Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
MAY MOTOR TOURS
Motoring Has Developed an
Acute Craze.
GOOD FOR THE HEALTH
TWO RICH WOMEN WHO WANT
TO RUN RACING STABLES.
Plenty of Fun Guaranteed in the Up
to-Date Sport for the Weaker
Sex.
GOOD FOR THE HEALTH
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
May is regarded by those who know as
the choice month for motor tours, and If
there is one circumstance that more than
any other is calculated to add piquancy of
interest to this vivid mode of travel 1t is
to tour as the guest of an expert feminine
motorist. She will steer you through the
green spring landscape at any pace you
like, from ten to fifty miles an hour, and
she can talk about the comparative
merits of artillery wheels, the Berry sys-
TEN. dashboard fabrication and single
levers for speed changes with a dazzling
ease and confidence that inspires awe and
admiration. This is all because motoring
has advanced from a gentle interest into an
acute craze among the progressive and
wealthy women. Some in this class, such
as Mrs. o. H. P. Belmont and Mrs. William
Vanderbilt, jr., show disposition to keep
racing stables, have imported record break
ers at an outlay of many thousands, and
took experimental lessons of Fourier when
he was on this side.
Others have rented speedy, big auto cars
and are giving touring parties this month
and then there is the woman who is bound
TO be picturesque and who runs an electric
stanhope or berceau phaeton that is fitted
up like jewel box inside But whatever
phase of the situation may be presented
one fact is plainly evident that the women
are SeHtly Dul HrInly determined TO extract
all the pleasure and profit possible from the
horseless carriage. and to learn to control
these machines with their own fair hands.
For Both Fun and Health.
That there Is large amount of very real
profit to be extracted from an automobile
is proven by one woman who tried all the
rest cures and diets in the country with
view to bolstering up her poor nerves and
feeble digestion. At that psychological mo-
ment, SO thrillingly dwelt upon in patent
medicine advertisements. despair over
Whelmed her and kind friend took her
out In an automobile. Two weeks later she
owned horseless carriage and ate lobster
and mince pie. The swift motion in the
fresh air ana the interest of the thing pull
ed her out of her physical rut, and hers is
a comparatively inexpensive stanhope, to
which, however, has recently been applied
all the latest fashionable ideas in the equip
ment of such vehicles.
Motor Fittings.
For instance, one of the springtime fads
In automobile fitting is to order silver
initial letters for adjustment to the rear
of the carriage where the law requires
them to appear. The jewelers. are turning
them out in Roman. script and Gothic form
for direct application to the vanished back
panels On electric victorias and broug-
hams big silver Roman letters are the
style, but on lighter carriages there is a
tendency to affix polished brass plates on
which the initials are enameled in black,
dark blue or dark green. This is effective
and decorative, and when a woman runs
her own little individual vehicle she leans
to all manner of commendable frivoities
in it's upholstery.
Wash slip covers are in point, and white
linen or brown Holland covers are buttoned
over the seat cushions, that may be first
overlaid with whipcord, hammer cloth or
leatner. Inc covers button ON smoothly as
a. skin, the owners initials are braided or
embroidered in their center, and the
straight curtain that hangs from the seats
edge to the vehicle floor matches the COW
ers and is edged with fringe. On the floor
lies snow white rubber mat with linen
covered footrest for the companion of who
ever may be at the levers, and in stables
where the immaculate condition of every
carriage is insisted upon these covers are
put on freshly laundered every day. A
white duck lap robe with heavily braided
edges Is sometimes used, though the ex-
cessively smart novelty is a rug of soft,
bleached doeskin that washes and has sill
yer corners.
Up-to-Date Cars.
This type of motor vehicle is always pro-
vided with clock and stop-watch at
tachment on the dashboard for reckoning
rates Of speed, and in niche under the
seat fits the motor toilet box and the motor
bag. The bag is a miniature satchel lined
with red or green watered silk and fur
nished like shopping bag. while the toilet
box is stocked with powder, hairpins,
handkerchief puff, ETC., for renovations
after long and dusty ride.
Such concessions to mere fancy the chaur-
feuse of an observation-disclosures
tcnneau carriage regards with plying
scorn Siver-mounted gongs that tinkle
like the triangles in an orchestra are not
suitable to her machine. Whieh cost a lot