The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-06
Fine City Streets and Good Country
Roads Responsible To a Large
Degree for the Interest.
ORGANIZATION OF A CLUB
LOCAL AUTOMOBILIsTs WILL AFFIL-
late WITH OTHERS.
Men and Women Of the city Who Are
Experts i'm Handling Ma
chines-Summer Plans.

oNAANAN RNNlAt - AANAAeAA"ltAH~ N@
summer whiz over the smooth streets OF
the city and cool roads OF the country ia
automobiles. They are looking forward to
a rapid summer. with a quantity OF coun-
try life. green fields. pure air. wooded re-
treats and all other embellishments of a
semi-rural existence thrown in for good
measure. And these pleasures are TO be
obtained by rushing an automobile over the
various roads leading into the city at a rate
of from twenty to fifty miles an hour.
1t is safe TO say that there will be 10000
invested here this summer in horseless car
riages, and with so large a sum as this in
vested it is easily surmised that a great
amount of pleasure will be derived from
the sport. There is no city In the United
States more admirably situated for the op-
Grating of automobiles than Indianapolis.
for it is perfectly level and the streets cover
over ninety miles of pavement. Before the
summer is over. however. a large number
Of other streets and boulevards will be
added to the list of those already Improved.
which will greatly enhance the pleasure OF
the automobiles.
Those who are enthusiastic owners OF
auto cars grow quite poetic when describ-
ing the runs that will be taken over the
city in the balmy moonlight OF a summers
night, and much planning is being done by
them for the heated months. An automo-
bile club is being formed. and will be in full
running order by the time the season opens,
which is about the middle Of this month.
II is expected that the club will have a
large membership, as all of the preliminary
meetings have been well attended. Those
prominent in organizing IL are Fred Ayres,
DR.. Henry Jameson and General Lew Wal
lace. The promoters of the club desire, in
stead Of having it a local affair. to extend it
all over the State. so that a more compact
organization can be brought about between
all Of the automobilists of Indiana In this
way courtesies can be extended TO those
who are making shot tours through the
State, and these can be returned TO those
coming into the city. The members Of the
club want TO affiliate with either the Amer
lean Motor League or with the Automobile
Club Of America. but among them there Is
some controversy as to which of these or
CARNATIONS should be chosen. The Ameri-
can Motor League has headquarters In
Chicago, and was the first union formed in
the interest of auto enthusiasts. In fact. IL
bears the same relation TO automobilists
as the L. A. w. did to wheelmen. II is
made up almost entirely of Western men.
while the Automobile Club Of America is
composed chiefly of Eastern people and Is
almost exclusively an Eastern organization.
POPULAR WITH WOMEN.
The auto cars are proving TO be very
popular in this city among women. and
there are quite a number who own and
operate their own machines. In fact, many
of them show great ability as automobile
lists. and it is getting to be a common
sight to see them in their light runabout
cars gliding smoothly in and out between
the carriages, heavy trucks and street
cars which throng the downtown streets.
Among the enthusiastic women automo-
milists is Miss Grace Fletcher. Of Central
avenue, who can be seen almost any time
in a light electric buggy, which she uses
for all occasions. Miss Fletcher has be-
come so experienced in the operation OF
the machine that she is considered by all
of her friends an expert. Besides Miss
Fletcher are Miss Augusta jameson, daugh-
ter of DR.. Henry jameson. who runs her
fathers auto; Mrs. d. i. Erwin. OF North
Meridian street; Mrs. Henry SEVERN. OF
East Eleventh street; Mrs. o. Il. Hender-
son, of North Pennsylvania street; Mrs.
Enrique Miller. Mrs. ]. X. Lilly. Mrs. John
Love, Mrs. Charles A. Wallingford. Mrs.
Pierre Gray and quite a number OF others.
The vehicles that are mostly used by
these women are fashioned after the run
abouts and traps. and. In fact. these pat
terms seem to be the popular vehicle used
this summer. The large touring cars which
for a time were popular are slowly Civ
ing way TO the less cumbersome machines
because they do not require nearly so much
attention and can be run with much more
satisfaction and pleasure 10 the operator.
1t is also being learned by people who have
had experience that an is not
for touring over the country. as many who
do not own them imagine, but the practical
machine is for going about town and maxi
ing runs into the country of fifty or sixty
miles. Those who think that an auto is
equal in endurance TO a railroad train for
running long distances in the country would
be greatly disappointed IL they tried the
experiment. II is contended by people who
are in a position 10 know that there are
too many obstacles and distractions 10 be
met with on tours Of two and three hundred
miles. and that the real satisfaction with
the auto is when 1t is used as a horse ana
carriage. although IT can go farther In a
much shorter time than a horse.
II Is said by those who own automobiles
tudt IN many respects luel are cheaper
than horses and that a machine can be
made 10 run from forty 10 sixty miles az a
cost not exceeding % cents. Those who own
electric buggies are now putting small
electric plants I'm their residences and by
this means can charge the machines al a
much less expense. 1t is also stated upon
good authority that the Edison factory in
the East is doing a large business at the
present time equipping wagons with motors
wired for low voltage. The motors that
were first made were so constructed that IL
required from seventy 10 eighty volts 20 run
the machine. Edison claims that this f. q
mistake. and that from forty 10 fifty volts
is sufficient 10 do the work Those intend
ing 10 purchase electric vehicles would do
well 10 see that they are wired for low
voltage. as il is quite expensive II the
wiring has 10 be changed.
KINDS OF POWER USED.
OF the powers that are used I'm propeillng
automobiles. gasoline. steam and electrfclfv