you will be if 
you do much touring in unfrequented districts, don’t dash 
through it without investigating. Be absolutely sure of 
the depth, even if you have to wade across to find out. 
It is very unpleasant to attempt to cross a stream, and 
when in the middle, find that the water is above your 
floor boards, and that your carburetor and motor arc 
under water. Besides, it is embarrassing to sit helpless 
with your feet on the seat cushions and wait for some 
farmer to arrive and haul your car ashore. 

If the water is not too deep and the bottom of the 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


1)5 


Stream is firm, you may attempt to run across, but don’t 
go through at full speed with a shower of spray drench¬ 
ing car and occupants. In the first place, it is a tre¬ 
mendous strain on the car, for water acts like a solid 
body to a swiftly moving object, and mud guards and 
radiator may be torn away by the resistance. In addi¬ 
tion, there is always the danger of hitting a rock, snag, or 
hole in the bed of the stream. Ford the stream slowly 
and carefully on second, or even on first, gear, and the 
pressure of the water will be reduced, your car will be 
under better control, the spray will not be thrown over 
your passengers, and you will not have to shift gears to 
climb out on the opposite bank. If the bottom of the 
stream is of sand, clay, slippery stones, or mud, don’t 
attempt to cross until you have put chains on the wheels, 
and remember that the bottom may be hard and firm to 
your feet and yet may not be hard enough to support 
the car; test it with a .stick or pole pushed into it. 

Another danger which should be guarded against is 
fire. If your car is well cared for, there is little danger 
of fire, for nearly all fires in motor cars are due to 
leaky fuel tanks, carburetors, or fuel pipes. If there is 
any gasoline leak on the car, a loose electrical connection, 
poor insulation on a wire, crossed wires, a short circuit, 
a blow-back in the carburetor, or a carelessly dropped 
match or cigarette may easily cause a fire. The best way 
to extinguish a fire is to use a fire extinguisher, but if 
you do not carry one you should smother the flame by a 
coat, robe, or cap, or throw fine sand or dust on the fire. 
Dust or sand is injurious to the carburetor and mechan¬ 
ism, but it is not half as injurious as fire, and after the 
flames are extinguished the sand can be cleaned out be¬ 
fore the engine is used. Remember that gasoline floats 


96 


How to Operate a Motor Car, 


on water, and that to use water when the fuel is burn¬ 
ing will merely spread the flames and make matters 
zvorse. But if there is no burning gasoline, water may 
be used to advantage. 

I have already mentioned the dangers of hills, and I 
can only add one bit of cautionary advice, and that is: if 
your car does become unmanageable on a hill, and there 
is no hope of controlling it, have your passengers scram¬ 
ble out at once. They may be bruised and cut, but that 
is better than being killed or badly injured. Moreover, 
after the car is relieved of its load you may be able to 
check it, especially if your passengers can hold on to it. 
Then, if still beyond control, jump out yourself and let 
the car go; you will lose your car, perhaps, but you will 
probably save your life. Jump from the opposite side 
toward which the car is going, and jump downhill. If 
possible, select a smooth or soft spot, and unless you land 
in a mass of rocks or leap over a cliff, you will probably 
escape with torn garments and grazed hands and knees. 
It is all right to stick to your ship, but the sensible mari¬ 
ner or car driver is the one who knows when sticking 
becomes suicidal and acts accordingly. 



I 



t 


97 


RULES AND REGULATIONS' 

It may seem superfluous to devote any space to rules 
of the road and traffic regulations, but a great many acci¬ 
dents and innumerable arrests and fines are the direct 
results of violating rules and regulations that should be 
familiar to every operator of a motor vehicle. 

Of course many violators of these rules are familiar 
with them aud deliberately disobey them; but there are 
also many drivers who do not intend to violate the regu¬ 
lations and get into trouble through ignorance. 

Everywhere in the United States, the universal rule is: 
Keep to the right-hand side of the road; pass approach¬ 
ing vehicles on the right and pass overtaken vehicles on 
the left. In most foreign countries and in Great Britain, ' 
Canada, and all British possessions the rules are exactly 
the reverse, and you should keep to the left-hand side of 
the road, pass approaching vehicles on the left, and pass 
overtaken vehicles on the right. This is apt to be very 
confusing'when you first drive in a British country, but 
you soon become accustomed to it. 

While these rules apply in general, there are many 
regulations and ordinances in cities, towns, boroughs, et 
cetera, which are just as important and which in many 
cases conflict with the ordinary rules of the road. Thus, 
in many cities motor cars must not pass overtaken trolley 
cars on the left, but must keep to the right; and in many 
towns and cities vehicles pass others going in the same 
direction either on the right or left. In turning corners, 
too, the usual rule is to swing around in a half circle 
and keep to the right-hand side in the direction you are 


98 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


heading; but in many cities and towns you are compelled 
to cut diagonally across. This is the case in New York 
City, where there are semaphores and where cars must 
approach the traffic officer in the center of the street and 
turn in front of him when going to the left; while in other 
places you are supposed to go around the officer and 
behind him when swinging to the left. In some cities 
it is even more confusing, for one officer will compel you 
to turn in one way and the very next officer will expect 
you to do just the opposite. It is also difficult to learn just 
what the officers’ signals mean, for their gestures are 
often of such an indefinite character that it is impossible 
to say whether they are beckoning you to go ahead or 
are warning you to stop. As a general rule, however, 
if the officer stands facing you or with his back toward 
you, traffic is closed in your direction; whereas if he 
stands sideways to you, you may proceed. But quite 
often an officer will stand sideways and signal you to 
stop, or, while facing you, may signal you to go ahead. 
If you have the least doubt as to the gestures or signals, 
stop and wait until you are sure he is ready for you to 
proceed. It is the safest way. Always go slowly and 
cautiously until you are positive you know all the regula¬ 
tions and rules, and stop and ask some traffic officer about 
the local regulations if you are in a new or strange town. 
This is quite essential, for there are innumerable rules 
regarding cars left standing in certain districts, the use 
of certain kinds of lights, the use of horns, speed, one¬ 
way and straight traffic, et cetera. If you make a mis¬ 
take through ignorance, the law will hold you respon¬ 
sible, for ignorance of the law is never an excuse for 
disobeying it. Unfortunately, this variation in rules and 
laws regulating the use of motor vehicles is the cause 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


99 


of many accidenls and much trouble, and it is a great 
pity that uniform laws are not everywhere in force. 
There are far too many conflicting rules, and many of 
them are ridiculous, obsolete, and inadequate, while others 
have become a dead letter and are seldom enforced. But 
motorists already have a bad enough reputation as law¬ 
breakers without adding to it by violating rules, no mat¬ 
ter how foolish or petty they may be; and there is no 
question that many motorists fully deserve the unsavory 
reputation they have, for they are guilty of the most 
barefaced, gross, and flagrant violations of law and com¬ 
mon sense, and as a result the innocent sufifer for the 
guilty; for to the average policeman and the public all 
motorists look alike. 

The officers in the large cities are usually a good- 
natured, efficient, and courteous lot, and if they see you 
are from another State they will often go out of their 
way to warn you of local rules, or will overlook uninten¬ 
tional violations, or will stop you and caution you not 
to repeat them. But the country constables and rural 
police consider all motor vehicles and their drivers— 
especially strangers—as legitimate prey, and will be only 
too glad to summon you to court and mulct you of a 
goodly sum for some trivial and wholly unintentional 
violation of local ordinances. 

So, no matter what the other fellow does, obey every 
law, rule, and regulation; and if in doubt, stop. If the 
other chap wants to take a chance of getting into trouble, 
let him; but don’t follow his example. Then don’t forget 
that officers are human and that all human beings make 
mistakes. Don’t talk back or discuss matters with a 
traffic officer, even if you know he is wrong and you are 
right. It will do no good and will give him a chance to 


100 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


arrest you, and in court his side of the story goes. Take 
everything good-naturedly, and remember the line: 
“Laugh and the world laughs with you.” But don't laugh 
at some pompous policeman or self-important constable; 
take them seriously and be sufficiently impressed until 
out of their sight or hearing. 

Also bear in mind that pedestrians have the right of 
way over all vehicles, and that if a pedestrian sees fit 
to stand in the street or to walk in the highway it is no 
excuse for running him down. For all you know, he 
may be deaf, crazy, or drunk, and it is just as serious a 
matter to kill or injure an imbecile, a deaf man, or a 
drunkard as it is to run over a millionaire or a bank 
'president. 

Remember, too, that the plodding farmer’s wagon has 
the same rights to the road as yourself, and that horses 
and carriages were using the highways long years before 
motor cars were dreamed of. Don’t sound your horn 
and tear on, expecting the horse and team to haul aside 
instantly; for even if the driver gives way he cannot move 
as rapidly as a motor car, and if he has a heavy load 
it may be impossible for him to turn out until he finds 
a suitable spot. Always give a horse or a horse-drawn 
vehicle plenty of room; turn aside for it, if necessary, 
and if the animal shows any signs of fright, slow down 
or stop until he passes or until the driver dismounts and 
takes the creature by the bridle. In many States this is 
compulsory, but, even if it is not, common respect for 
life and limb and common courtesy should compel it. 

Always put yourself in the position of the pedestrian 
or horseman and consider their rights and safety before 
your own; obey the laws, no matter how foolish they 
seem; have patience with the police and constables; run 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 101 

slowly and carefully; ask questions when in doubt, and 
use common sense, and you will seldom or never come 
into disagreeable contact with the law. 

If through any reason an accident does occur, don’t 
try to shift the responsibility or shirk your duty, even if 
it was the other fellow’s fault. Stop your car at once, 
give your name and address, and render all possible as¬ 
sistance to the injured. If an accident occurs on a coun¬ 
try road, or where police and ambulances are not at hand, 
hurry the injured person to the nearest doctor or hos¬ 
pital and leave your name and address. If your car is 
injured so that it cannot be used, telephone to the nearest 
police, to the doctor, or to a hospital, and then remain at 
the scene of the accident till help arrives. If there is 
no telephone within reach, run to the nearest house or 
stop some passer-by and send the message. 

In nearly every State and city such actions are com¬ 
pulsory by law, and if you fail to comply with the rules 
the fact will be considered as evidence against you; but 
no law should be required to make you do all in your 
power to aid the victim of an accident. Common decency 
and humanity demand it. 

Finally, let me suggest that before you start on a tour 
or a trip it is an excellent plan to obtain copies of the 
motor-vehicle laws of the States through which you ex¬ 
pect to travel. In many of their most important fea¬ 
tures they are alike, but they vary greatly in many par¬ 
ticulars. By addressing the proper authorities of the 
various States, copies of the laws may be obtained. This 
course will save you a great deal of trouble and incon¬ 
venience and may save you a still greater amount of 
time and money. 


102 


FIRST AIDS IN EMERGENCIES 

A great many motorists seem to think that their equip¬ 
ment of tools is of no importance, and they start on long 
tours with a few poor, cheap, rusty, and worthless tools 
that might just as well be thrown in the junk pile. Of 
course a great many of them “get by,” and by some 
miracle they succeed in running for a long time without 
requiring tools; but sooner or later something will require 
adjusting or repairing, and the car is held up and un¬ 
necessary expenses are incurred merely for the lack of 
a few good tools and spare parts. 

Money invested in good tools is never wasted, and, 
while it is not necessary to spend a large sum on tools 
for the car, nor to carry a machine shop or hardware 
store on your travels, yet your tool box should contain 
all the essential tools and spares to enable you to make 
any minor repair on the road. Such tools as you have 
should be of the very best quality. Poor tools are as 
bad as none, and a poof tool is never cheap at any price. 

The exact tools and spares you will need will depend 
largely upon your car, the distance you are going, and 
your own ability as a repair man; but the following 
should be ample for all ordinary uses, even on long 
cross-country tours: . 

A good, serviceable jack. 

Tire irons. . 

A hand pump. 

Spark-plug wrench. 

A hack-saw frame and blades. 

A hub-cap wrench. 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 103 

A machinist’s ball peen hammer. 

A small cold chisel. 

A pair of serviceable slip-joint pliers. 

A three-cornered and a flat file. 

At least three good, strong, steel screwdrivers. 

A Westcott or “S” wrench. 

A small bicycle wrench. ^ ^ 

A medium-sized Coe or monkey wrench. 

A medium and a small-sized Stillson wrench. ^ 

A gimlet. 

Any special tools, spanners, or wrenches to fit special 
nuts or other parts of your car. 

A light, strong Manila tow rope at least twenty-five 
feet long. 

. Extra insulated wire. 

A spool of soft copper wire, or annealed'*iron wire, 
about 20-gauge. 

A few feet of large, strong iron wire. 

A roll of good friction tape. 

Assorted machine screws. 

A few wood screws, carriage bolts, stove bolts, and 
nails. 

Some patent solder to be used without a soldering iron. 
Assorted cap screws and nuts. 

Assorted nuts of the sizes and threads used on your 
car. 

A couple of spring clips large enough to take the 
springs on the car. ^ 

A box of assorted cotter pins. 

A box of assorted lock washers. 

Some assorted taper pins. 

A ball of stout linen twine. 

An extra fan belt and fasteners. 


104 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


Spare parts, such as balls for bearings, extra pins, 
yokes, and shackles for brake rods, et cetera. 

Extra spark plugs. 

A box of fuller’s earth or powdered pumice. 

A box of cup grease and a can of oil. 

Extra inner tubes with a repair kit of cement, patches, 
et cetera. 

A folding pail. 

This sounds like a long list* but many of the items are 
small and all may be stowed in an ordinary fool box 
or under a seat; and while you may go for months and 
never need half of them, yet when you do want them 
you will want tliem mighty badly, and you will be thank¬ 
ful you carried them. With this outfit, almost any ordi¬ 
nary repair may be made on the road; but unless you 
know your car and know how to use the tools, they might 
just as well be left at home. 

It is impossible, in the space of this book, to describe 
how to use the various tools or to mention the innu¬ 
merable emergencies which may call for their use, but 
the following suggestions will perhaps help in getting 
out of troubles by short cuts and for rendering first aid 
to your car in case of need: 


GRINDING VALVES 

One of the commonest troubles with a motor is lack 
of compression caused by leakage around the valves. 
This is due to the valves and their seats becoming worn, 
cut, or pitted from the burned gases, and the only remedy 
is to regrind them. To grind in the valves is a very 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


105 


simple and easy matter, and yet many motorists go to 
a great deal of expense to have their valves ground in 
at a garage, and very often the work is carelessly and 
improperly done at that. 

The only tools and appliances necessary are a valve¬ 
lifting tool, a box of valve-grinding compound—or some 
fine emery and oil—and a screwdriver or valve-grinding 
tool. If the valves have slots, a screwdriver is used, 
whereas if they have two little holes a tool to fit them 
is required. 

To grind in the valves, turn over the motor until the 
valve you are to grind is closed and free from pressure 
against its tappet. Remove the valve cap on cylinder 
head above the valve. Insert the valve-lifting tool under 
the spring on the valve stem, and, while holding up the 
spring, remove the pin, collar, et cetera, which holds the 
spring in place. Then carefully release the spring and 
lay the spring and parts of the valve at one side. Lift 
the valve from its seat, and you will find that the lower 
or beveled surface is black or dark colored and is prob¬ 
ably rough and irregular. ^ Place a little of the valve¬ 
grinding compound—or emery mixed with oil—on the 
beveled surface of the valve and valve seat, place the 

valve back in position, and with the screwdriver or valve¬ 
grinding tool press down firmly on the valve, and, while 

exerting a steady, uniform pressure, turn it rapidly back 
and forth on its seat. Lift the valve, occasionally and 
turn it to a new position and continue rotating. As soon 
as you find the gritty feel of the valve has disappeared 
and it moves smoothly on its seat, remove the valve, wipe 
it ofif, and examine its surface and that of its seat. If a. 
clean, bright surface shows uniformly all around, the 
valve is sufficiently ground; but if there are spots or 


106 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


streaks of dull or black rnetal, the operation should be 
repeated until the entire surface is smooth and bright. 

When grinding do not press down too hard, and be 
careful not to get any of the grinding compound into the 
cylinder or motor. Carefully wipe and clean the valve, 
the seat, and the interior of valve chamber with an oiled 
rag and see that all traces of the compound are removed. 
Then drop the valve into place, see that there is clearance 
between the end of valve stem and the tappet, replace the 
spring and fasteners, and the valve is done. 

In many motors it is necessary to remove the cylinder 
heads in order to grind the valves, but the operation 
otherwise is the same. In most engines the exhaust 
valves require grinding far oftener than the intake valves, 
but as a rule the motor will be vastly improved if all the 
valves are ground at the same time. 


ALIGNING WHEELS 

Very often the wheels of a car may get out of align¬ 
ment ; or, in other words, they may be farther apart at 
the lower edge than the upper, or the forward edges 
may be farther or nearer together than the rear edges, 
or the front and back wheels may not be in the same line. 

Such troubles may arise through wear, through slightly 
bent axles, through badly adjusted steering gear or radius 
rods, through springs being twisted or sprung, or through 
some injury to the chassis. It is an easy matter to deter¬ 
mine if the wheels are out of line, but often much harder 
to remedy the trouble. It is, however, very important to 
keep all four wheels in perfect alignment, for wheels out 
of true will cause a car to steer badly, there is a greater 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 107 



chance of skidding, and the wear on tires is tremendous. 
Luckily th^ front wheels get out of alignment more fre¬ 
quently than the rear wheels, for it is far easier to remedy 
the trouble. There are several methods of aligning wheels, 
hut the following will prove very easy and simple: 
To align front wheels, turn them until one wheel is par¬ 
allel with the frame and in line with the rear wheel on 
that side, which can be determined by means of line 
stretched across from front to rear. Have two light 
sticks or rods, each a little more than half as long as the 
distance between the wheels, and place one rod against 
the inner rim of one wheel directly in front of the hub 
and place the other stick against it and with its end bear¬ 
ing against the inner rim of the opposite wheel. 

Mark a couple of lines across both rods, as shown in 
Fig. 26, and then in the same way measure the distance 
between the rims directly back of the hubs. If the front 
edges of the rims are farther apart than the rear edges, 
or vice versa, it will be necessary to adjust them by 
lengthening or shortening the cross rod of the steering 














108 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

gear which connects the two front wheels. It is much 
more difficult to align the front wheels vertically, for 
the front wheels should be slightly farther apart at their 
upper edges than at their lower edges, and if they are 
not it shows that the spindles that support the wheels at 
the axle ends are worn or bent, or that the axle is bent. 
In the former case, the bearing of the spindles may be 
tightened up, if provided with an adjusting device, or 
new spindle bearings may be fitted; but don’t attempt 
to tighten or adjust them with the weight of the car rest¬ 
ing on the wheels; jack up the front axle so both wheels 
are clear of the ground. In case the axle or spindles are 
bent, the trouble should be remedied at once by having 
the axle straightened or by putting in a new spindle. 

The alignment of the rear wheels may be accomplished 
in the same manner as for the front wheels, but the rear 
wheels should be the same distance apart at" the top as 
at the bottom. If out of alignment either vertically or 
horizontally, the trouble may usually be corrected by 
means of the truss rods on the rear-axle casing; but if 
due to a bent axle or bearing, the defective part must 
be replaced with a new one. 

Even if the front wheels are lined up correctly and 
the back wheels are parallel, the two sets may be out 
of alignment, or one or both sets of wheels may be out 
of alignment with the frame or chassis of the car. To 
determine this, take two straight bars or pieces of scant¬ 
ling a little longer than the extreme distance across the 
wheels from hub to hub—say five feet—fasten these at 
the height of the hubs, one in front of and the other 
behind the car, and both exactly parallel with the cross 
members of the chassis; stretch a cord from the extreme 
outer end of one bar to the corresponding end of the 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


109 



Fig. 27—Aligning wlicels with car. 


Other and carefully measure the distances from this cord 
to the rims, as shown at A, A, B, B, Fig. 2'j. If the dis¬ 
tances, B, B, are not the same, turn the front wheel until 
it is parallel with the cord. Then measure off the dis¬ 
tance, A, on the opposite ends of the two bars and stretch 
another cord between the bars at these marks. If the 
wheels are all in line and true with the chassis, the dis¬ 
tances, A, A, B, B, C, C, D, D, will be alike; and if they 
are not, one or more wheels are out of alignment, and it 







































110 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


is an easy matter to determine where the trouble lies. It is 
still easier to find out if the front wheels are parallel 
with the rear wheels, for it is only necessary to stretch 
cords across the rims from front to rear, and the least 
deviation in alignment will be evident, but this method 
will not show if the wheels or axles are out of alignment 
with the frame. 


BROKEN SPRINGS 

Even the best of springs will break at times, and, while 
a single broken leaf, if in the center of the spring, will 
do little harm, and the car may be driven for long dis¬ 
tances with care, yet if the outer or longest leaf is 
snapped, or several are broken, the car will be put out of 
commission until a repair is made. There are many 
emergency spring repairers on the market, but few mo¬ 
torists carry^them as part of their regular equipment, and 
as a rule a very good emergency repair may be made 
by using ordinary carriage spring clips, which should 
always be carried, or which may be obtained at any coun¬ 
try blacksmith shop. If some of the leaves of the spring 
are unbroken, a clip placed on each side of the break 
will usually serve to hold the spring until you reach 
home or a garage; but the clips must be set up tight and 
you must drive very carefully, with as much of the load 
as possible shifted to the other side of the car. If all the 
leaves are broken, a piece of steel or iron or an old spring 
leaf should be placed across the break and under the clips; 
and if two are used, one below and the C)flier above, a 
very strong repair may be made. (Pig. 28, A.) Even a 
piece of hard wood clamped or strapped to a broken 
spring will serve in an emergency. If the top member of 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


/ 




a semielliptic spring gives out, you need not despair of 
driving home or to a garage under your own power; 
for if the body is jacked up and a stout hickory or hard¬ 
wood pole is inserted over a cross member of the chassis 
and is secured as illustrated in Fig. 28, B, the car may 

be driven for a long distance in safety. Of course the 
side where the makeshift is used will sag and groan, but 
if you have your passengers shift their weight to the 
opposite side and front and drive slowly and carefully 
you will have no trouble. 
















































112 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

LEAKS 

A very frequent trouble, especially oil long trips over 
rough roads, is a leaky fuel or water connection. Leaks 
in the water system are much easier to repair than in 
the fuel system, for many substances which are water¬ 
proof are absolutely useless to prevent gasoline leaks. 
Adhesive rubber tape wound around a leak in a water 
pipe or hose will usually work very well, and if no tape 
is at hand some oil or grease-soaked rags tied or wired 
in place will serve very well for a short time. The best 
material for stopping leaks in water tanks, radiators, et 
cetera, is well-masticated chewing gum secured in place 
by friction tape, and very often a repair of this sort 
will outlast the metal itself. If the leak is in the interior 
of the radiator, a small amount of fine bran, cornmeal, 
or mustard added to the water in the radiator zvhile the 
motor is running will usually stop the leak. Use only a 
few spoonfuls of the material, and add it to the water a 
little at a time. This will often stop a leak around the 
spindle of the water pumps also, but as a rule a leak of 
this sort requires new . packing, unless the packing gland 
can be tightened enough to stop it. Cotton or hemp pack¬ 
ing should be carried for this purpose, but if no regular 
packing is on hand, cotton twine, lamp wicking, a strand 
of rope, cotton waste, or the fine-shredded inner bark of 
cedar will do very well. Whatever material is used, it 
should be well greased before being placed in the pump. 

Leaks in the fuel system, if small, may be stopped 
effectively by means of ordinary laundry soap rubbed 
into the hole or crack and wound with a rag. A more 
satisfactory repair may be made with shellac. Clean the 
surface about the leak, apply a good coat of shellac, and 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


113 


let it dry; then apply a second coat, wrap a piece of 
cotton cloth about it, and let the shellac harden. Then 
give another coat over all, and, when dry, you will have 
a tight repair that will last for a long time. Leaky 
threads on gasoline-pipe connections may be made tight 
by rubbing with soap before screwing them up, and a turn 
or two of soft cotton cord or the strands of cotton waste 
rubbed with soap will often prove effective in stopping 
a leak due to badly fitted unions at the ends of fuel pipes. 
If there is a bad leak or a broken pipe, it may be neces¬ 
sary to solder it. Don’t attempt to solder any portion 
of the fuel system until all the gasoline has been drawn 
off and enough time has elapsed to let all vapors dis¬ 
appear. 


LOOSE NUTS AND BOLTS 

These are often very troublesome, and it may be im¬ 
possible to keep them tight if the threads are worn or 
stripped. Of course the best remedy is a new bolt or nut, 
but a badly worn thread may be made tight in an emer¬ 
gency by several methods. A fine silk or cotton thread 
wound around the threads will often do very well, or 
the threads of the screw may be burred or roughened a 
little. Slightly riveting or flattening the top of the hole 
in a nut will frequently serve equally well; and shellac, 
applied to the threads and allowed to dry before being 
used, will usually prevent a nut from working loose. 
If the nut, bolt, or screw cannot be tightened up until 
it does not rattle, it may be secured in position and pre¬ 
vented from moving and rattling by wrapping adhesive 
tape about it. 



114 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

BRAKE TROUBLES 



Fig. 29—Brake substitute. 


If brakes slip and cannot be adjusted to hold, they 
should be thoroughly cleaned with gasoline and then 
treated with fuller’s earth, powdered pumice, or fine dust. 
Ordinary road dust will be injurious, but if sandy soil is 
stirred up with water and the liquid with the finest mate¬ 
rial in suspension is poured into a rag or handkerchief, 
a very fine grit may be obtained which will serve in an 
emergency in place of the fuller’s earth. Resin will also 
serve, but this gums up the brake bandstand is only 
advisable as a last resort. In case of the brakes giving 
out beyond repair, an emergency brake may be rigged up 
as shown in Fig. 2g. This consists of a plank, pole, tim¬ 
ber, or part of a fence rail long enough to reach across 
the car and project a few inches beyond the wheels on 
either side. Suspend this from the frame in front of the 











How to Operate a Motor Car. 


115 


wheels and above the propeller-shaft casing, as shown in 
the cut. Attach ropes, straps, or chains to the timber, 
bring them under and over the rear axle, and fasten the 
ends to the brake rods as shown, and the brake may be 
operated by the regular levers. A temporary brake, espe¬ 
cially for supplementary use in descending hills, may be 
made by taking a turn of rope around the rear hubs, or 
placing a slipknot about them, and hauling the rope taut 
by means of an improvised lever. Of course such make¬ 
shift brakes are hard on tires and hubs, but worn tires 
or paint are of little consequence compared to running 
without brakes. 


HOW TO START WITHOUT A CRANK 

With the almost universal use of self-starters, the bug¬ 
bear of cranking a car has been almost forgotten. But 
self-starters fail at times, and very often when they do 
fail the emergency crank will be found missing. But 
even so it is not difficult to start a car. If there is a hill 
"or declivity of any sort, the car may be pushed to the 
brink, the throttle opened, the ignition switched on, and 
the gears put in second or third speed. Then, with the 
clutch thrown out, let your companions push the car 
over the edge of the hill, and as soon as it gathers way 
let in the clutch gently and the motor will start. 

If you are alone and there is no one to shove the car 
on to the slope, or if there is no declivity available, it is 
still possible to start your car. Jack up one rear wheel, 
place blocks, stones, or some other obstacles in front of 
and behind the other wheels, open the throttle, switch 
on the ignition, put the gears in high or third speed, and 



IIG How to Operate a Motor Car. 

by revolving the jacked-up wheel the motor may be 
turned over and started. As the gear ratio between 
wheel and engine is all in favor of the latter, it requires 
considerable strength to crank a large motor in this way, 
and the greatest care should be used not to let your arm 
or hands get caught in the spokes of the wheel. Don't 
push forward on it, but stand as far from the wheel as 
possible, grasp the spokes near the bottom of the wheel 
behind the hub, and pull quickly and sharply up on them 
and release your hold instantly. A still safer plan, which 
will work very well on many cars, is to place the gears 
in high, open the throttle, keep the ignition shut off, and 
turn the motor over several times by means of the rear 
wheel. Then take your seat, place the gears in neutral, 
throw on the switch, and move the spark lever back and 
forth. If your-motor is on a firing stroke and your 
ignition system is a battery with a timer or distributor, 
the motor will probably start. Whether it does or not 
will depend largely upon the ignition system used. 


CLUTCH TROUBLES 

If a clutch is properly cared for and adjusted, there 
is no reason why you should have trouble with it. The 
commonest trouble with a clutch is slipping, especially 
with a leather-faced clutch. In case this happens, the 
clutch should be washed with gasoline squirted in by 
means of an oil can while the clutch is thrown out, and 
a sprinkling of fuller’s earth or powdered pumice should 
then be applied to the leather. Don't use sand or dust 
unless you are compelled to, and then use only the washed 



117 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 

t 

fine material as directed for brakes. Resin is better than 
sand, however, and if you are in a district where there are 
evergreen trees, the gum from these may be gathered and 
pulverized and used with- good results. The easiest way 
to use resin or gum is to dissolve it in gasoline and apply 
it with an oil can. 


STEERING-GEAR REPAIRS 

In addition to their value for repairing springs, spring 
clips are often handy for many other emergency repairs. 
Even a deranged or broken steering gear may be tem¬ 
porarily made serviceable by their use; for by clamping 
them over strips of hardwood or small rods or bars of 
metal, a cross rod, steering arm, or other part may be 
held together until the car can be driven to a garage or 
blacksmith shop. If the socket plug in the ball joint 
of the cross rod or reach rod drops out, it may be tem¬ 
porarily replaced by using a plug of hardwood driven 
into the tube and secured by wire and a nail. But don't 
drive rapidly with any emergency makeshift on the steer¬ 
ing gear. Use second or even first speed, and don't coast 
down hills! 


BACKING UP A HILL 

Speaking of hills, there may be times when you cannot 
climb a hill even on first speed. This may occur through 
any one of several reasons, even if the hill is not very 
steep. If your fuel system depends upon gravity to feed 
the carburetor, or if the gasoline is low in a vacuum or 
pressure tank, the slope of the hill may prevent the fuel 




118 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


from flowing through the pipes, owing to the carburetor 
being above the lowest point of the gravity tank, or 
the opening in the pressure or vacuum tank being exposed 
when the fuel runs back to the corner of the tank. But 
if your motor misses and stops for this reason, and you 
find it impossible to make the hill, don’t-be discouraged 
and prepare to walk several miles for fuel or to wait 
disconsolately for some other car to come along and help 
you out. If you are a good driver you can still guide 
your car safely up the grade by turning it around and 
climbing the hill on reverse. This may sound ludicrous, 
but it is a trick that has saved many a motorist from long 
delays and weary tramps. By reversing the car the fuel 
tank is made higher than the carburetor, if a gravity 
tank; or the fuel may be made to flow into the pipe, if 
a pressure or 'vacuum system; while the reverse gear, 
being the lowest ratio of all, gives even greater power for 
hill climbing than the low gear. The only trouble is in 
steering; but with such a low gear any ordinary driver 
should find little difficulty, unless the hill is very crooked 
and uneven. - 


REPAIRING SPARK PLUGS 

If you make it a point always to carry extra spark 
plugs along you will save a great deal of time and trouble, 
for it is quicker to put in a new plug than to clean or 
adjust an old one; and if a plug is broken or cracked 
it is usually a waste of time to bother with it. At times 
bad luck will follow you, and you may exhaust all your 
extras and still have a cracked or broken plug. Shellac 
w ill serve to repair a cracked porcelain if the break is 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 


119 


outside the cylinder, but the heat soon destroys the shellac 
and such a repair will only last for a very short time. 

Ordinary plaster of paris can be used if care is taken 
to have the plaster thoroughly dry and hard before start¬ 
ing the motor; but the best material is water glass or 
sodium silicate, which may be obtained at almost every 
drug store. This is not waterproof, but it will resist heat 
and is strong and a plug porcelain repaired with it will 
often hold for a long time. 


BROKEN FAN BELTS 

A spare fan belt, with fasteners, should form a part 
of your equipment if you are going on a long trip or 
through unfrequented districts; but in case you have 
none, a substitute may be made. Small rope, braided 
cord or twine, a strip from a waist belt, strips of braided 
cloth, a piece of a trunk or shawl strap, or even a piece 
of soft flexible bark or braided cedar bark or grass, will 
serve the purpose temporarily. 


AXLES 

Now and then an axle will snap without warning, and 
I have known of an axle breaking while the car was 
standing still; and if an axle does break, a new one must 
be obtained before the car can be used. But it is not 
always necessary to abandon the {;ar on the road, for with 
the aid of a plank and some rope the car may be towed 
to a garage or repair shop. Jack up the car, place the 
wheel with the stub of the axle in place, cut a hole in a 




120 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


plank to fit over the hub of the wheel, lash the plank 
firmly to the frame, and the car may be towed readily. 
The plank should be watched to see that it does not slip 
off the hub, and the car should be moved slowly and all 
load should be taken from it. 


PULLING OUT OF HOLES 

In most cases it is an easy matter to pull out of a bog 
hole, or out of mud, clay, or sand by means of tire chains, 
but it is often impossible to put on chains in such places. 
Under these conditions the “mud hooks’’ sold by all 
accessory dealers are the most useful appliances, and on 
long trips you should always carry a few along. If you 
have nothing of the sort, a rope wrapped around the rim 
and tire will often answer the purpose. Old rags, straps, 
strips of bark, or wild vines will also serve, and often¬ 
times very good results may be obtained by throwing 
stones, gravel, sod, sticks, or other material around and 
under the wheels. If necessary to jack the car up and 
the ordinary jack cannot be used, a sapling or a fence 
rail may be used as a lever by placing one end under the 
axle and using a log, rock, or box as a fulcrum. Some¬ 
times, however, the wheels may be buried so deep that 
it seems hopeless to extricate the car without the aid of 
another car or a pair of horses and a tow rope. But if 
you have a good rope along with you, as you should 
have, you can pull out of almost any hole by the use of 
the rope and a little ingenuity. The first method is to 
make your car act as its own windlass. To do this, attach 
one end of the rope to a spoke of a rear wheel close to 
and below the hub, take a turn around the hub from 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 121 

front under and hack and over, carry the end of the rope 
forward and make it fast and taut to a strong tree, post, 
or rock. Then start the motor and throw in first speed. 
The wheel, in revolving, will wind the rope about the hub 
and will haul itself forward. The only difficulties that 
may occur will be that the free wheel slips and spins, or 
that the rope slips off the hub. In the former case, dis¬ 
connect the brake rods from the wheel with the rope, set 
the brakes on the other wheel, and try again. If the 
rope slips off the hub and you have no companion to keep 
it in place, you must stop, shove on brakes to prevent the 
car sliding back—or chock the wheels if brake is dis¬ 
connected—loosen the rope, take a new grip, and repeat 
the operation until you are out of the hole. 

The other method is to rig up a “Spanish windlass.” 
With this simple and ancient contrivance the heaviest of 
cars may be dragged from any hole or even up a steep 
bank, the only limit being the strength of the rope and 
the length of the levers used. Even an overturned car 
may be righted by one man by using this device, and 
every motorist should know how to make use of it. 

The only things needed are a couple of strong pieces 
of wood, a good rope, and some firm fastening such as 
a tree, post, or rock. If none of these is at hand, a num¬ 
ber of stout stakes may be driven into the ground, or a 
heavy log may be secured by wedging it behind rocks 
or small trees, or even by burying it in the earth with 
stakes driven in front of it. Fasten one end of your 
rope to the “anchor” and attach the other to the car. 
Then, with a bar of wood about six feet long, take a 
turn of the rope around one end, as shown in Fig. 50, A. 
Rest a shorter piece of wood against the first on the side 
away from the car and at right angles to the first piece, 


122 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 





Fig. 30 — Spanish windlass. 


as in Fig. 50, B, and swing the longer piece around the 
shorter one, as at Fig jo, C. 

Continue to turn the long lever around and around 
the shorter bar, and the car will move slowly and steadily 
forward. As you turn the lever, a companion must 
hold the short piece of wood in order to keep it at right 
angles to the rope, as otherwise it will kick up or swing 
at an angle and allow the rope to slip off. I have men¬ 
tioned six feet as the length of the lever, but this is the 

























How to Operate a Motor Car. 123 

extreme, and as a rule a three or four-foot lever will be 
long enough for all ordinary purposes. 

If you are traveling through a country where there 
is little or no timber, carry a couple of lengths of iron or 
steel pipe, one to fit within the other. These can be used 
as a lever and fulcrum for the Spanish windlass. Another 
method is to carry a tackle block, but this takes up con¬ 
siderable space and it is seldom needed. 


GETTING HOME WITHOUT A TIRE 

t 

Of all troubles on the road the commonest are tire 
troubles. Of course every sane motorist carries an extra 
tire or two and extra tubes, but sometimes one puncture 
follows another and the motorist finds himself miles 
from a garage .with a flat tire and no extras. If the bad 
tire is old and comparatively worthless, the car may be 
driven slowly for many miles with it flat; but this de¬ 
stroys the tire and is likely to injure the rim, to say 
nothing of the jar and strain on the car. 

By winding rope, rags, vines, or twisted straw around 
the rim and tire a great deal of the strain and jar will be 
overcome. A still better method is to remove the tire 
and lash tightly twisted bunches of hay or straw to the 
rim in place of the tire. This will act like a solid tire 
and will protect the rim, and it is possible to drive safely 
over fairly rough roads for many miles in this way. As 
the lashings wear or cut through, you must stop and 
replace them, and of course you must drive slowly. A 
stout rope wound about the rim and lashed with wire, 
rope, or cord will serve even better. Another excellent 



124 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


method, where you have a worthless or comparatively 
worthless shoe, is to stuff it full of straw, hay, moss, 
grass, or leaves, and then place it on the rim. This will 
be far better than driving on a flat tire, and a casing 
treated in this way is often unharmed after being driven 
for many miles; but whatever method you use, be sure 
to drive carefully, keep the weight of your load on the 
opposite side from the crippled wheel, and take your 
time. 

These are but a few hints, a few suggestions, and if 
you use common sense, ingenuity, and patience you can 
get out of almost any motor difficulty that arises. The 
best method of all is not to get into trouble; and the only 
way to accomplish this is to understand your car from 
end to end, care for it properly, keep everything tuned 
up and in the pink of condition, look it over before start¬ 
ing and when coming in from a run, making sure that 
everything is in perfect shape. Remember that it is far 
easier to make adjustments and repairs in your garage 
, than on a . country road, and always bear in mind that an 
ounce of prevention is worth many tons of cure. 


125 


COMMON MOTOR TROUBLES, THEIR 
CAUSES, AND REMEDIES 

Trouble: Back explosions; motor kicks back; pound¬ 
ing ; clanking noises; loud explosions in muffler. 

Cause: Spark too far advanced; motor overheated by 
lack of oil or water; too much oil or gasoline; carbon in 
cylinders; thin fin or piece of metal in cylinders; spark¬ 
plug points too thin, dirty, or badly adjusted; short cir¬ 
cuit in ignition; valves out of time; fan stuck, belt broken 
or too loose. 

Remedy: Retard spark; examine oil and water sys¬ 
tems ; clean out carbon; try new plugs; go over wiring; 
test valve adjustments; tighten fan belt. 

Trouble: Bad smells from exhaust. 

Remedy: See Overheating, Loss of Power, Preigni¬ 
tion, and Lubrication. 

Battery Troubles: Sluggish action; misfires; preigni¬ 
tion ; engine starts hard; engine runs well on level or at 
low speed, but stops or hisses on high or on hills or rough 
roads. 

Cause: Old or exhausted battery; broken or corroded 
terminals; wires or connections loose; dead cells; short 
circuits; battery frozen; electrolyte low or exhausted; 
spark plugs loose, broken, or badly adjusted. If equipped 
with vibrator or coil, parts may be worn, pitted, or stuck; 
weak spring on breaker or brushes worn, glazed or loose; 
breaker badly adjusted; spark retarded too far. 

Remedy: Test battery; overhaul all wires and connec- 


I 


12G 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


tions; try new plugs; adjust and clean breaker, vibrator, 
or distributor; replace brushes; try advancing spark. 

Trouble: Bearings squeak or pound, jar, rattle, or 
seize; engine runs sluggishly; fails to turn over with 
starter. 

Cause: Bearings too tight, too loose, cracked, worn, : 
dirty, or poorly lubricated; crank shaft, piston pins, con¬ 
necting rods out of line or bent; bearings cut or scored; 
dirt in oil; motor overheated. 

Remedy: Drain ofif old oil and replace with new; 
lubricate thoroughly; tighten or adjust bearings; over- ; 
haul shaft and bearings; examine cooling system; some¬ 
times due to leaky piston rings; see if crank case is hot. ■ 

t ’• 

Trouble: Black smoke from exhaust. 

Cause: Too much gasoline. 

J 

Trouble: Blue smoke from exhaust. 

Cause: Too much oil. 

Trouble: Blowbacks; explosive or popping noises at • 
carburetor; flames at carburetor; pound, especially when 
climbing hills; knock in motor; loss of power; misses at \ 
some speeds, not at others; hard to start; blue smoke; - 
pounds with advanced spark. i 

- ‘V 

Cause: Worn or dirty inlet valves; valves badly ad- . 
justed; valve stems stuck; valve springs weak; too much . 
air or too little gasoline; preignition; valves out of time; . 
weak spring in air valve of carburetor; carburetor i; 
clogged, leaky, dirty, or partly filled with water; too little ^ 
fuel in tank; leaks in fuel pipes; leak in tank of vacuum j 
or pressure feed; dirt or water in gasoline; clogged, 
strainer in fuel line; float in carburetor stucl^ leaky, or i 



How to Operate a Motor Car. 127 

bent; poor adjustment of breaker or distributor; carbon 
lodged under intake valve. 

Remedy: Adjust and regrind valves; try new valve 
springs; test for valve timing; adjust and clean carbu¬ 
retor; clean and adjust breaker or distributor; clean all 
fuel pipes and strainers; examine float of carburetor; 
try more pressure in fuel tank; try new grade of gasoline. 

Trouble: Buzzing in coil box or bright sparks at vi¬ 
brator points; buzzes weakly or irregularly; buzzes when 
switch is off or timer points not in contact. 

Cause: Vibrator points worn, pitted, or loose; dirt 
on vibrator; coil wet; wrong adjustment; weak batteries; 
short circuit; coil burned out; timer or breaker badly 
adjusted, wet, dirty, dry, or badly worn; loose wires; 
partly broken wires; strand of wire grounding. 

Remedy: Clean, file, and adjust vibrator points; test 
coil and batteries; try a new coil; overhaul wiring; clean 
and oil and adjust timer or breaker. 

Trouble: Circulation poor; motor heats; radiator boils 
or steams; motor knocks; motor runs after ignition is 
shut off. 

Cause: Air in water pipes; pump broken or stuck; 
leak in pipes, pump, or radiator; lack of water; frozen 
pipes, pump, or-radiator; inside of hose connections rot¬ 
ten and loose, or hose collapsed, too small, or kinked. 

Remedy: Repair all leaks in water system; force 

water through pipes by hand ;'feplace old hose with new; 

examine radiator and fill with water; repack pump and 

examine it; clean out radiator. 

' £ 


128 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

Trouble: Clutch grips, grinds, jerks, takes hold sud¬ 
denly, and is hard to release. 

Cause: If disk clutch: dry, dirty, wet, or disk broken; 
spring adjustment too tight. 

If leather-faced cone clutch; dry, glazed, wet, burned, 
cracked, or worn out; spring adjusted too tightly. 

Remedy: Clean and ‘lubricate according to the' direc¬ 
tions of maker of car; if trouble still continues, overhaul 
clutch. 

Clean with gasoline, and oil well with neat’s-foot oil; 
if leather is black, cracked, or worn out, replace with 
new leather; loosen spring adjustment. 

Trouble: Clutch slips; does not hold full load; motor 
races when under load; releases too easily. 

Cause: Clutch spring too loose; clutch (leather) oily 
or greasy; leather glazed or hard; some foreign matter 
or dirt in clutch, preventing even contact. 

Remedy: Clean and lubricate as above; tighten spring; 
try new leather. 

Trouble: Compression poor; motor has little power; 
slows down on hills; crank case heats up; oil in crank 
case smokes; motor turns easily by hand; hissing sounds 
when turned over; hard to start; misfires; overheats; 
requires rich mixture; oil leaks around valves; oil leaks 
around spark plugs; soft soot in cylinders and on plugs. 

Cause: Valves worn, dirty, stuck, badly adjusted, or 
springs too weak ,*■ cams worn loose or broken; cam shaft 
bent, loose, or broken; cam gears loose or broken; cracks 
in cylinder; spark plugs or valve caps not tight; broken 
porcelains on plugs; priming or relief cocks loose or bad; 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 129 

scored cylinders; piston rings worn, stuck, broken, or 
joints in line; oil too light; cracked piston. 

Remedy: Kxamine all joints, plugs, and gaskets; try 
new plugs and cocks; put in new .gaskets; try new piston 
rings; clean, regrind, and adjust valves; try new valve 
springs; examine cams, cam shaft, and gears; examine 
piston and cylinders for-cracks and scores; try heavier oil. 

Trouble: ‘Compression too (great; hard to turn motor 
over; will run idle, but not under load; turns first one 
way and then the other; pounds; will stop suddenly when 
ignition switched ofif; engine heats and clanks. 

Cause: Not really a compression trouble; piston stuck 
or dry; lack of oil; piston rings cracked, broken, or out 
of grooves; piston pin or crank bearings too tight, dry, 
broken, worn, or out of line; bent shaft or connecting 
rod; broken valve stem or cam; valves stuck; trouble in 
universal joint, propeller shaft, differential, axle bear¬ 
ings, brakes, or elsewhere; carbon in cylinder above pis¬ 
ton ; too much friction somewhere. 

Remedy: Test motor, detached from drive mechanism; 
if all right, the trouble is not in motor. Clean and lubri¬ 
cate pistons and cylinders; adjust all valves and bear¬ 
ings ; loosen up each bearing in turn to test motor; over¬ 
haul motor. 

Trouble: Connecting rods knock; clanking or light 
pounding noises, especially when idling; sudden stop¬ 
page; vibration from motor. 

Cause: Preignition; carbon in cylinders; poor water 

or oil circulation; motor badly timed; wires led to wrong 
cylinders; spark too far advanced; too little gasoline; 
worn, cracked, or loose bearings; water in cylinders or 


130 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


base of motor; loose set screw or fastener in piston pin; 
something loose or broken; motor base supports cracked, 
broken, or bolts loose; connecting rod bent or out of line. 

Remedy: Retard spark; try more fuel; clean crank 
case and use new oil; look over water system; ej^amine 
plugs for signs of water; scrape out carbon; examine 
bearings, crank shaft, base, pistons, cylinders, and con¬ 
necting rods. 

Trouble: Failure to start; starter will not start motor; 
can’t start motor by hand; motor turns, but won’t start: 
will race, but will not run slowly. 

Cause: Batteries weak, old, exhausted, or frozen; 
broken, loose, dirty, or poor connections; short circuit; 
broken wires; starter short-circuited; motor cold; car¬ 
buretor adjustment poor. 

Remedy: See Battery Trouble, et cetera. Let motor 
run fast until warmed up, or warm it artificially; try hot 
water in radiator; readjust carburetor. 

Trouble: Flame at intake manifold. 

Cause: See Back Explosions and Blowback. 

Trouble: Flame at exhaust manifold. 

Cause: Valves out of time, stuck, dirty, or broken; 
ignition badly timed. 

Remedy: Overhaul valves and ignition. 

Trouble: Gears roar, clash, grate, grind, slip, jerk, or ' 
fail. j 

Cause: Worn or loose gears; broken or stripped gears ; | 
lack of grease, or grease too thick or too thin; loose | 
bolt, screw, or nut in gear box; cracked or broken gear | 
case; bent or broken shift rods or dogs; loose bearing I 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 131 

or key; dirt or water in gears; failure of clutch to 
release. 

Remedy: Clean and grease gears; examine gear case 
for cracks; take out and overhaul gears; see that clutch 
releases. 

Trouble: Generator fails; does not charge battery; 
will not register on meter. 

Cause: Broken, loose, or dirty connections; short cir¬ 
cuits; worn, glazed, or dirty brushes; armature troubles. 

Remedy: Overhaul wires and connections; clean or 
replace brushes; then, if no better, call in an expert elec¬ 
trician. 

Trouble:, Ignition troubles; motor runs unevenly; 
sluggish action; starts hard; will fire priming charge and 
will not run; back explosions; muffler explosions; 
pounds. 

Cause: About ninety per cent of motor troubles are 
due to ignition; in case of any trouble of a minor sort, 
first overhaul and examine the ignition system; short 
circuits may be easily located by running motor in a dark 
place and watching for sparks or flashes of light. 

Trouble: Knocks or pounds. 

Cause: See Circulation, Back Explosions, Connecting 
Rods knock, et cetera. 

^ I 

Trouble: Loss of power; sluggish or poor operation 
of motor; will not pull well on hills; black, white, or blue 
smoke from exhaust; starts easily, but does not run well. 

Cause: Usually poor ignition or carburetor adjust¬ 
ment ; too much air or too little gasoline causes back- 


132 How to Operate a Motor Car. 

firing and pounding, as well as missing; too much fuel 
or too little air causes black smoke, bad smells, over¬ 
heating, pounding, and missing; too much oil causes blue 
smoke; a leak in cylinder walls causes white vapor from 
exhaust; failure to run after starting shows too rich a 
mixture, or stoppage of fuel supply; if motor runs well 
at some speeds and not at others, the mixture is wrong; 
if it backfires, it is too weak; if it chokes, it is too rich. 

Remedy: Look over the ignition system; try new car¬ 
buretor adjustment; clean fuel pipes and carburetor; 
make carburetor adjustments when under load, not when 
running idle. 

Trouble: Lubrication troubles; overheating; water 
boils ; pounds; clanking noises ; misfires; sluggish action ; 
bad odors; blue smoke; squeaks. 

Cause: See under these various headings. 

Trouble: Misfires; motor runs unevenly and lacks 
power; base or mufifler explosions; hard to start; knocks 
or pounds. 

Cause: See Ignition and under other headings. 

Troubled Muffler troubles; explosions in muffler; noisy 
exhaust; rattles; hissing sounds. 

Cause: Unburned gases entering muffler and exploding 
by heat or by following charge; muffler choked or too 
rich mixture; valve troubles; muffler loose, broken, or 
exhaust connections loose; cut-out out of order. 

Remedy: Examine valves, muffler connections, and 
ignition; clean muffler. 

Trouble: Noises and rattles around motor or car. 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 133 

Cause: Loose nuts, bolts, or small parts, or slightly 
loose bearings; badly adjusted valve tappets; loose or 
cracked mudguards; loose lamp connections; loose brake 
rod; loose bonnet; loose wind-shield parts; loose license 
pad or bracket; loose muffler supports; loose exhaust 
connections; loose or bent fan; in fact, any part which 
is loose will cause a rattle when car is running on rough 
roads or motor is running fast; often very difficult to 
locate. 

Remedy: Go over car and motor bit by bit and tighten 
all loose parts; run motor rapidly while idle and try to 
^ocate rattle by sound. 

Trouble: Overheating. 

Cause: See Circulation, Lubrication, Compression, et 
cetera. 

Trouble: Piston troubles; pounds; motor stops sud¬ 
denly; hard to turn over; piston binds, seizes, or squeaks. 

Cause: Poor lubrication; overheating; poor water cir¬ 
culation ; piston rings broken or stuck; cylinder scored; 
piston pin loose or binding on cylinder walls; carbon on 
piston or cylinder walls; rust or grit in cylinder; water 
in cylinder; connecting rod or bearings bent, out of line, 
or dry; carbon or gummy oil in piston-ring grooves. 

Remedy: Clean piston and cylinder with kerosene and 
oil thoroughly; examine rings, bearings, et cetera, and 
clean well; look for scored cylinders; clean out carbon; 
if cylinders are scored, have them reground and new 
pistons and rings fitted. 

Trouble: Popping noises in carburetor. 

Cause: See Back Explosions, Blowbacks, et cetera. 


134 ' How to Operate a Motor Car. 

Trouble: Pounds or knocks. 

Cause: See Cylinders, Pistons, Preignition, Connect¬ 
ing Rods, Overheating, Back Explosions, Bearings, Com¬ 
pression, Ignition, Lubrication, et cetera. 

Trouble: Shocks from motor or wires or switch. 

Cause: Short circuit somewhere. 

Remedy: See Ignition and Short Circuits. 

Trouble: Short circuits; misfires; shocks from wires, 
switch, motor, et cetera; sparks at timer, switch, dis¬ 
tributor, breaker, or elsewhere; intermittent running; 
motor stops suddenly; motor won’t start. 

Cause: Wires grounded; wires wet, loose, broken, or 
dirty; poor, loose, or corroded connections; batteries or 
wires in contact; wires led wrongly; breaker contacts do 
not separate; spark-plug points touching; water on plugs; 
broken porcelains on plugs; some object across wires; 
two wires under one staple; worn or broken insulation. 

Remedy: Go over each wire and connection, each plug, 
and, in fact, • entire ignition system, until trouble is 
located. 

Trouble: Sparks or light flashes anywhere. 

Cause: See Short Circuits, Ignition, et cetera. 

Trouble: Spark-plug troubles; short circuits; misfires; 
lack of power; leakage of compression; irregular run¬ 
ning; hard to start. 

Cause: Unsuitable, dirty, broken, or poor plugs; plugs 
too short or too long; wet plugs; badly adjusted plug 
points; cracked, loose, or broken porcelains; terminal 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


135 


broken, loose, or corroded; carbon or soot in plug; no 
gasket under plug; rust or oil between plug and cylinder 
walls; too much oil. 

Remedy: Examine and clean plugs; use new make of 
plug; clean threads on plugs and cylinder; clean and 
tighten connections; adjust plug points to about 1-32 to 
1-64 inch apart; if plugs show wet oil, feed less oil; 
always have new plugs to replace old ones in case of 
trouble. 


Trouble: Valve troubles; slow or sluggish action; loss 
of compression; misfires; loss of power; noisy exhaust; 
blowbacks; light knocking. 

Cause: Sooty or gummy oil on valve stems; valves or 
stems stuck; spindles or stems bent, pitted, or rough; 
pitted, worn, dirty, or scored valves or seats; weak valve 
springs; hole for cotter or pin in valve stem worn oblong; 
wrong or poor adjustment of tappets, valve stems, rocker 
arms, et cetera; cams worn, loose, or broken; valve gears 
worn, loose, or broken, or out of time. 

Remedy: Clean valve sterns, and, if bent or scored, 
replace with new; regrind valves; use new springs; see 
that all lost motion is taken up; adjust so there is about 
1-64 inch between tappets and stems; test *for proper 
timing. 


Trouble: Water troubles; water in the fuel tank, in 
pipes, carburetor, or cylinder; loud explosions; steam 
from exhaust; irregular operation; hard starting; back¬ 
firing ; popping; water on plugs; rust in cylinder. 


Cause: Water will condense in tank or carburetor and 
[will gradually accumulate; leakage around petcocks 


or 


136 


How to Operate a Motor Car. 


plug’s; water in oil; leaky joints or gaskets; cracked 
cylinder walls; some cock left open in damp weather; 
porous metal in cylinders. 

Remedy: Be sure there is strainer in fuel pipe; strain 
fuel through chamois; protect tank, et cetera, from rain; 
drain carburetor and bottom of tank; test all joints; test 
cylinders for cracks; use new gaskets; drain off oil from 
base and use new oil. 




HANDICAPS MYSTERIOUS 


By ROLAND ASHFORD PHILLIPS 


(Reprinted from TOP-NOTCH MAGAZINE) 


CHAPTER I. 

UNPLEASANT DEVELOPMENTS. 

Hooded and goggled, lying almost horizontally, with 
the big, tape-wrapped steering wheel just under his chin, 
and his steady, watchful eyes focused through the circular 
wind shield, Bobby Larkin drove his bullet-shaped, bat¬ 
tleship-gray racing car down the gleaming white beach. 

But for Bobby Larkin and his very able mechanician, 
James Dandy—affectionately called Jim Dandy—the 
beach and its beauties held little of interest save as a 
roadbed for the rubber-shod wheels of their entry, the 
Baby Bullet. 

Behind them, like a vicious pursuing bulldog, trailed 
a low-built, roaring, black car—the Night Bird; still back 
of that thundered a third machine: a freak model of 
scarred yellow better known among the entries as the 
Canary, and occupied by a single passenger. The three 
trial-heat contestants shot down the bench, mufflers open, 
and leaving behind them a trail of smoke. 

Jim Dandy, the mechanician, huddled low on the run¬ 
ning board of the Baby Bullet, kept his goggle-masked 
eyes fastened attentively upon the many dials below the 
wind shield, reading in the trembling needles the pulse 
of the onrushing speeder. 

Larkin’s sinewy fingers, glued to the steering wheel, 
scarcely appeared to move; yet it was something of a 



138 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


task to keep the hurtling car in a straight course at a 
ninety-mile clip. His eyes, too, shifted from dial to 
dial as he gradually and guardedly urged the roaring 
steel mechanism below him to a greater pace. The 
miles whirled dizzily under the thick-shod wheels. 

The yellow car and the black one hung on tenaciously, 
neither giving a yard, yet neither succeeding in closing 
in on the open space between themselves and their pace¬ 
maker. A broad and satisfied grin overspread Larkin’s 
sun-tanned countenance, and a cheery light glowed in the 
depths of his squinted eyes. The same expression of 
contentment was soon apparent on Jim Dandy’s freckled 
face. The handlers of the Baby Bullet were well satis¬ 
fied with their entry’s performance. 

Five minutes later, however, that satisfied expression 
suddenly changed to one of decided bewilderment and 
concern. Both men sensed the unexplainable yet per¬ 
ceptible slowing down of their speed. The wavering 
needle of the speedometer confirmed their suspicions by 
dropping from ninety and falling steadily to eighty. It 
was as if the car were traveling through deep, clinging 
sands. The engine ran thickly. 

Jim Dandy put his lips to Larkin’s ear and shouted: 
“Something—binding! Must be—brakes!” 

Larkin shook his head. The brakes were free. Had 
they been acting queerly he could have detected it at 
once by the feel of the pedal under his right foot. No, 
they were all right. It was the engine itself that was 
wrong. 

Jim Dandy looked around. In spite of the fact that 
the Baby Bullet was losing ground, the Night Bird had 
made no perceptible gain. The surprised mechanician 
shouted that knowledge into his driver’s ear. 

“Something wrong with the Night Bird!” he cried. 
The information served to increase Larkin’s wonderment 
and dismay. 

The next time Jim Dandy looked back he was given a 
greater shock. The battle-scarred yellow car—the 
Canary —was creeping up steadily. And, even as the 
mechanician watched, the Canary nosed ahead of the 


Handicaps Mysterious. 139 

Night Bird and began to annihilate the distance between 
itself and the Baby Bullet. 

That news, instantly communicated to Larkin, brought 
a hard look into his troubled eyes and an unpleasant 
word tumbling from his lips. He experimented with his 
spark, made other minor adjustments, and ended up by 
giving his engine every bit of surplus power in reserve; 
but of no avail. The laboring pistons would not respond. 
The dial registered seventy-hve—no more—and the car 
was tuned up to the limit. 

There was no use in asking about the Canary, for 
Larkin saw the yellow car tearing up nearer and nearer. 
Finally it was on even terms with the Baby Bidlet —then 
passed it. By that time, to put an end to the agony, 
the beach narrowed. Daytona was in sight, and the trial 
heat was finished. 

Several miles ofif shore, a trim, white yacht, with the 
name of Silver Heels painted upon its overhanging stern, 
plowed gracefully through the water. A man on the 
bridge—a thickset, smooth-faced individual in white 
flannels and gold-crested duck cap—lowered his binocu¬ 
lars, which had focused on the racing cars beachward, 
and addressed the man at the wheel. 

“The Canary passed ’em both,” he announced, and 
grinned significantly. “Looks like we’re in for a good, 
old-fashioned clean-up, Guthrie. I told you as much, 
didn’t I?” 

When the yacht hove to, at last, Burbridge and Guthrie 
went ashore and sauntered ofif to the big hotel, where a 
bottle of Scotch, safely corralled away, awaited them. 


CHAPTER IT. 

A GROWING SUSPICION. 

Meanwhile, the Baby Bullet rumbled into the garage, 
and the two unsmiling occupants climbed out. 

“Guess we’ll have to overhaul the Bullet again,” re¬ 
marked Jim Dandy, standing off and surveying the car 



140 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


with resentment. “111 be blamed if I know what's got 
into her. She never balked before.” 

Larkin removed his driving togs, hung them in a 
locker, and came back to where the doleful mechanician 
stood. “Maybe we won’t have to overhaul the car, J. 
D.,” he remarked, at length. “Let’s go over and see 
what the crew of the Night Bird are doing.” 

“What’s the use of that?” 

“I was just thinking,” Larkin replied, “that the Night 
Bird’s troubles might be our own. Seems odd to me 
that both cars should misbehave at exactly the same time. 
I’m going over to their place and see the Night Bird.” 

When, a few minutes later, he entered the garage 
that harbored the Night Bird, Larkin found, as he ex¬ 
pected, that both driver and mechanician were hard at 
work on the car’s engine. 

Murdock, driver of the entry, was the favorite in the 
coming race. He was not a particularly friendly sort of 
competitor, as Larkin had discovered on previous meet¬ 
ings, and was inclined to resent any and all queries re¬ 
garding himself and his car. 

However, when Murdock looked around to see Lar¬ 
kin in the doorway, he voiced the very question that was 
upon Larkin’s tongue: “You had some trouble just now, 
didn’t you?” It was more of a demand than a query. 

“Yes. Engine seemed to balk all at once. My 
mechanician is tinkering with it now. I came over to 
learn whether or not you’d located your trouble.” 

“There doesn’t seem to be any trouble,” said Mur¬ 
dock. “The engine runs perfectly in here.” 

“Didn’t it seem strange to you that our cars misbe¬ 
haved at precisely the same moment?” Larkin queried. 

“Can’t say that it did,” returned Murdock. “Why?” 

“Oh, nothing much. I just wondered, that’s all. Well, 
ni go over the course with you in the morning. Wee’ll 
see if our experience is duplicated. If it is, we’ll have 
something to worry us.” 

The Canary, it might well be mentioned, was the last 
car to be entered in the race. It had 1 )een out on the 
beach but twice previous to its appearance on this occa- 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


141 


sion, and neither time had it developed any extraordinary 
show of speed nor given a demonstration worthy of no¬ 
tice. Its driver—the mechanician took no part in the 
trials—was a slim, yellow-haired youth, who kept pretty 
much to himself. On the entry register he was down as 
Morris Turner, San Francisco. Larkin had seen him 
on several occasions in the lobby of the principal hotel, 
in company with two elderly men who had arrived in 
town the week before in the yacht Silver Heels. The 
harbor master had registered the owner and captain of 
the smart little vessel as Hamilton Burbridge, home i)ort, 
New York. The yacht itself displayed the pennant of 
the Hudson River Club. 

Whether by coincidence or otherwise, when Larkin 
strolled back to his garage he collided with the two 
yachtsmen and the driver of the Canary. Larkin nodded, 
and would have passed on without more ado, but one of 
the men stopped him. 

“Hello, Mr. Larkin!” he cried pleasantly. “What’s 
the hurry? We are all in the game together, and might 
as well be sociable. Haven’t had a chance to introduce 
myself before. My name’s Burbridge. That’s my yacht 
in the basin. You’re driving the Baby Bullet, aren’t 
you?” 

“Yes, I am,” Larkin replied, mentally sizing up his 
questioner and wondering what had prompted the unex¬ 
pected display of geniality on the part of the yacht 
owner. 

“Of course, of course,” Burbridge took u]), all smiles. 
“Meet my friend Guthrie. Guess you know Turner, 
don’t you? He’s another friend of mine, and Tm here 
to see him win the big race.” 

Turner continued to survey Larkin through half- 
closed eyes. “Had a little trouble this morning, didn’t 
you?” he asked. 

Larkin nodded. “A little. Brakes binding, I guess. 
Nothing to worry about, however.” 

The men from the yacht exchanged glances,^ and on 
Burbridge’s lips there broke a wide smile. “You’ve got a 
rood entry there in the Baby Bullet,” he admitted; “but 


142 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


the Canary is the bird Tm backing—backing strong. I 
don’t do things by halves. When 1 do any betting at all 
I go the limit. * You got any loose change that disputes 
my saying X\iq Canary will pull down the purse?” 

Larkin shook his head. “My bank roll is pretty flat. 
I’m out of the betting.” 

The men parted company. I.arkin turned into the 
garage to find Jim Dandy preparing to get busy with 
the engine. “Haven’t done any tinkering yet, have you?” 
he inquired. 

“(ioing to it right now,” declared the mechanician 
grimly. 

“Is the tank filled?” 

“Yes.” 

“All right. We’ll post])one the tinkering. Jump in 
and we’ll go out for a trial.” 

Jim Dandy, surprised, opened his mouth to object; 
but he read something in his driver’s fixed countenance 
that instantly waylaid the protest, and, without a word, 
he dropped the tools he carried and obeyed orders. 

A few minutes later the Bullet was scooting over the 
white beach like a hound on tlie scent of a rabbit. Lar¬ 
kin coaxed the engine into high speed and watched the 
dial creep up swiftly through the eighty-mile figures into 
the nineties and finally gain the century mark. That pace 
was maintained for ten minutes. The engine was run¬ 
ning like a watch, with never a miss or a shudder. Jim 
Dandy’s eyes were sparkling, and he looked up at Larkin 
with a grin that bespoke volumes. 

I.arkin prom])tly throttled down, swung the car around, 
and started back to Daytona. The previous performance 
was duplicated. 

“There’s nothing wrong with this baby,” Jim Dandy 
announced gleefully, as the car rolled into ihe garage. 
“Not a thing. What do you suppose got into her tiiis 
morning?” > 

“That’s a problem we’ll have to solve before the race,” 
answered Larkin. “I’ll tell you to-morrow, after we’ve 
had another set-to with the Canary. Meanwhile there’s 
nothing to do but wait.” 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


143 


“No fair keeping secrets, Bobby. You ought to tell 
me—*—” 

Jim Dandy broke off abruptly as a tall, stalwart chap 
appeared suddenly in the door of the garage. Larkin 
looked up as the shadow fell across the floor; then he 
uttered an exclamation: 

“Holy mackerel! If it isn’t Sam Randolph! Where 
in blazes did you drop from?” Larkin rushed forward 
to wring the other’s outstretched hand. 

“Hello, Bobby!” Randolph greeted. “Surprised, eh? 

I figured you'd be. I got in from the West coast this 
morning, knew you were in town, and thought I’d call 
around and strike you for a job. I haven’t been able to 
hook up with anything worth while since I left Cali- i 
fornia. However, I have hopes.” | 

“Well, I’m tickled to see you just the same, even if I 1 
haven’t a job to offer you,” Larkin said. “Randolph, ^ 
meet Jim Dandy. He’s my chief assistant at present— 
and I wouldn’t change him even for you, Sam.” 

The men shook hands. “Tough luck for me,” Ran¬ 
dolph said, grinning. “But keep me in mind, will you, 
Bobby? You know what I can do.” 

“I certainly shall. An M. E. like you shouldn’t be 
looking for a place.” Larkin surveyed his friend nar¬ 
rowly ; then he put a hand into his pocket. Randolph, 
quick to understand, shook his head. 

“I’m not that far gone—yet,” he protested, coloring. 
“But it’s a comfort to know where to turn if I get that 
way. Hang on to your coin, Bobby. I’ll give you the 
sign—when a sign’s needed.” 

“Be sure to remember that, Sam,” Larkin said gravely; 
then, in a lighter tone, he continued: “I’m off for a dip 
in the surf. Better come along. We’ve a lot of conver¬ 
sation to exchange.” 

The two men strolled away, leaving Jim Dandy in 
charge of the garage. 



CHAPTER III. 

SOME INSIDE INFORMATION. 

Early the next morning the Bullet was snorting merrily 
on the beach, when the Canary hove into view, with its 
yellow-haired driver at the wheel. The Night Bird and 
two other cars took part in the skirmish; and, after 
jockeying for position, the five machines started up the 
speedway at a lively pace. 

Larkin edged his car up gradually. Murdock’s entry 
and the Canary were running on even terms at a sixty- 
mile clip. At the eighty-mile pace the Night Bird and the 
Bullet were running fender to fender, the Canary falling 
back. When ninety miles was gained, the positions of 
the cars were about the“same. Then, without warning, 
the strange phenomenon of the day before was repeated. 

With clouded eyes and set lips, Larkin throttled down 
the Bullet and followed the other cars into the shell road 
that led toward the garage. Jim Dandy, slumped back 
in his seat, looked as glum as a critic at a dreary premier. 

“Lll be hanged!” he broke forth, at length, prefacing 
his remark with a couple of expressive and explosive im¬ 
precations. ‘‘Of all the confounded queer actions! It’s 
uncanny, that’s what it is. The Canary seems to be a 
hoodoo for us, Bobby. No getting away from that. 
When she’s in the running, we’re out of it.” 

‘T’m going to have a look at that bird,” Larkin re¬ 
marked quietly. “And right now. I’ve got a fool idea 
in my head—came to me all at once. I’m curious to know 
how near right I am.” 

Having decided upon a course of action, Larkin lost 
no time in putting it into execution. As he walked 
briskly along the street toward the garage where the 
Canary was quartered, his mind was revolving swiftly. 

He betrayed no unwonted interest, however, when, a 
few minutes later, he stopped before the open door of 
the garage. Turner was not in sight. A mechanician 


Handicaps Mysterious. 145 

was engaged in changing one of the tires, and whistling 
as he worked. Larkin nodded to him and strolled into 
the shed. 

The hood of the big car was off, disclosing the power¬ 
ful engine. Larkin,, surveying it with keen and critical 
eyes, made no attempt to disguise the sudden interest 
that engulfed him. The mechanician, looking up and 
apparently quick to read the other’s mind, stopped whis¬ 
tling and spoke. “Bet you never set eyes on a prettier 
engine, did you?” he asked, rather boastfully. 

Larkin ran his fingers over some of the exposed parts 
of the shining mechanism and shook his head. “Can’t 
say that I have,” he replied meditatively. “At a glance 
I’d say the engine was cast from aluminum.” 

The other chuckled. “You’re nearly right. Aluminum 
is the principal ingredient. It’s the lightest and most 
durable alloy that can be made.” 

Larkin, keenly interested, would have been glad to 
make a more thorough examination of the engine; but, 
as he did not want to arouse suspicion, either by actions 
or queries, he refrained. After a few complimentary 
remarks that seemed to please the mechanician, Larkin 
strolled out of the garage and passed up the street, his 
mind in a turmoil. 

Larkin headed unerringly for the big hotel, and walked 
through the lobby into the lavishly appointed grillroom. 
Burbridge, sitting at one of the many tables, hailed the 
newcomer the moment the driver of the Bullet appeared 
at the door. “Just in time, Larkin,” he greeted, in a loud 
voice. “Join the happy family. What’ll you have?” 

Larkin took the chair that was drawn out for him, 
nodded to Guthrie, who surveyed him with none too 
pleasant eyes, and was introduced to the third member 
of the trio—a Mr. Carey, the chief engineer of the Silver 
H eels. 

Larkin accepted a cigar in lieu of the proffered liquid 
refreshment, and took the opportunity, while the orders 
were being given, to study his table companions. He 
found little to invite confidence in the general appearance 
of any one of the trio—Burbridge least of all. The lat- 


146 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


ter personage would have fulfilled admirably the most 
exacting demands of a stage manager who sought to find 
a type to portray, without the aid of make-up, the role 
of a shrewd, smooth-tongued, resourceful '‘con” man. 

On the other hand, Guthrie was a morose, tacitdrn in¬ 
dividual, who seemed to hold a perpetual grudge and 
suspicion against everybody—a man who could neither 
trust nor be trusted. Of the trio, Carey seemed to be 
the most prepossessing. He was a thin-faced, blue-eyed 
Irishman. 

As was to be expected, once the orders were served 
and the conversation floodgates were opened, the subject 
of discussion was directed upon the one big topic of the 
hour—the coming motor race. Burbridge began to wax 
eloquent and boastful. 

“Placed a thousand on the Canary this morning,” he 
declared jubilantly. “Murdock’s entry seems to be the 
favorite, but at the prevailing odds the yellow bird looks 
like easy money to me. Wish I would get ten thousand 
more down before the battle.” 

“Must be playing an inside tip,” hazarded Larkin, and 
smiled as he spoke. 

Burbridge winked at Guthrie, who had taken no 
part in the conversation. “Maybe I am. Who knows?” 

“Looks dubious for me,” said Larkin, still smiling. 

“Well, you didn’t expect to pull down the first money, 
did you?” Burbridge demanded brusquely. 

“I wouldn’t have entered the race otherwise,” the 
driver of the Bullet replied. 

Burbridge laughed. “I admire your grit, young man. 
But I’ll tell you here and now you’ll be blamed lucky to 
finish third.” 

Larkin did not seem visibly perturbed by the prophecy. 
“We’ll se'e,” he returned. “By the way, Burbridge, 
where will you be during the race—in the stands, at Sea 
Breeze ?” 

“I had intended to be there,” the yacht owner said. 
“In fact. I’d reserved a box; but I’ve doped out a bet¬ 
ter idea. I’m going aboard the Silver Heels, stand a 
couple of miles off shore and midway of the course, and 


Handicaps Mysterious. 147 

view the whole affair from start to finish through my 
glasses.” 

“You won’t do much yachting if you don’t get me a 
helper,” Carey put in quickly. “1 can’t handle the boat 
alone—and goodness knows you or Guthrie won’t be 
of any assistance. Give me a man who is capable of 
looking after the engines while I’m on deck, attending 
to my other duties, and you’ll play safe.” 

“Huh,” growled Burbridge, “always wanting to in¬ 
crease my overhead charges, aren’t you, Carey? Yachts 
are blamed expensive toys. I’ve discovered,” he added, 
addressing Larkin. 

“You wouldn’t need another man if I could stay with 
my engines below deck—where I belong,” Carey shot 
back, and accompanied the remark with a meaning look, 
that his employer apparently understood. 

“All right, all right,” Burbridge hastened to announce. 
“You’ll get your man, Carey. But I’m hanged if I know 
how or where. I’ve inquired all afound. Good mechani¬ 
cians don’t grow on trees in this country, and the time’s 
too short to send North for one.” 

At this turn in the conversation Larkin could scarcely 
conceal his delight; but he sat there apparently indiffer¬ 
ent, as if the subject were of no interest to him; and 
presently Burbridge turned the conversation back into its 
former channel. For an hour or more the men chatted, 
then Larkin excused himself and left the hotel. 

He would be unalde to do more than perfect the plan 
of action destined to bring about the downfall of Bur¬ 
bridge and his accomplices. He must leave it to his 
friend Randolph, who, if things ran according to the plan 
that had occurred to him at the hotel, would be the in¬ 
strument of the rogues’ defeat. 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE LURE OF ADVENTURE. 

In the meantime, Larkin hurried back to the garage, 
where he found Jim Dandy puttering about the racing 
machine. “Where did Randolph say he was staying?’' 
Larkin asked. 

“If I recollect, he didn’t say,” the other replied; then, 
after giving his driver a steady glance, he added: 
“What’s the trouble? You seem a bit excited, Bobby, 
h'ound out anything?” 

“Enough,” said Larkin. “I’ve landed a job for Ran¬ 
dolph. Let’s scout around and try to locate the duffer.” 

After the mechanician had donned presentable clothes, 
the two men sallied forth in quest of the missing friend. 
Half an hour’s search through the main part of the town 
was rewarded by coming upon Randolph holding sway 
over a pool table and surrounded by a crowd of admiring 
spectators. 

Larkin permitted the man to finish the game; then he 
dragged him bodily away, heedless of his attempts at ex¬ 
planation. “See here, Bobby,” he spluttered, “I’m try¬ 
ing to make my room rent, and you-” 

“Never mind that, Sam. I’ve got a job for you. Come 
along to my domicile, and listen to the tale I’m about to 
unfold. You’ve never heard its equal.” 

Safely established in the apartment shared by Lar¬ 
kin and his mechanician, Randolph drew a relieved 
breath. “Go ahead—shoot. I’m listening.” 

Larkin began his tale abruptly and without superfluous 
introductions. “I think I’ve unearthed one of the most 
amazing attempts at swindling that was ever pulled off 
on land or sea. Burbridge seems to be the ringleader. 
He has entered the Canary^ with Turner driving, and 
backed the entry to win—backed it to the extent of at 
least five thousand. Now, I may be mistaken, but I’ll 
gamble right now that Burbridge and his pals are out- 



Handicaps Mysterious. 149 

aiicl-out crooks, old-time professionals. They’re of the 
breed that play sure things, and go in for a big killing.” 

Randolph frowned. “Tell me,” he began, with a sud¬ 
den interest, “is the fellow you call Burbridge the chap in 
yachting togs ? A sleek-faced individual, with a grouchy- 
looking pal in tow?” 

“The same.” 

Randolph leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Well, 
what do you know about that? You’ve hit the bull’s-eye, 
Bobby. Burbridge’s changed his name since I saw him 
last, but he’s a con man, all right enough, and so is his 
side partner. The chap you call Guthrie has done time, 
and Burbridge is a king-pin performer in his line—oper¬ 
ating anything from the gold-brick game to booming pre¬ 
sumed fruit land in California. I had my first squint at 
the pair this morning, and wondered what had lured 
them here. Now I begin to see. Proceed, Bobby.” 

“Where did you make their acquaintance?” Larkin 
inquired. 

“1 didn’t, thank you. But I’ve been a part of an audi¬ 
ence while they were doing their act. That was in Cali¬ 
fornia. They had a fake land scheme blooming. Were 
selling off sections of the desert at fifty dollars an acre 
to trusting widows and gullible strangers—representing 
the land to be suitable for citrus groves. An aunt of 
mine invested ten thousand, and lost it, of course. The 
money would have come to me at her death. They got 
away with their game, and vamosed overnight.” 

“Well, Sam,” Larkin said, “you’re elected to queer 
their game this time. You won’t get back the ten thou¬ 
sand, but you’ll get a powerful lot of satisfaction. You’re 
going to accept a position on the yacht Silver Heels, as an 
assistant to the chief engineer.” 

Larkin proceeded to relate in detail the results of the 
trial heats upon the speedway, the queer behavior of the 
Bullet during the spins, and the persistent winning of 
the Canary. To that he added what he had learned re¬ 
garding the Canary’s engine, of the heavy wagers Bur¬ 
bridge had placed upon the entry, and followed it up by 
giving his listeners a logical solution of the mystery, as 


150 Handicaps Mysterious. 

well as a possible method of frustrating the well-laid 
plans of the conspirators. When he had finished, the 
two men seated opposite him were openly astounded. 

“Great Scott!” Jim Dandy managed to articulate at 
length. “Do you figure that’s the answer?” 

“1 do,” Larkin replied confidently. “Now, what about 
accepting the position on the yacht, Sam?” 

“Lead me to it!” cried Randolph. 

The next moment the door closed behind him and he 
was off at a brisk trot for the pier and the yacht that 
was anchored alongside it. 


CHAPTER V. 

WHEN THE FLAG DROPPED. 

For the ensuing three days that preceded the race, Lar¬ 
kin heard nothing from Randolph personally; but he did 
learn, from a chance meeting with Burbridge, that the 
applicant for berth of assistant engineer had passed in¬ 
spection with Carey and had been engaged. 

During the time of Randolph’s absence the racing cars 
were put through their usual daily spins. On the two oc¬ 
casions when the Canary was entered in the trial heats, 
it won; but Larkin was not disturbed by the perform¬ 
ances. What the other drivers thought was, of course, 
not publicly known. Plowever, the odds of the Canary 
dropped a trifle on the strength of its consistent showing 
and because of the heavy wagers placed upon it by Bur- 
bridge ; and by the time the final sheet was posted, the 
yellow car was rated in a higher class. Yet the book¬ 
makers were not banking too much on the trial perform¬ 
ances ; they believed that Murdock had not seen fit to 
let out his entry, and would not do so until the proper 
moment. 

With the exception of Murdock’s entry, the other 
cars were classed as dark horses, with no past perf- 
formances upon which to base any sort of dependable 
prediction. The Bullet was an unknown quantity. Lar- 



Handicaps Mysterious. 


151 


kin had entered the car in two previous races, but with¬ 
out demonstrating any unusual a'chievements, finishing 
third in both cases. Therefore it was not to be won¬ 
dered at that the bookmakers considered the Bullet as a 
vague possibility. 

While Larkin and his mechanician were giving all their 
attention to the Bullet, and priming it for the linal test, 
Randolph, as assistant engineer of the Silver Heels, was 
gaining the respect of Carey and the confidence of his 
employer. Cuthrie, however, did not warm up per¬ 
ceptibly to the new member of the crew, and took occa¬ 
sion on several instances to voice a warning to Bur- 
bridge. 

Randolph soon got the lay of the ship, and proceeded 
to make deliberate and guarded observations. However, 
he was tactful enough not to ask foolish questions or to 
appear to be too interested in the equipment of the yacht. 
He demonstrated that he knew as much regarding marine 
engines, especially those of the heavy, oil-burning type, 
as did Carey. 

The Silver Heels was a trim little eighty-foot craft, 
with three fair-sized cabins on deck. Among Randolph’s 
early surprises was the fact that, so far as he could see, 
the yacht was minus a wireless equipment. At least there 
were no aerials visible. He was assured later,'by Carey, 
that the vessel did not possess that luxury. 

While Randolph was allowed a certain amount of lib¬ 
erty on board, he was never left in soje charge of the 
craft. Despite that, however, he managed to inspect two 
of the three deck cabins; the third one, situated amid¬ 
ships, was kept securely locked and shuttered. 

. So matters stood ot/the morning of the race. 

There were eight entries in the Daytona Sweepstakes, 
and all of them were out on the course at dawn for a final 
tuning up and inspection. Numbers had been allotted 
to the entries and ])ainted in glaring colors on the back 
of each car. Larkin drew No. 5 > JSiyht Bird diew 
No. 3, and the Canary No. 7. Beside the official starter 
and a judge and a few disinterested spectators from the 
neighborhood, there was a scant crowd to see the get- 


152 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


away. All those interested had departed an hour before 
to the stands built on the beach at the finish line, thirty- 
five miles distant. 

After an unnecessary amount of jockeying and ear- 
splitting explosions, the eight cars lined up, and eight ex- 
})ectant drivers and their mechanicians primed themselves 
for the grueling test. Off to one side the starter held 
aloft a flag. Sixteen pairs of eyes were riveted upon 
that piece of fluttering cloth. The white beach was glar¬ 
ing in the hot February sun, but a cool breeze came in 
from the Atlantic, rippling the flag in the otflcial’s hand 
and stirring the tufted plumes of the stately gray-trunked 
palms. 

The flag dropped amid a roar of unmuffled exhaust, 
for every one of the eight powerful engines were turn¬ 
ing at high speed. Eight drivers stiffened in their seats, 
tightened their fingers upon their steering wheels, and 
threw in their clutches. 

In a twinkling Daytona was left behind in a cloud of 
black, gaseous smoke as the cars shot up the beach like a 
flock of death-dealing, fire-belching monsters. 

The Bullet was between two unknown entries. No. 6 
and No. 4. The Canary, labeled with a 7, was farther 
up the beach, while the Night Bird, wearing a 3, was 
nearest the water. For the first five miles there seemed 
to be no perceptible difference in the speed of the contest¬ 
ants ; then the Night Bird began to draw ahead slowly, 
with the Bullet and the Canary a length behind. The 
other five cars were bunched in the rear and displaying 
very little form. Already they seemed to be outdis¬ 
tanced ; yet they kept on with a dogged persistence, hop¬ 
ing for a break. 

At the fifteen-mile post, the Bullet and the Night Bird 
were side by side, while the Canary hung on twenty yards 
behind. The dial below Larkin’s steering wheel regis- ; 
tered ninety miles—passed that figure, and kept creeping 
up. And Larkin still had power in reserve. Jim Dandy, , 
huddled low behind the wind shield, grinned. Larkin 
felt confident and jubilant. Apparently Randolph, on “ 
board the yacht, had succeeded in his mission.. J 


Handicaps Mysterious. 153 

Another five miles—then the thing that Larkin feared 
came to pass. His engine began to slow down, scarcely 
perceptibly at first, then more and more evident. The 
needle of the speedometer fell back steadily, and just as 
steadily the Canary began to edge ahead. 

Doubt and apprehension began to arise in Larkin’s 
heart. Something had befallen Randolph; that much was 
certain. 

Fifteen minutes before the race was due to start, the 
Silver Heels put away from her pier and stood out to 
sea. Guthrie was at the wheel. Burbridge, binoculars 
glued to his eyes, was on the bridge. Carey, having 
given instructions to his assistant, hurried up on deck. 

A sudden shout from Burbridge warned Randolph that 
the flag had dropped and the battle begun. He called the 
oiler, put the man in charge of the engine, then bounded 
up the ladder to the deck. He edged along the rail on 
the starboard side of the yacht until he had gained a 
position opposite the door of the cabin, amidships. 

Burbridge was far too interested in developments 
ashore to divide his attention with what went on beside 
him. Carey was not to be seen, and Guthrie was for¬ 
ward, in the pilot house, with the two deck hands. Thus 
Randolph figured he had a clear stage to begin his dr^ma. 
His hand went out to the knob of the door. It turned 
easily in his fingers, and he felt the door give readily 
to his pressure. 

As the door opened cautiously, Randolph had a flash 
of Carey and of the inner fittings of the cabin. He broke 
into a hard laugh and started across the' cabin floor. 

At the same instant a step sounded behind him. He 
whirled part way to see Guthrie bearing down upon him. 
Then something struck him over the head and he top¬ 
pled headlong. 


CHAPTER VI. 


PRETTY LIVELY WORK. 

Randolph lay where he had fallen, face downward. 
His head throbbed cruelly, but fortunately he was still in 
command of his faculties. He had been worsted in the 
first encounter, but the fight had more rounds to go, and 
he intended to be in strong at the finish. 

He heard Burbridge’s voice outside the cabin door: 
“The Canary is forging ahead! Another fifteen miles 
and the race is won.” 

Randolph opened his eyes guardedly. What he saw 
pleased him. Assured of his advantage, he flung out his 
arms, gripped Guthrie by the ankles, and, half rising, 
tumbled the surprised man to the floor. The instant that 
Guthrie fell, Randolph bounded to his feet and rushed 
forward. He was just in time to face Burbridge, who, 
startled by the noise, had dashed into the cabin. 

With a cry of delight, Randolph pounced upon Bur- 
bridge, picked him up bodily, and flung him in Carey^s 
direction. The engineer had bolted from his chair at 
the moment of Guthrie’s disaster; but his movement 
came an instant too late. Burbridge crashed into him, 
and, with waving arms and legs, the two men, swept 
down like pins in a bowling alley, brought up against 
the wall of the cabin amid a splintering of wood and 
broken glass. 

“Help, help!” babbled the excited yacht owner, lift¬ 
ing his voice to attract the attention of the other mem¬ 
bers of the crew. But there was no response to his dis¬ 
tress signal. The oiler was below deck, beside the noisy 
engine, and could not know of his employer’s peril. One 
of the deck hands was at the wheel, and could not desert 
it. The other man s])ed along the deck, took one glance 
through the open door of the cabin, and wisely sped 
away again. He had shipped as a deck hand—nc(t a 
scrapper. 


Handicaps Mysterious. 155 

Randolph broke into a merry laugh. “Say, this is too 
easy!” 

“What do you propose to do now ?” inquired Bur- 
bridge sullenly. 

Randolph pondered. “Hanged if I know exactly. I 
wasn’t given instructions for your disposal. However,” 
he added briskly, “I’ll take the yacht and its precious 
cargo to the dock nearest the finish line and turn the 
command over to I.arkin. He’ll deliver the sentence.” 


CHAF^TER VII. 

IN THE THIRTY-FIFTH MILE. 

With the Canary fifty yards ahead of him, Larkin sud¬ 
denly felt the laboring engine of the Bullet respond as 
quickly as if he had thrown off the brakes,He knew 
what that meant, and breathed am-ftcclarhatlon of thanks 
to Randolph. Jim Dandy instantlyVealized the situation, 
too, and let out a yell that was wrenched ffrom his lipf? by 
the wind. Up, up, crept the needle qUthe speedometer, 
The finish line was in sight, with it?^ stands and waving 
spectators. 

The Night Bird bounded forward with the Bullet, as 
if both cars, after topping a hill, were rushing down 
into a valley. The Canary fell back. For a second the 
three contenders were nose to nose; then the Night Bird 
and the Bullet pulled away from the yellow car. 

Larkin gave his engine the last ounce of power. He 
was swaying in his seat. His npgers were numb from 
their mjghty grip upon the tremulous steering wheel. 
The field had been left hopelessly behind, and there was 
only the Night Bird to dispute the Bulleds victory. But 
the black car was a real contender, and Murdock him¬ 
self a veteran driver. To win out over the favorite would 
be an achievement worthy of praise. 

The stands were looming faintly in the distance, like 
a picture of an onrushing train thrown upon a screen. 
In less than five minutes the contest would be over. The 



156 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


thought of all that those fleeing minutes might embrace 
nerved Larkin for a supreme effort. 

Still side by side, the two cars hurtled forward, spitting 
fire like dragons, neither giving nor gaining a yard. The 
roar of the exhaust was deafening. It smothered the 
cries of the spectators who dotted the side lines of the 
course. 

Larkin cautiously shifted his eyes for a fraction of 
a second and fancied he could detect the slightest falling 
back of the Night Bird. His heart bounded exultantly. 
It was a question of endurance now, of machine against 
machine. ^ 

Once more Larkin dared to shift his gaze to the right; 
A thrill shot through every fiber of his tense body. The 
Bullet had gained a yard—more than that. Its long, 
slender body was away beyond the sloping fenders of the 
Night Bird. 

Now the stands were upon him. He saw dimly the 
s])ectators; their waving arms and hats and the flags that 
rippled in the wind. But he heard nothing save the roar 
of exhaust. He hugged his wheel, his eyes fastened 
straight ahead of him. The broad band that marked 
the finish line swept up and under him in the winking 
of an eye. Then subconsciously he released the clutch 
and guardedly applied the brakes. 

The next thing he knew Jim Dandy was thumping him 
furiously on the back and shouting like a madman: 
“We’ve won, Bobby! Won by six yards! Whoop-ee!” 

A few minutes later the Bulled, snorting proudly, re¬ 
turned past the stands, to be acclaimed by the excited 
crowds who rushed out upon the beach to greet the win¬ 
ner. Larkin waved his hand. The Night Bird came 
up. Murdock jumped out and ran over to pay his re¬ 
spects to the man who had finished ahead. There was 
no trace of envy in his congratulations and handclasp. 
The other cars rumbled up to meet with good-natured 
gibes from the spectators. The Canary alone was con¬ 
spicuous by its absence. The yellow car, with Turner 
at the wheel, had finished third. After it had passed the 
stands, it turned off to the left and disappeared inland. 


Handicaps Mysterious. 157 

Looking oceanward after the demonstration had sub¬ 
sided, Larkin beheld the Silver Heels putting in toward 
the long pier. He whispered a word to Jim Dandy, flung 
ofif his headgear and goggles, and, making his way 
through the excited crowd that surrounded the cars, de¬ 
parted on a run. There was still another act to the real- 
life drama, and Larkin intended to be a principal in its 
un folding. 

On the w'ay to the pier he fell in with tw^o other men, 
also running. One of them he recognized as the local 
chief of police; the other was a ‘‘tranger. The men 
looked oddly at Larkin, but offered no comment. And 
the winner of the big contest w^as too much engaged 
with his own thoughts to question the purpose of his 
new’ly found companions. 

Suddenly a revolver shot eclioed. The running men 
halted abruptly, and looked tow'ard the yacht. The craft 
had veered off its coursepand apparently did not intend 
to make a landing. An^pther shot sounded. Then the 
flgure of a man could be seen running along the deck 
of the yacht. He poised for a second at the rail, and 
dived headlong into the;,seai]‘* 

An exclamation fell fropi'Larkin’s lips. “Get a boat 
—quick! That chap;canT^swim all the way in to the 
pier.” It flashed on him suddenly that the man in the 
w'ater was Randolph. 

Without further explanations, the three men jumped 
into a small motor dory, cast off the ropes, and started 
out toward the swdmming figure. The Silver Heels had 
swung about and was heading oceanward at a lively clip. 

Larkin, standing forward in the dory, gave a shout 
as he recognized the swimmer. “AJl right, are you, 
Sam ?” he called anxiously. 

“All right, Bobby,” Randolph answ^ered. 

A moment later Randolph wvas picked up and hauled 
over the side of the boat. “How about the race?” he 
spluttered first of. all, ignoring the presence of the two 
other men in the boat. ^ ^ 

“The Bullet wmn by six yards,” Larkin answered. 


168 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


“Bully!” Randolph gave a cheer. “We should worry 

now. Tell you what, Bobby, we-” 

The stranger who had accompanied the chief of police 
stepped forward, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and 
snapped them upon Randolph’s wrists. 

“You’re under arrest, young fellow,” he announced 
gruffly. “And I warn you not to make trouble. I’m 
from New York police headquarters, and 1 won’t stand 
for any monkey business.” 


^ . CHAPTER VUI. 

CLEARING SKIES. 

Randolph, still dripping from his plunge, looked from 
the steel bands upon his wrists into the face of the de¬ 
tective. “Say, what’s the joke?” he inquired, puzzled. 

“No joke so far as 1 can see,” returned the officer. 
“I’ve been on your trail for a week. You and your pals 
have come to the jumping-off place.” 

“Just a minute, Mr. Detective,” Larkin put in quickly, 
realizing the mistake that had been made. “This man 
is a friend of mine. I’ll explain the-” 

“No explanations necessary,” the detective interrupted 
curtly. “I know my business. And if you start inter-' 
fering, I’ll arrest you, too. This chap and his pals stole 
the yacht, out there.” The detective nodded toward the 
disappearing'*Y 27 z.Tr Heels. 

The dory made a landing. The officers piled their 
grumbling captive into a waiting machine and whirled off 
toward Daytona. Larkin, with a few words of explana- . 
tion to the astonished Jim Dandy, got into the Bullet and 
shot away in pursuit of the other car. 

Three-quarters of an hour later, Larkin was at police 
headquarters, in presence of the detective, th^ chief, and 
Randolph. “Just give me five minutes and I’ll satisfy 
you that everything is O. K.,” he began, as the detective 
growled something about not being interested in any fool ■* 
explanations. “I asked Randolph, the man you’ve ar-- 
rested, to get a job on board the yacht to frustrate the 





f 


Handicaps Mysterious. 159 

plans of Burbridge and Guthrie—the pair you want to 
apprehend. If it hadn’t been for Randolph, gentlemen, 
the Canary would have won the race to-day, and Bur- 
bridge’s crowd wbuld have departed with several thou¬ 
sand dollars that-” 

“What’s the race got to do with this affair?” the chief 
demanded. 

“It has everything to do with it,” Larkin replied. 
“Xow pay close attention to what I have to say. Dur¬ 
ing the trial heats on the beach, previous to the race, the 
engine of my car and many of the others behaved in a 
most singular manner. I couldn’t figure out where the 
trouble lay at first. Each time thei Canary entered in 
the sprints, it won easily, and the engines of the other 
cars misbehaved. Yet at other times, when the Canary 
was not present, we bad no trouble at all. Also, when 
our trouble was apparent, and the Ca)iary was running 
against us, the yacht Silver Heels was standing off shore. 
It was that very situation that gave me my first clew. 
I demonstrated on several occasions, and to my satisfac¬ 
tion, that either the yacht or the Canary —or both—was 
producing a powerful influence upon my engine. Later, 
I found an opportunity to look at the Canary's engine. 
I discovered that it was cast from a certain new alloy, 
the principal ingredient being aluminum. That fact 
pretty nearly convinced me that my suspicions were cor¬ 
rect.” 

“What suspicions?” asked the detective, obviously in¬ 
terested in spite of himself. 

“That the Silver Heels, standing offshore during the 
trial heats, was exerting a powerful magnetic influence, 
by means of an ingenious wireless apparatus, upon the 
engines of all the entries save that of the Canary. The 
electrical waves, directed through the air, magnetized 
our engines, interfering with their working and cut dowrt 
the horse power, owing to the fact that they were built 
of steel and iron. But the same waves had no perceptible, 
influence upon the engine of the Canary because, as t 
stated before, it was cast from a neuter comDOund--i- 
aluminum, as you know, being one of the poorest metal 



160 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


conductors of electrical energy. Burbridge and his 
crowd, certain they could make the Canary a winner, 
played it to the limit. That knowledge was still another 
item that convinced me that I was working on the right 
lead.’’ 

“Great Scott!” ejaculated the astonished chief, im¬ 
pressed by the story he heard. “Why didn’t you come to 
me? I would have arrested the crowd at once, and the 
trouble-” 

“But I lacked absolute proof,” Larkin broke in; “and 
without it we could have done nothing. I doubt if you 
would have arrested the men merely on my suspicion.” 

“Maybe not,” the chief answered. “The chances are 
I would have laughed at your charges. Fact is, I didn’t 
know the yacht was stolen property until the detec¬ 
tive from New York tipped me off about an hour before 
the race. And, before we could take action, the boat 
had put off to sea. We figured on making the capture 
after the race.” 

Larkin nodded. “Then it seems that I have acted 
wisely. I had to nab the conspirators at work. Also, 
I had to put their apparatus out of commission and per¬ 
mit the race to be run on the level—which it was. I 
was far more interested in making the race a legitimate 
one than in trying to apprehend the crooks. Randolph, 
the man you’ve arrested by mistake, is an old friend of 
mine, an electrical and mechanical engineer. He applied 
to me for a position as mechanician. I had none. But 
luckily there was an opening for him on the yacht, and 
he secured it. He set off the fireworks, and the honor 
belongs to him.” 

“Nothing of the kind,” Randolph protested hurriedly. 
“I did nothing but follow instructions. Any dub could 
have done the same.” 

Larkin smiled. “We won’t discuss that point now,” 
he said. “I’ve told all I know. ,^ou’ll have to continue 
the story, Sam.” 

“There’s nothing of interest/t (5 tell,” Randolph began 
modestly. “If it had ended as well as it began, I might 
have been satisfied. But I messed things at the finish.” 



Handicaps Mysterious. 


161 


He went on reluctantly to tell of his adventures aboard 
the yacht, treating the affair as of little consequence, and 
dismissing the dangers that had confronted him with a 
brief word or two. 

‘d was stumped at first when it looked as if the yacht 
was not equipped with a wireless apparatus, but I came 
to the conclusion it must be concealed in the one cabin 
that the flimflam artists wouldn’t permit me to enter. It 
was there, all right enough; and when I broke in, a few 
minutes after the race had started, I saw Carey, the engi¬ 
neer, hard at work with the sending mechanism. 

‘‘W'e had a little scrap, nothing much to brag about,” 
Randolph went on, ''because the crooks were too yellow 
to fight after the first round. I managed to smash the 
wireless apparatus the first thing, and I was satisfied 
then to stand by and give the bunch the merry ha, ha! 
I did want to get a squint at the mechanism and see how 
it was constructed, but I couldn’t get a chance; and I 
guess the thing was too badly smashed at that to get 
much information from. 

"I planned to bring the yacht and her crew to the 
pier,” Randolph continued, "and ordered the helmsman 
to direct her course for the landing. Everything was 
going smoothly, and I got a bit careless. One of the 
deck hands got hold of a gun somehow, and took a pot 
shot at me just about the time the pier was within hail. 
T couldn’t locate the fellow, so I felt duty bound to save 
my own hide by diving overboard. You saw the rest. 
Here I am, not much the worse for wear—^and the crooks 
are safe at sea on their stolen property.” 

"We’ll get the crooks,” the chief spoke up briskly. 
"They’re out at sea now, but they can’t remain long. I’ll 
wire the police at every port on the coast, and if we don’t 
get word of their captut'e within twenty-four hours, I’ll 
be surprised.” 

The detective nodded. ^ "Sure thing,” he said. "I’m 
not worrying now. I’ll have the trio safe in New York 
before the week’s ended.” 

"And how about yours truly?” queried Randolph. 

The detective grinned. "Oh, you’re all right. I’m 


162 


Handicaps Mysterious. 


due for a great big apology. Your description doesn’t fit 
that of any one of the crowd I’m after. I’ve been a 
little too hasty in my zeal. When 1 saw you diving od 
the yacht I figured you were one of the party.” 

”1 was one at the party,” said Randolph, with a 
chuckle. ”1 reckon you might call me the unwelcome 
guest. But I had more fun than my hosts.” 

‘‘W hom did the boat belong to, and how was it stolen?” 
asked Larkin, eager to hear the details that had brought 
the detective on so long a journey. 

“Burbridge and Guthrie, -with the help of the engi¬ 
neer, Carey, who double-crossed his original employer, 
made a bold coup and got away with the yachct from 
it§ anchorage in Brooklyn,” the detective said. “The 
owner put the case in my hands, and I’ve been on the 
jump for the last month. The thieves changed the name 
of the boat and repainted her superstructure. But I had 
a tip that .she’d come South, and made up my mind that 
Burbridge would be a spectator at the Daytona races. 
And my tip was a good one. ’’ 

“Then Carey fell in with this pair of crooks,” Ran¬ 
dolph supplied, “a deal was framed up, and the trio 
took possession of the yacht and its very admirable equip¬ 
ment and sailed for the sunny vineyards of Florida, 
where the pickings were ripe. Oh, the whole affair’s 
simple enough to understand now.” 

“Just as simple as adding two and two,” said the de¬ 
tective. He produced a handful of cigars and passed 
them around. “The smokes are on me, gentlemen,” he 
confessed. “I’ve been the nanny. But sometimes the 
best of us get excited and make mistakes. 

“And now.” he continued, bestowing an admiring 
glance upon Larkin, “permit me to offer my tardy con¬ 
gratulations on your victory—your double victory. I 
should say. You’ve pulled down a fat purse for your¬ 
self and put me in the way of bagging a couple of slip¬ 
pery crooks and a no-good engineer. That’s glory 
enough for one day, isn’t it?!’ 

f " THE END. *