The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-19
is A GREAT FAVORITE WITH THE
PRETTY GIRLS OF WASH
INGTON
DARING RUSSIAN COUNTESS
wild Dash for Home Ended in Dis
RSter - Miss Mabel Merriam
the Most Up-tO-Dnte
"AutO Girl"

almost every one Of them has become
expert in the art owns his own auto
mobile, ANA takes UP the fad with quite
as much enthusiasm as he takes up any,
thing most new and progressif and
Americana"
The first automobile club of the District
Of Columbia. the PHILADELPHIA Record
says, WAS organized some weeks ago,
with Gen. Nelson A. Miles and tn ;
Austrian minister, Baron HengenmulIer
among its wen known and enthusiastic
members. 1t has become much more OF
lad than the bicycle enthusiasm ever
was
CASSINNT A DARING AUTOMOBILES
Among the society girls. Countess Cas-
siuni the niece of the Russian aribas-
sador, is probably the most skillful auto
mohilist and the most daring. She is eX-
pert IN all of the outdoor sports, is a good
whip, an excellent golf player, as well
as charmingly refined and accomplished
young woman. She is the proud owner
of aa.ty little ycllow-wheeIed auto. and
scarcely a day passes that she does not
take "a 50 around town. and at q pace
that eAEausts the batteries in no time
She invariably takes her ret dog along
ON the seat beside her or if she has a
friend the little fellow curls up like a
long white astrallhan fur muff on the
floor of the vehicle.
y
perience of the young countess when she
was nGvitiate in the auto art. Ac>
companted by a girl companion the la,-
lng little Russian lady, after having had
but few lessons, took a ten-nile spin
out beyond the district line along the
Burnt Mills road. Everything went quite
mcrrny until the ten-mile limit was
reached and the countess noticed by the
ampere register that she had only ssuf-
hCient electricity to make three miles
more. She thought if she threw her con-
troller on to the last point and went at
as lightning rate as her auto would
run she might cover the ten miles back
quite safely. The road is about as de-
serted country thoroughfare as here is
in the district, so she had not many i'm
pediments, saving COWS and occasionally
gaping farmer youths, and these were
easily dissolved, for the way that ths
RUSSIAN siTl flew along that road was a
halloween tale.
But 1T" happened The power gave
out on a terrific down grade, the brake
wouldn't work and the whole machine
was seized with deirium tremens. It
llrst turned a sOmersault and dumped its
occupants in a ditch, and then, after
cancing and. reeling up the road, "at-
TEMPTED to climb a tree" as the countess
afterward stated.
Al any rate it was smashed, the coun-
tess and her companion were severely
bruised ana remained in fainting con-
cibon by that roadside for some time,
Senator Foraker and his daughter. who
were driving out,-w.th horses-rescueI
The young ladies, and it was a number
OF weeks before the countess got another
auto. But she got one, and now steers
trtumphantly through the most crowded
streets of the city with as steady a hand
on the levers as though she had never
passed through any pathetic eXper-
fences"
The Baroness Hengenmuller is another
enthusiastic devotee Of the auto-quite
2s much so as her husband They have
three or four vehicles of most EXPENSIVE
make and are very expert. The baroness
is "a large well-built woman. and has
been so much accustomed to driving
that learning to run an automobile was
for her an easy task. She usually rides
out along some of the picturesque coun-
try roads around the suburbs
Nine. Wilder wife of, the minister from
the Argentine Republic, was until recent
ly, when her fathers death called her
back to South America, accustomed to
running her own auto, and paid most of
her social calls most conveniently with
its aid.
AN UP-TO-DATE AUTO GIRL"
The most up-to-date auto girl" is.
however, the daughter of the director of
tiiG CENSUS, MISS MaDel Merriam, She
always rides out in quite ideal stvla
automobile coat, white tie and tan gloves
all of which harmonic we'll with her
high-wheeled T-cart-fashioned auto. with
the straw trimmings and yellow wheels
Miss Merriam is one of the most popular
OF the society girls, and, like almost all Of
the other young women who are devotees
to the new vehicle, is fond of outdoor
life, good tennis player and at home on
horseback
The navy is represented in the auto,
mobile contingent by the beautiful
daughter OF Chief Constructor Hichborn
Miss Matilda HiChborn. She is a blonde
OF pronounced type, tall and of fine car
ri2ge She dresses superbIy usually in
some Ugh color, and whenever riding out
in her auto attracts unusual attention
She uses it for all occasions. calling,
shopping or merely recreation. She IS not
one Of this seasons dehutantes, but has
been out for two or three years, and is
q Ereat faVorite in army and navy circles
Miss Helen Hay, eldest daughter of
the secretary Of state, is another deyo,
tee Of the modern fad, and is almost
equally as daring as the Countess Cas-
sinni.
The French ambassador, NJ Cambon.
was the first member of the Diplomatic
corps to adopt the auto as regular
means Of conveyance, and the Chinese
minister followed him, q close second.
But Mr. WI, unlike the other Diplomats
is cautious, and so employees q man to
run his l0comObile. and does not attempt
to NEEDLE with a machine whose Ameri-
caniSm is too intricate and uncertain Cor
his comprehension.
He and his model little carriage have
become very familiar on WASHINGTON
streets. and when Nine WI and her IT.
tie son ride out they also are objects of
picturesque interest to everyone. Nine.
wa IS sometimes accompanied by Mrs.
Otto Nesmlth, wife Of Capt. Nesmith.
United States army, one of her intimate
friends and neighbors. AIRS. Nesmith was
formerly Blanche Vaughn. the actress.
and is q most charming woman.
On enc occasion the Chinese minister $
little son decided not to wait for the
''anto-mCn." but thought that he himself
could serve as we'll GLittle Nine WI
was comfortably seated, and young Mas
ter WI jumped in ahead of the man -
turned on the controller, and away they
sped down the street at a three-point
pace. Mime. WI screamed, passersby on
the sidewalk became alarmed and dodge /
up steps and behind trees, while the
legation was entirely upset and the mem
bers all quite frantic.
The machine was by this time cutting
up capers down Massachusetts avenue,
The precocious youngster could turn on
the controller. but he could not shut If
off, as sit worked stiff he afterward
exclaimed. So he did the next best thing
he knew which was to turn on both
brakes. which made it run backward
and sideways, and finally ended in dis
ester TO the machine and nervous mos