The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-13

The Washington cosmopolite has taken
20 the automobile as readily as a canvas
back to the CLASSY blue surface OF a
Northern lake. The asphalt flooring Of
his beautiful city seems built on purpose
for the softly upholstered. rubDer-tired.
condensed essence Of locomotive luxury.
Il is only one Of the ever recurring evil
dcEces Of the eternal fitness OF Things,
that he should take his afternoon drive,
make his round Of official calls. OF daily
trip 20 his place Of business in this mod
eTn epitome OF luxury on wheels.
But he didn't jump at this conclusion.
He isn't that kind Of a fellow.
While the atmosphere has been tinged
with orange tinted echoes from the am
Der expOnents Of the Paris and New York
faddism, the Washingtonian read the
scientific monthlies and reached his con-
clusiOn with his inevitab conservatism.
rs the automobile practical means of
conveyance? II | should attempt 10 full
fiji an engagement in one, instead Of rid
ing out 10 the links, wouldn't il balk at
the hills out Chevy Chase way, or muss
nay bones in a runaway down one Of those
slopes Thus pOndcred the retired cap
iiaiist whose accumulation Of 3 pei. cents.
Of his purse
W lA II be As reliable as the time-tried
morse wondered the man who hires
MS carriage by the month, and never
boiheTs mis- head about the diseases horse
'esh Is heir to. Won't the power give
out inoppCrtUnely, and chaperones. bellies
ana ceDutante be compelled to walk the
last three squares of their way 10 ban
or reception or sit through a shivering
wait Ior a new supply Of electricity"
TIE Auto as Novelty.
The French actress in need Of advertis-
ing might buy one of the things, run over
somebody or into something. and ep. an
excited French version Of he accident
cablcC 70 the American newsrapers. That
was all right. She would get her moneys
worth, fer the subject was novel enough
10 beguile the reader past the scare head
Of the paragraph.
Inc young muiu-milliOnaire might cause
a ianguid ripple H. the blase surface of
the social swim in which he f0ated nv
smashing his newest TOW into kjndling-
wood by an imPrOmptu backward coast
down the steep side OF a EeyDort hin
That was all right, too. II gave Chollv
kick-abOut-er, who paddles around in the
shallow edge OF that same swim. and
writes society notes from the inside" AZ
'steen times the regulation yellow space
rates, an opportunity TO tell in heavy
loaded type how il all happened
But The WashingtOnian is not fond of
experiments which bring him into the
notoriejy Of nsationaI print. and he has
other uses for mis- money than buying ex-
pensive kindling wood
So he waited until automobiling should
develop into something more practical
than a fashionable fad.
He took mis- daily airing on Shank's
horses, prOpeiling himself with the motive
power which proves infaIIible as long as
he gives hOrse-sense care To the storage
battery provided him by nature He drove
over the smooth pavements with the reins
taut above the glistening back of a thor
Oughbred with i pedigree as long as a
Congressional Record, and felt the cleo
trio current Of sympathy which establish
e. itself between an intelligent man and
his intelligent horse. Or else he spun
along on his bike which can't run away
with him so long as his muscles continue
their customary obedience TO his mental
suggestion.
Meanwhile, the electric carriage had
been given an opportunity TO demonstrate
its usefulness. New York journalism had
ceased tearing its hair over this latest
evidence of the selt-cOmplacent up-to-
dateness Of its city.
and the Dracticability of the horseless
carriage was established.
Automobiles for Hire.
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