City's Most Skillful Woman
Motorist Discovered in Test


Mrs. C.B. Cooper Speeds 25 Miles, Stops Car Within 60
Feet, Winning First Prize in Careful
Driving Contest

By bringing her touring car down the straightaway at 25 miles an hour, jamming on the brakes and slowing it to a dead stop within 60 feet, Mrs. C.B. Cooper, 2540 Aldrich avenue south, won the title yesterday of Minneapolis's most skillful woman motorist. Her victory, which she won by 18 inches over Mrs. H.E. Young, 116 Groveland avenue, was the climax of a contest in car management among 18 women automobilists of Minneapolis at the Lake Harriet Concourse. The contest was a sort of graduation for women who have attended the course of instruction given by the Minneapolis division of the National Safety Council, with the aid of the Civic & Commerce association, the Automobiles Trades association and the Police and Park departments. Mrs. Cooper was awarded a silver loving cup by L.M. Browne on behalf of the Automobile Trades association. Mr. Browne, an officer in the Gray Motor company, had won the cup himself several years ago in a similar contest in Detroit. Crowds Watch Performance. Threatening rain reduced the number of entrants and spectators, but scores watched the performance in front of the pavilion. The first test was cutting a small figure eight at ordinary driving speed. White kegs marked this course and only one of these was smashed. The women drivers made the compound turns with skill and grace. Mrs. H.E. Young, 116 Groveland avenue, won first place in this, with Mrs. F.L. Lucke, 1789 James avenue south, second. This event was followed by stopping from a speed of 25 miles an hour. Then followed stops at 20 miles an hour, 15 miles an hour and 10 miles an hour. The contestants were rated on their showing for the whole course, including the figure eight. From the 18 the following were chosen for the final test: Mrs. C.B. Cooper; Mrs. C.P. Wilkinson, 5045 Colfax avenue south; Mrs. H. E. Young; Mrs. John H. Steele, 1920 Girard avenue south; Mrs. C.B. Cox, 5003 Stevens avenue; and Mrs. E.A. Johnston, 1234 Washburn avenue north. All six cars made remarkably swift stops, with Mrs. Young and Mrs. Cooper so nearly tied for first honors that they had to run a special course to decide the winners. Other contestants yesterday were Mrs. P.J. Murphy, 2844 Irving avenue south; Helen Blum, 907 Oliver avenue north; Mrs. C. Lean, 2915 West Forty-eighth street; Mrs. A.H. Long, 311 Fifth avenue south; Mrs. Gerald Martin, 2368 Lake of the Isles boulevard; Mrs. Rex Heald, 4460 Lake Harriet boulevard; Mrs. W.H. Gooch, 2323 Newton avenue south; Mrs. Lillian Johnson, 2111 eleventh avenue south; Mrs. J.R. Shaw, 921 West Thirty-sixth street; Mrs. George C. Hunt, 2537 Aldrich avenue south, and Mrs. Albert P. Kimm, 3337 Pillsbury avenue. Directed by R.C. Haven. The contest was directed by R.C. Haven, manager of the Minneapolis division of the National Safety Council, and L.M. Browne. The judges were Lieut. John Hart, chief of the traffic department; Judge T.H. Salmon of Conciliation court; Dr. C.H. Kohler, president of the Minneapolis division of the Safety council; Walter Wilmot, secretary of the Automobile Trades association, and Louis Nathanson of the civil service commission. Lieutenant Hart addressed the contestants after the awarding of the cup, complimenting them on their work in the training course designed to reduce automobile accidents. Mr. Haven announced that another course in auto driving probably will be held next fall. He said information about the school and yesterday's contest has been sought by other cities and will be used in their campaigns against accidents.

A well-heeled and well-gloved driver of 1918. (Image courtesy mnhs.org)

The Lake Harriet Pavilion in 1920. The numbers "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9" are visible atop the building. Does anyone know what they were for? (Image courtesy mnhs.org)