The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-06
THE LAST sHAcKLE STRUCK OFF
Motor Vehicles Have Completed the
Emancipation of women.

Ne" loih' Aug 4'-Iids 'le iiio'o' 'S
| hicle come as the final emancipation oil
| women?
yesterda,, had n vision Of the very,
- .
newest OF the new "oIileh-Ho' inc aH-
vanced female of square-cut attire, sober
colors and socialistic ideas, but the bril-
lam creature Of the motor cbrriape vvoo
- 'SP1 u"po Hci9S4I' d ''ea'iOi "a ''iN
hour.
She was coming down the avenue in the
sunshine. She SAT luxuriously among the
rich green cushions of a sparkling new
victoria with the top crushed back and
"A footman sitting up behind. in aristocrat-
ic stiffness and white topped boots In
attire, from her lace parasol to patent
leather ties. she was what one might ex-
pect on the avenue on a sunny afternoon,
but there wasn't a mothers son. or
daughter either of the thousand who
turned to watch her go by who thought
once of clothes. For her hands were on
the two nickle-pIated levers which curved
gracefully upward from the carriage floor
in front of her and one dainty foot res red
on the brake bar
She wore none of the tense, anxious, ex-
erted expression of the driver of horses
A gentle turn Of neatly gloved wrist in
creased or decreased her speed by several
miles an hour. ii twist of the other and the
vehicle cut out TO one side with a pleasant
whirr and passed a numbering buss; a
pressure of her thumb and the electric bell
rang a warning. 1t was all without effort
graceful and deliberate, and yet dashing
and impressive.
l watched her spin deity in and out
among the maze of travel easily and
quietly making a speed about three times
that of an ordinary carriage. l saw her
whistle across the tracks at a much-trol-
lied street and turn with a sweep into the
lower avenue, drawing up at the curbing
as gracefully as a bird might aiight. And
then the big footman came down and held
the carriage key-these new marvels of
vehicles have keys like treasure boxes
while nv lady tripped across the sidewalk
to do her shopping. And thus, l thought
Is woman finally emancipated. No more
the terror of the runaway that haunteth
by day, no more of the odor equine no
more OF the buckle horror, no more whips
no more flies. 40 more dust to fly up from
beneath horses hoofs, no more clatter and
bang and rattle.
For these thousand years or more a Ger
tain weakness of my lady's wrists has
forced her to sit quietly at my lords side
and see HIM hold with superior strength
the reins that guide his high steppers And
if that strength failed, what can she do
but screamo Some there have been who
have driven, and yet no woman ever yet
deep in her foart, quite lost the lurking.
fear of the bit in the teeth nor overcome
entirely Ter suspicion that the harness will
break
But with the coming of the new vehicle
with its gmartly curving handles all this
is changed A woman can drive now and
turn and race as well as a man 1t needs
only the strength of a child And more
than that she can stop-stop wherever and
whenever she pleases and in any one of
four or five different waves And when
She goes in to call or shop she has no need
to worry about William and the horses.
She knows of a certainty that her carriage
will remain exactly where she left it, and
thai it cannot start until she inserts the
little brass key which she carries with her
Moreover she was emancipated from
trolley cars and suburban railroads If
she lives in the country forty miles out.
no more will she arise in the dawn 20
catch the fast train to town and worry
all day about getting herself and her
bundles to the fast train at night She
is ready when she pleases best her car
rage Is never eating like horses. nor
warm like horses, never casts a shoe, and
she gets in and rides to town on 20 cents
worth of gasoline or electricity cher fare
on the suburban train would have been
40 cents)' she shops were she pleases. locks
her bundles under the seat. waits for
lunch at her favorite restaurant and stops
for her husband at the office and they
spin home toge Their in the cool of the after
noon, faster than the trolley would carry
them with no jostling nor crowding. and
no changing cars.
Once at home this new woman runs
| her new vehicle into-her summer kitchen
| II she hasn't a barn. And there it is ready
| for another forty miles There's no IN
| buckhng of moist buckles, no mysterious
| straps to tie up-what woman ever really
| understood a harness?-no oats TO parcel
| out nor hay to fork down. and no odor
| nor flies. OF course, this paragon on
wheels must be cleaned, but no more than
an ordinary buggy. and il must be fed
| but that is no harder than filling the par
| lor lamp-unscrew nut. tin up the can
and behold! it is done. The new vehicle
must be oiled and the tires pumped at
regular intervals, but no more than a h.
! cycle Fifteen cents will carry II 100 miles
and il never eats when II isn't working
and that is something every former horse
owner appreciates most keenIv And tho
costs of a really good vehicle whether
onarafad IN, pasolape ar .,1ootr{ost,.