The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-30
AUTOMOBILES.
Self-Propelling Machines Becoming Very
Popular.


mechanical marvels Of the decade has
been silently stealing into popular Ia
vor. 1t is no cxaggcration to make
this statement regarding the hOrselcss
carriage, for there are forming all
over the country clubs to make the
most out Of the automobile as means
Of recreation. Business men are cal
culating how they can introduce the
new vehicle into their service to the
best advantage to themselves, and here
and there in our city streets, few and
far between, it is true, but daily grow
ing more numerous, are to be seen au
tomobilc cabs, automobile broughams,
and last, that rare and wonderful in
novation, the automobile truck. In
all large cities he factories arc hum
ming, and in many smaller cities the
demand has caused many smaller es-
adjustments to start up and join in
the rush for the horsccss- carriage
avenue to wealth The demand,
which at least ninety establishments
throughout the States are doing their
best to Gil, is for coaches, carriages,
delivery wagons, bicycles, tricyclcs.
trucks, victorias, and numbers Of 9TH
cr vehicles of no vehicles Of no par
ticular names that arc being built at
the order Of private individuals.
Nor is the demand for automobiles
confined to this class of conveyance.
In Hartford, Conn, the FIRE depart
lncnt has added horscless truck to
its equipment; in Chicago, hospital
includes horselcss ambulance among
its rolling stock, and in England the
army is being provided with motor gun
carriages for the use of the light
artillery. 1t ia az certain as fate
that the motor tricycle. is destined
to GUST the bicycle at present in use,
just as the latter caused the old-time
Ordinary" to be relegated to the junk
heaps. The self-propclled vehicle is
the vehicle of the future, and is at
present only in the cradle days Of it's
existence.
As matter of fact, it must be ad-
mitted that they are far ahead OF US
in the older countries, although We
are overhauling them fast, and shall
eventually distance them without Q
doubt. Motor cabs have long ceased
to be curiosity in Paris and London,
and motor omnibuses are fast becom-
ing an object Of everyday familiarity
with the citizens. There have been
races in France between expert auto
mobilists, and as the country store
keepers have adopted them, the
French peasant is fer more familiar
with the sight of the new vehicle than
the average American Of the rural dis
tricts. The French government has
been forced to take official notice of
the automobile, and has done 80 in the
usual high-handed style Of the Euro
nean ruler, by numbering the vehicles
and notifying the owners that in the
event of France becoming engaged in
war, the good patriot must rush his
automobile to the nearest military de-
pot for the use Of the French army.
The French government has also
adopted rules regarding the speed at
which the vehicle may travel, and be-
fore motorman may steer an automo-
bile through the streets of Paris, he
must first show his skill by driving up
and down steep road in which are
planted dummy figures, representing
pedestrians crossing the roadway,
,nurse-girls out with their charges,
wagons, bicyclists, and the usual ;n-
.pcdiments Of a public highway. On
the day Of his trial the motorman
drives the automobile up and down
this road, picking his way in and out
of this mass of obstacles and driving
at what speed he can under the cir
cumstances. If his wheel touches
one Of the dummy figures ever so
lightly, over it goes, and the driver
has proved his inability to guide the
automobile through the streets with
out danger to the citizens.
In England the automobile omnibus
has been received with great favor,
and number Of automobiles arc in
use by the business houses of the
large cities for the delivery Of goods.
There have been exhibitions Of horse
less vehicles in both French and Eng
lish cities, and in both countries there
are powerful associations, whose mem
bers are interested chiefly in the i'm
provement of the automobile and the
advancement of the horeeless vehicle
in public favor.
A great advantage must follow the
intrnduction ~ the ontnpoob;1o 81