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Show CDFFEYViLLE. IS, TO OEM II im Studebaker Dealer Breaks Cross-country Records; Drives 733 Miles. Coffeyville, Kan., no longer will look to the illustrious Walter Johnson, idol of a million baseball fans, as its chief bit for fame. Fred Ktchen, merchandiser of motor cars, has just turned the trick that will keep Coffeyville in, the glare of the limelight for some time to come. Fred is the presiding genius of the Etchen Auto company, dintributors of Studebaker cars for Coffeyville and vicinity, vi-cinity, and is so full of Studebaker enthusiasm en-thusiasm that he just bubli.g over when the name is mentioned. The other day a friend made a casual remark to him about the croes-country record of a certain cer-tain make of car. Fred, tiue to form, said it "had nothing on the Studebaker," or words to that effect, and forthwith bet the man $1000 that he could drive his car to Denver before the hands on his watch could make a complete circuit. The wager was accepted and the friend invited to come along. Two other men were asked to make the trip aa official timekeepers and observers. Etchen Is the possessor of what is said to be the handsomest automobile in his part of the state. The "Canary Cupie" is a six-cylinder, fifty horse-power Studebaker Stude-baker stock chassis with a de luxe body but not a special racing1 car. Fainted a bright canary yellow, it presents a most distinctive appearance. This was the car selected for the race against time. At 5 o'clock Sunday morning, September Septem-ber 3, the party left Coffeyville with Ktchen at the wheel, goin through the Flint Hills between Coffeyville and Wichita, through the sand roads to the west, up over the Rocly mountains to Pueblo to Colorado Springs and Mariitou, and thence on to Denver, averaging better bet-ter than thirty-two miles an hour, arriving ar-riving in Denver ut 4:29 Monday morning. For twenty-three hours and twenty-nine twenty-nine minutes of steady driving, practically practi-cally taking meals and gas "on the fly," Ethcen had remained stolidly at the wheel of his Studebaker, piloting his car at express train speed over all manner of 1 road conditions and bringing It into Den- ver without mishap of any kind not even performance, the luxury and finish of the elegant Bttick coupe was boundless, a puncture. Not once did the car stop for mechanical or tire trouble. Etrhn not only won his $1000 waper, but he proved It is faith in Studebaker durability and dependability, and now has the distinction dis-tinction of breaking: all cross-country stock car records for this distance. A big road map and clock in the r-.tchen Auto company's sales room kept the interested in-terested crowd back in Coffeyville informed in-formed of the movements of the party. As the "Canary Cupie" passed through a city the time was wired back and a miniature min-iature automobile moved on the map each hour to mark the progress of the speeding Studebaker. |