Kleiner’s Korner: The Queensboro Bridge Connection to the Motor Parkway (Part 2)
Events might have been the early versions of some of today's automobile activities, however the main automobile event did not produce the expected level of interest.
Sources: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The New York Times and The Sun (1909)
Art Kleiner
The Auto Games
A new automobile event planned for the celebration was named the automobile "wiggle", invented and arranged by Pardington. This might have been an early version of the automobile road rally and allowed participants to make their way to many parts of Long Island which they, without the new bridge, may never had been able to visit.
The "wiggle" came to be known as the "hunt" where motorists traveled to various "controls", received a card verifying they reached that station and when completed submitted the cars to be counted; the one with the most cards won.
The western-most start of the "hunt". (Scientific American Apr. 10, 1909)
Traveling from Queens through Long Island the motorist would cover an area of 300 miles.
Pardington created the rules of the event and detailed the boundaries.
Another aspect included an official car roving around the "hunt" area handing out cards to motorists.
Speed limits were to be followed with participants not able to get to all control stations if they kept within the legal speed; offenders would be disqualified. Control stations would be a few yards or up to five miles apart.
Interest was shown by the Y.M.C.A. as it directed Pardington to award the winner a scholarship to its automobile school and free membership for a year.
Control stations were established a week in advance of the event; only "hunt" officials knew their location.
Unfortunately attempts were made to uncover the locations of the control stations ahead of time by motorcyclists following automobiles leaving the Queens side of the bridge (the bridge actually opened a few weeks earlier).
June 17, 1909: Let the "Hunt" Begin!
"Puss n Corner"? (Wikipedia)
Follow along the morning activities in this account provided by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
The Participants
Pardington and the committee envisioned hundreds of participants, however only 17 actually registered. They attributed this to it being a new type of event without the experience of the general population knowing how much fun it would be. Notable participants among others were Mrs. J.N. Cuneo, Louis Disbrow and Arthur Warren of the Buick Motor Company.
The Prizes to be Awarded.
Two trophies were created for the winners, one being an original French bronze statue by Russeau.
Additional prices also were awarded.
One of the prize statues, valued at $250, offered by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
And the Winner Is!
W. Allen Kissam of Queens was one winner and received the bronze statue.
Kissam and another participant, C.W. Landers, each found 64 of the 65 total control stations. Landers was the superintendent of the Garden City Garage at the time and which will be the subject of a future post.
But after consideration by two appointed representatives and a judge the prize was given to Kissam - not sure why.
Kissam suggested that rather keep it himself he would donate it to the Long Island Automobile Club (L.I.A.C.) for use as prizes for other similar events; his hope was to encourage more people to become automobile enthusiasts by way of competitions.
Since Kissam won the "hunt" in a Ford the trophy was housed at the Ford Motor Company in Manhattan until the L.I.A.C. formally accepted the trophy.
Its a Ford, but not the one used by Kissam. This one probably didn't have a good showing in the race it was in - the 1909 New York to Seatle Race. (Motor Cities.org)
Success or Failure?
The "Hunt" did not attract the large number of entries as expected and did not produce the amount of excitement among the general population as the commitee had wanted. This might have been due to the Celebration Committee not providing any funds to support the endeavor, thus leaving the Automobile Comittee to seek private supporters. Guess Willie K. and his automobile friends had other things (e.g, the Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Race) in which to spend their resources. But seeing how auto racing and road rallies have evolved, we can thank Pardington, Willie K. and the Automobile Committee for their forward thinking, and the "wiggle"!
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