The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-31
THE AUTOMOBILE
GIRL OF 'OO.
The Latest Edition of Summer
Girl Has OutclaSSed the Golf
and Bicycle Girl.

anu OASJ ~ 49,
The automobile girl is the new girl
of the season. Each summer brings its
noveIty-the tennis, golf or mountain
maid-but none more catching than
the prettily gOWned creature who, IN
bright attire. sits aloft above a whir-
ring dynamo and guides the deSunies
of the new steed, which, though less
than a year old, is driving the poor old
horse, once cherished, from the field.
1t is simple enough to be an auto
mobile girl, say you, If the vehicle IS
provided. But when you know the
truth you will admit that it takes cour-
age as we'll as possession; that II re-
quires nerve and wisdom to guide the
strange, horseless thing, and when
courage, nerve and wisdom are all pro
vided, with their small essentials, such
as activity, strength and will, there
must be added prettiness or the auto
mobile girl will not be a success
1t is only a little more than year
since the Countess de CaStellane, an
American girl abroad, appeared upon
the Boulevard in her motor carriage,
and with the lever in hand and tiny
foot upon the brake, guided the car
riage down the street through the Bols
and home again without accident,
stopping en- route to pick up the Count,
her husband, who settled back in the
cushions and watched his wife con-
tentedly. The Countess wore a gown
of deep scarlet, with scarlet hat
trimmed with black, thus supplying
that touch of ebony which makes a
Paris costume SO chic
THE RED.
Next we heard of the automobile red,
that dark, rich, red, which seemed at
tached to the automobile in some subtle
way. Then came the automobile hat,
turn back affair, and soon there We're
automobile gloves of white, with black
stitching From all this beauty came
forth the automobile girl
But she did not long remain French
n in n F1rNT
twice as chic. thrice as capable and
four times the spOrtsWOman- You saw
her mornings near Central Park, guild
ing her vRhicle all alone and lodging
the nurse maids and escaping the baby
carriages in a marvellous way. After
Moons you met her, not alone this time,
but with her load of summer men, on
her way out to Grants tomb, to come
back in the evening laden with dew and
honors. Ali the automobile girl began
to be very winsome-more so than the
coaching girl or the equestrienne.
And what had she to learn, this au-
tomObile girl2 She mastered the trick
of the levers in a short time, and
learned how to put on the brakes and
how to back and come forward at
short notice. But there was more. She
had to learn to take a vehicle with the
manners of a kangaroo and make "A
polite carriage out of it-a lady's car
riage.
When on the level the automobile
girl had it easy. With a touch upon
the lever, which she was always in
clined to call her handle bars, she made
the connection and sped away. Here
she made her best speed, but as soon
as the country grew rough then came
the test OF spOrtsWOmanship-
Going up hill the automobile must be
coaXed like a team. 1t must be driven
slowly, with only half speed on, and
the smoOthest places in the road must
be selected. If too much pressure is
put upon it there viii be quick,
vicious snap and the automobile will
be disabled, and must be abandoned
for repairs. A good driver will run a
vehicle for seasons without a break, as
a good bicyclist viii ride summer after
summer without repairs A poor rider
breaks his wheel in day; an lncapable
autOmobilist must call upon the horse
NEEDS SKILL.
In going down hill the automobile
girl must show wisdom. 1t is only re-
Gently that w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr at
Newport, overturned his vehicle going
down hill. While this is not easy to
dO-the young millionaire was riding
backward, just for sport-there is new
ertheless a chance for an accident.
Both brakes must be mastered, and the
automobile must be nicely checked all
the way.
A great discussion is now going on
in France over the relative qualities of
craftsmanship between a coach and
an automobile. Which requires the
outdoor work? There are adherents of
both kinds of sport, but the majority
are aUtomobilist Even so simple a
thing as the filing of the reservoir in
a petroleum machine takes experience
The rider must learn to gauge the
amount in the can or he will be grew
iously imposed upon when he stops for
a rehlling.
The automobile girl must understand
her vehicle. If it breaks she must know
what is broken and how serious is the
damage done. If she is ignorant upon
this subject she will be charged well
by the repairer, who will put in a bill
for time, naming many small matters
that needed doing. If she can boldly
state the trouble and ask for certain
repair, then she has the whole matter
in her own hands. 1t all seems dense
at first to the automobiles, but she
soon learns.
The automobile girl can be a city girl,
for the carriages are driven on the
thoroughfares. Fifth avenue sees them
every evening, even on the hottest
of the vehicles in New York owned by
well-known women. And there are
dozens of them to hire
The automobile girl need not be the
child of wealth, for she can hire
cheaply. And they tell US that in an
other year the new horseless carriage
will be within the reach of all who
stand a chance of owning any pleasure
| vehicle, and then we shall, indeed, have
the automobile girl among US.