The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-30
AUTOMOBILES.
5Self-Propelling Machines Becoming Very
Popular.
Washington Post.

It is a fact overlooked by many peo-
pie that one of the most interesting
mechanical marvels Of the decade has
been silently stealing into popular ia
yor. It is. no exaggeration to make
this statement regarding the horseless
carriage, for there are forming all
over the country clubs to make the
most out Of the automobile as q means
Of recreation. Business men are GAL
culating how they can introduce the
new vehicle into their service to the
best advantage tothemselves, ana 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-
tomobile cabs, automobile broughams,
and last that rare and wonderful in
noyation, the automobile truck. In
alllarge cities the factories are hum
ming, and in many smaller cities the
demand has caused many smaller es-
tablishments to start up and join in
the rush for the horseless-carrisge
avenue to wealth. The demand,
which at least ninety establishments
throughout the States are doing their
best to FIJI, is for coaches, carriages,
delivery wagons, bicycles, tricycles:
trucks, viictorias, and numbers Of 9TH
er vehicles Of no vehicles ofno par
tieular names that are being built at
the order cf private individuals.
Nor Is. the demand for automobiles
confined to this class Of conveyance.
Ins Hartford, Conn, the ERE depart
men. has added horselesa truck to
Its equipment; in Chicago, a hospital
includes horseless ambulance among
its rolling stock, and in England the
army is being provided with motor gun
carriages for the use Of the light
artillery. Il is as certain as fate
that the motor tricycle. is destined
tosoust the bicycle at present in use,
inst Is! the later caused the old-time
sstordinary to Ee relegated to the junk
heaps. The self-propelled vehicle is
the vehicle Of the future, snd is at
present Only in the cradle days Of its
existence.
As matter of fact, it must be ad-
smitted that they are far ahead Of us
IN the older countries, although we
are overhauling them FAST and shall
eventually distance them without .
doubt. Motor cabs have long ceased
to be a curiosity in Paris and London,
and motor omnibuses are fast becom-
1seg an object Of everyday familiarity
with the citizens. There have been
races in France between expert auto
,mobiists, and as the country store
keepers have adopted them, the
French peasant IS far 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 SO in the
usual high-handed style Of the Euro
pean ruler, By numbering the vehicles
and notifying the owners that in the
event Of France becoming engaged in
var, the good patriot must rush his
automobile to the nearest military de-
potter 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,
nnrse-girls out with their charges,
wagons, bicyclists, and the usual i'm
,pediments Of public highway. On
the .ay Iof 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
cumstanees. 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 are 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