The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-08

mobile. any kind OF automobile. cab or car
rage. or tricycle.. You can no, help issir-
ing 70 join with the others IN the tireless
race cut 10 the Ross and through the coun-
try roads. You hear Of this man going ID
bordeaux with his in afteen hours. An
other has made the round tour et Gsrisrany.
Two women are just starting OF for Troa-
VILE You hear how they keep up an aver
age speed Of nineteen miles an hour fer
two days At a cos. OF Something like S.
Some strange stories no doubt. are soA
to the newcomer respecting the demand for
ho-ssleS carriages. Ii is quite (rae that
most Of the makers are Swo years behind
their orders Also II : true that tbs Com
pagn.e-Gensrale Of the Paris street cabs
has been obliged 20 have its first so auto
mobiles built in England. But Il is rot true
that money can not buy" an automobile
20 be delivered Immediately. Stepping into
the showroomS Of an agency on the avenue
OF the Grande Arn'ee the ether day. asked
the price q smart i,tie baby carriage
victoria. all upholstered in blue
Seven hundred dollars was the prompt
And that one with the failing tops''
light hundred dollars
My aspirations al once became more mod
est:
Wei. then. how much for one OF those
little 5rieyciesy Surely, they can not ns
ch;nery on them than on ordinary wheels
Ne. they are cheap. the man replied:
You Gan have one 81 them Tor ss@ II
that day: so took refuge In the tradition,
Of slow delivery
II suppose Il viii take you a month or Sd
10 deliver IT,. l said.
.'Oh. no.. he answered kindly; ''yeu can
take 1t right away with you today
This ! found 10 De he case in several
other establishments. While the supply Is
for cash.
AS these things are really street iocomo-
tives. after all. and not unconnected with
danger In the hands OF the inexperienced.
the authorities require you 10 pass an ex-
animation before they lie, you operate your
automobile: The matter is not so tremen-
dously difficult, as many women who have
never known thing about machinery hold
certificates: but still. the local history OF
lively enough with runaways. collisions and
trifltng explosions. When II comes 20 high
speed there Is indeed a certain sporting tn
terest In The danger, As NJ. Rene De Knyn
said recently 10 an interviewer: There is
no true sport that has not the element Of
danger In II, shall soon have petroleum
maintain a continued speed on the level
road of five-eigh,hs of a mile minute.
Nothing Is so exhilarating as the feeling.
as you skim along at a high velocity. that
your l.fe depends upon the accurate ADJUST
ment and manipulation OF delicate maehin-
cry which can instantly be controlled by
the pressure of the little finger. This seuti-
ment appeals to the sportsman's instinct"
You cannot help admirins the electric
automobile cabs OF the Compagnie Gener-
ale. This Is the Paris cab company that Is
to put 300 public horseless vehicles on tho
streets or Paris next month. ny way OF n
tirst experiment. BY exposition time, in
Paris will be herseiess, in which case. un-
less some great Improvement he made. IL
will be fortunate tina, they are electric.
The electric s machines leave no trail Of
odor. They have no vibration. They are
really noiseiess. Our on the training
ground OF Saint Denis go former cabmen-
practice on them daily In alternate squads
OF Atty. They can run along together PASS
each other either way. meet in confusion.
stop abruptly. get themselves loose without
smashing. and pursue their way again.
They are signaied TO, in full career. to stop,
10 take on an imaginary fare. The signalsd
man turns out. approaches an imaginary
curb. and takes his passenger
The electric motor possesses so many adj
vantages that II VIII certainly be used for
long time 10 come In cities. The autcmo-
BILE delivery wagons OF the big shops are
cursion vans and the omnibtses OF the sub
urbs. But. on the other hand, they are
extremely heavy. more expensive to run
than the petroleum motors. and. above all.
have the extraordinary disadvantage OF re-
quiring special stations for recharging In
large cities their batteries or accumu!atorv
may be supplied at any Of the numerous
electric sectors. but In the country an eiee-
tric. automobile Is as helpless as fish on
land.
II may therefore he taken as settled that.
for all but the nxed city traffic, Paris auto
mobiltsm Is to be OF the petroleum motor
type. And. considering the virtues Of tho
tNIpiSuIH ifVtVIs, ~ tousu upt Ut OtnfF-
wise. Three hundred miles may be accom-
plished by few gallons Of gasoline. Case
limo may be obtained at any wayside viii
lage. Five dollars worth OF gasoline win
take you anywhere In France. The first
cost OF the automobile being given 1t Is
practically as inexpensive as a bicycle. II
viii carry hamper Of lunch n basket of
champagne, a valise full OF clothes water
proof coats. umbrellas, maps and guide
books. II can be put up In any waysiie
stable at the cost OF storage II Is swift
II is tireless. IL is "the latest thing" Il
Is fashionable.
You know how popular the owner Of q
tandem bicycle was with the fair sex dur
ing the first years OF tandem riding? Yet
think Of the exertion. The owner OF a little
padded "voiturette" in France knows moth
ing of that straln. He wraps the rug
around the Lady. turns the lever, and
they're on"