Cars still a relative novelty at time of ‘Sociability’ run

Automobiles were still a relative novelty in Little Falls in 1909 when the Smith brothers, proprietors of the Richmond Hotel (later called Hotel Snyder) concocted the idea of a “Sociability” automobile run from the city to Cooperstown and back.

It had been only eight years (1901) since railroad engineer John Thomas became the first Little Falls resident to own an auto, a Locomobile steamer that ran on kerosene. It was in September of that year that about 60 automobiles passed through the muddy streets of Little Falls on their way from New York City to Buffalo, America’s first long-distance auto “race.” (previous story) The Sociability Run was even less of a race, mostly a way of showing off one’s automobile, having a little fun and friendly competition, and testing reliability.

The route chosen was from the Richmond Hotel to Cooperstown through Ilion, Richfield Springs and Fly Creek. A two-hour stopover at the Otesega Hotel was mandatory. The return route was on the east side of Otsego Lake, to Springfield, Little Lakes, Paines Hollow, and the stone house.

Prizes for the auto nearest to a pre-selected “secret time” were an inner tube donated by garageman Charlie Ross and a 15-inch silver cup donated by the Smith brothers, mounted on an ebony base with a picture of an auto carved on it. Second prize was a silver cup donated by R.L. Anderson and Son jewelers, about 17 inches tall. The finisher furthest from the correct time received a year’s subscription to The Evening Times.

On August 31, former Mayor A. B. Santry, Tom Zoller, future mayor Frank Shall, a Dr. Haight, Guy Rahn, and Brandt Smith, using Zoller’s Packard, made a trial run of the route. The Evening Times reporter estimated the 80-mile route was covered at the rate of about 18 miles per hour. Santry, however, hinted that in order to give smaller cars a chance, he would calculate the winning time at between 12 and 15 miles per hour. Santry and crew tacked up direction cards at all important corners and found the roads in “excellent” condition.

The contest was open to the first 40 vehicles registered in Herkimer County, but only 21 “buzz wagons” as The Evening Times called them, left the Richmond in two minute intervals beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, September 4. All but one, which blew a cylinder head, returned to Little Falls by the deadline of 7 p.m.

The winner was Shall who finished in 6 hours, 30 seconds, exactly two minutes off the secret winning time of 5:58:30. Mrs. O.J. Dempster, the only woman in the race, was second, only 45 seconds further from that mark. C.J. Lundstrom and W.F. Rathbun won third and fourth prizes. A large number of those who made the run dined at The Richmond followed by a social hour, with Dr. E.H. Douglas making the presentation speech “with his usual grace and eloquence.”

Obviously, this was not an event for the common wage earner, (a knitting mill worker made $6 to $9 per week for 60 hours of work), but mostly for the upper crust of Little Falls society. Other participants included industrialists Homer P. Snyder, and J.J. Gilbert and prominent citizens like Abraham Zoller.

Who else might own an auto in those days? Someone like Charlie Ross the garageman who, with Earl Roberts, had hand built an auto and entered the run.

But things were changing. Late in 1908 Henry Ford introduced the Model T, priced at a more reasonable $850, bringing automobile ownership within range of more of the middle class, but still way beyond the range of average workers in J.J. Gilbert’s knitting factory.

Even by the time of the Sociability Run, auto traffic was increasing. The Smith brothers submitted to The Evening Times a daily list of “auto parties registered at the Richmond.” For August 30 that list included out-of-state autoists from Kalamazoo, Mich., Detroit, Mobile, and Baltimore, plus those from Buffalo, Troy, Syracuse and Utica.

Secret timed runs popular with early autoists, motorcyclists

Timed runs like the Sociability Run had apparently been popular with early area automobile clubs for several years.

In July, 1915, for example, the Herkimer Automobile Club held a timed race on a Thursday afternoon to Heller Grove, about a mile east of Salisbury Center on a route that took them through Little Falls and Dolgeville. Twenty-one cars filled with more than 100 people took part. The secret time was arrived at by allowing five men who were not owners of autos, to mark the time they thought it might take to make the 20 mile run, seal their envelopes, and hand them to committee chairman Fred Ray.

After arrival of the last car at the Grove, Ray opened the five envelopes, added together the times given and divided by five, giving an average of 73 minutes as the secret time. W.B. Howell, the next to the last motorist to arrive, won by having a time of 72 minutes 18 seconds. If he hadn’t had to stop to change a tire, he likely would not have won. Howell, and W.E. Kay and Albert Zintsmaster, who finished second and third, won prizes.  Following a lunch at the grove, the autos returned to Herkimer by way of Fairfield and Middleville.

In June of 1915, about 40 motorcyclists from Little Falls made a secret timed run on a Sunday to a place called South Bay, a 114-mile round trip. First prize was a headlight donated by Charles Kelley who also offered a silver cup to the motorcyclist nearest to the time set for three runs similar to the one to South Bay. The next run was to be to Caroga Lake in Fulton County.