The St. Louis Republic., 1904-02-21
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Feb. 20.-Tendency IN woman
to engage in the sports of men within the
last ten years has resulted in the invasion
Of a strenuous field. where the element Of
danger IL extreme.
Nerves in women most highly tensioned
have become stiffened.
Matron and maid have developed cour-
age and resolution. At the tennis courts.
on the golf links. in tho water with the
hounds across the fresh green fields and
over fences and walls, at the wheel Of
fragile racing yachts. and lastly at the
steering wheel of tho automobile. tho
American woman to-day even excels her
English sister. who was the original ex-
ponent-of outdoor spoEs for women.
Having mastered the difficulties Of out
door games, She now turns her attention
70 the high-speed automobiles.
Now, my lady has developed her nerve
and courage through the encouragement
Of her brother until she is ready to play
Mahout among the elephants of India or
to take the tilIer OF an eirship. She Is
ready, and of this there is no doubt, to
don the goggles and coat OF the chauffeur
and annihilate space along country roads
with the facilities displayed by the men.
SHE is READY.
She is willing. But can she master these
heavy cars OF vast power. handle them In
eongested places and race them over the
boulevards at that speed where an OBJ
struction means instant application Of the
brakes and a COO! hand at the guiding
.She will lose her nerve" comes the
statement from the masculine cynic.
I'VE are just as quick and steady as the
men," she says. I'VE bring our cars
home. while the doughty fellows oftimes
hire a truck to drag their machine to the
garage"
1t Is natural to believe that no woman
has the strength and the power OF thought
to serve in any great emergency. Driving
q spirited horse in the park requires the
possession of ones full faculties. 1t is
argued that high power automobiles are
some steed. Then. again. the automobile
is supposed to possess more faults re-
Quiring attention in the operation of the
machine with the Simultaneous survey Of
Be 1t as II may more women are driv-
ing cars to-day than ever before. and the
cominA- spring and summer months are
women. young and old, behind the small
wheels that steer the machines. and rum
ming them over free road with the speed
attained by Vanderbilt. Brokaw, Astor,
KeeIe. Collier and other residents of level
roaded Long Island.
A PESSIMISTIC EXPERT.
There may come a disaster or two to
emphasize the pointed statement OF a man
high in automobiling circles. who makes
bold to declare:
Women have looped the loop and lived
to gasp the details Of the thrilling flight.
Yet only q few weeks ago a plucky circus
performer in attempting to complete the
circle in an automobile was hurled to
horrifytng death. OF course. many men
have been killed in their cars. I draw this
picture not to show that women do not
possess nerve. but want to add that there
afe but few conspicuous cases
Nov, you take one OF our plucky So
ciety girls. She may not know the mean
ing OF the word fear. In driving an auto
mobile one must never relax the tension to
which his nerves are strung in speeding
along a course. The young woman secs a
clear road ahead. and exhilarated by the
5peed is apt to forget that distance is
traversed 20 quickly in an automobile.