Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-02-03 | Page 36 | Private Vanderbilt Likes his Mercer

PRIVATE VfflERBILT UKESJISMERCEB Tells Dealer How Much He Appreciates Both Auto and Army. Manager J. A. Greenewa-ld of the Mercer Mer-cer & Jordan Sales company, local Mercer Mer-cer distributors, has just received a copy of a letter written iy Cornelius Vander-bilt, Vander-bilt, Jr., to A. H. Whiting of the Whiting Motor company. Mercer dealers in New York, which gives a very interesting account ac-count of camp life- and thoroughly vindicates vindi-cates the "pleasure" car, proving that the name is a misnomer and that, instead of being a pleasure car, it is a car of greatest utility and necessity to the government gov-ernment in carrying on the war work. The letter received by Mr. Greenewald runs as follows: Dear Sir I am advised by members of the commanding staff (of this division), di-vision), who have just returned from the battle fronts of Europe, of the necessity pf having either cars whose tops and sides can convert them into an almost closed car, or a limousine. lim-ousine. I do, not wish to buy; a limousine at present, and would prefer pre-fer to keep the same kind of top as I have ai. present, but the sides, although al-though very compact and good, are not of quite heavy enough material, and in certain places there is room enough for this "balmy" winter air to creep through. Could you advise me of some thicker material, but in the same fashion as this, also being a material wiiich is waterproofed outside as well as inside, and f could you, if possible, let me know by wire the approximate price of doing this, as quickly as possible? If I decide to do it, I should like the isinglass windows cut two inches lower than the present ones. I am having a wood reinforced steel box made which I shall placv where the luncheon basket is and move the latter forward near the engine. en-gine. I am also ordering a small windshield for the little outside seat, The Mercer has proved one of the best cars of its kind down her. I have not had one bit of engine trouble trou-ble since I bought it four months ago. It has proved a most excellent car. As I said once before. I cannot recommend this car too highly for this kind of work. The roads here a re fierce mud, bumps, holes and dust. Every day one sees at lenst five cars stranded near camp. My Mercer seems to have an exceptionally good motor, for its power has increased instead of diminished down here, and it has such a god average speed that even the staff officers have been surprised. The work here at time? is very di fficult, as I am often sent away off into the mountains, forty or fifty miles from camp. I have used the Mercer continun'ly. uphill and over dale, and have bad but five punctures in the whole time. In about six week's' a vera re running I have covered cov-ered 4610 miles, or almost 110 mile a day. so you se I have not had much - idle time. In the evening, when waiting wait-ing for officers. either near the trenches or at some dance in town, I pull up the ton. ariiust the side rur tain", start a Lenin1 foot warmer, wrap nn in a rug. and co to sleep, or read by the light of the dash lamp. The weather has been e't remely cold Inmh. but by using alcohol In the rad1"i tor and the cover, and by closing the hoi -air valve. I have a 1-tva 1-tva vs had sont results in the. morn-i!-- At ni""" In-- ""'" .lr-.-i sometimes to IS and 20 degrees. The gas tank is just right, and the oil tank Is of a very good size, also. To prove some of the qualities of which I believe this car can boast: Once I was ordered to take back from town several men who were late. I heaped on seventeen. Can you believe be-lieve it? And still the car carried them along these fearful roads at twenty-one miles an hour, 12 1 midnight. mid-night. For a week I was on wood detail in the mountains, and often had to bring back sixty eig'ht-foot pieces of pine. They were piled all : over the car and, of course, scratched i it up a lot, but she always ran. Hoping to hear from you soon, " yours very truly, . CORNELIUS VANDE&BILT, JR., "Private."