The St. Louis Republic., 1902-01-17
MRS. LOUISE MCGUIRE.

Inventor of one of the ten street car
tenders which will be tested by the Board
of Public Improvements and street cal
managers.
Manager Jenkins of the Suburban Railway
and General Manager du Pont of the
Transit Company.
The small model was made by Mrs. Nc
CURE. When 1t was completed. size car
ried it to the City Hall and showed Il 10
President Phillips of the Board of Public
Improvements. VINO inspected it thoroughly
and listened attentively to her explanation
OF the mechanism.
Mr.. Phillips brought the model to the at
tention of the Committee on Streets and the
railway managers. with the result that the
commission ordered the fender tried.
Il was almost ashamed 10 show our fend-
er TO the officials Mrs. Mcclure said last
night. happy in the good fortune that has
attended her work thus far. II was sure
the idea was all right. but l dreaded that
the model wouldn't compare TO the fine de-
vices made by the expert mechanics. It's
only 4 cigar box. with little piece of plain
tin in front, TO represent the dashboard.
and the fender. formed of copper WIRE un-
derneath. But. when 1 saw the other
models-there were ninety-six of them. and
saw them ALL thorght our little model
was the cutest among them. Then l was
delighted
Mrs. Mcclure is an attractive woman.
IF am Irish she said u don't know it;
still. 1 suppose / am, for l look like an
Irish girl and everybody says l am My
family came from Virginia. And while I'm
not sure that I'm Irish. / am sure that
I'm American.
My opinion is that woman who works
should walk through the world in short
skirts. 1 think it's sin for merchants to
overdress their windows, and to me it seems
n crime for them to put silks too near the
glass Persons of moderate means are just
as happy as the rich never look in the
show windows because l like to be con-
tented
so. when my husband suggested design
ing fender l put on my short skirt and
began to work. He saw a man ground to
pieces under a car on Washington avenue.
1 thought when he told me of the accident.
Why can't we devise Il fender that will at
least spare the dead from being mangled:'
That started us.
First. We made a canvas fender. but we
saw that wouldn't do We continued plan
ming, and at length hit upon a simple, au-
tomato device to fit under the car. Our
friends tried to dissuade us, but we kept on
with our task.
Finally, 1 went out and got a cigar box
and some copper wire. and made the little
model that seemed to please the officials so
much. ]. o. Chenoweth. for whom my hus-
band works. looked al the fender and prom
ised TO back US If we'd get any encour-
agement. We got the encouragement and
now the fender will he made. 1t will be
ready in two weeks.
Il took the model to the City Hall My!
/ didn't know how TO act. Il was all new
TO me. But Mr.. Phillips was courteous and
ne let me tell him all about the fender
You see. l completed II in two days and
didn't get it to the City Hall until after the
public hearings We're over. / was afraid we
were too late. But l believe those men
want to get the best fender Don't you
think so? 1t seems SO. OF course they do
Isn't it cheaper for them to get a good fem
der and save paying damages. That's the
way l look at 1t.
THE second time I went to the CITY Hall
the officials were in session. / sent in nv
card and Mr.. du Pont came to the door
= came to see If you'd examine my
fender I said
Your fenderr he exclaimed. in surprise.
' Yes | said. That's it you have in
your hand 1 suppose he didn't know it
was made by a woman. for my husbands
name was attached TO it,
Did you see former Senator Schweick-
ar6t's model" she was asked
Yes she replied. smiling. There were
ninety-six there, and you bet studied them
ol