The San Francisco call., 1906-10-14
IT PAYS TO ACT
AS YOUR OWN
CHAUFFEUR.
BY R.R. rF1on1n1edieu-

DR.. w. l. Wilcox. who owns a Winton
car. reported TO the Pioneer Automo-
bile Company that he has run his car
over 1000 miles since last December
with a cost of only $3.50 for repairs In
that time.
This statement has been duplicated
by several others who have automobiles
of different kinds of makes. They are
in a direct contrast to the statements
of many owners to the effect that au-
tomobiling is an expensive sport In
every case, like that of Dr. Wilcox, the
report was accompanied with the state
ment that the owner is his own chaut-
feur. This one point seems to be the
keynote to the situation.
1t is not the automobile that adds to
the expense, but the chauffeur. 1t is
known that in most of these cases the
owners are not grounded in the art of
the machinist. but have picked up their
knowledge of the engine from the day
the car was delivered to them This
being the case it would pay every pur-
chaser of an automobile TO give up
little of his spare time at the begin
ming to learn his automobile thoroughly
at the start. 1t will be a paying propo-
sition in the end.
An owner of an automobile has no
right to own a car If he is not
thoroughly familiar with 1t. There are
times when things may go wrong with
the engine or car and then a thorough
knowledge of everything about it would
make it possible to avert an accident
that might be fatal
OWNERS ARE IGNORANT.
One has only to spend a little while
in the speciality stores to appreciate
the lack of knowledge of some owners
concerning their cars. They will come
~, xryifh oIo nd r. Hao aa
in a way that shows that they have
not the slightest knowledge of what
they are buying or what the thing
they have purchased is good for. The
chauffeur will make a long talk that
this will do so and so and is the right
thing for the automobile. In many
cases the attachment already on the
car is as good, IL not better. than the
one being purchased. but the chauffeur
must have the pleasure of experiment
ing at the owners expense.
The dealer in specialties may know
that the attachment Is not needed in
this particular case, knowing on what
car it Is going to be used. but he does
not dare to say So for the chauffeur
will get out his hammer" and knock"
the dealer the next time something is
needed.
When an owner who runs his own
car comes in and wants TO get some
thing to correct something that is not
working just to his notion the dealer
will take the case under advisement, as
a doctor would sick person, and sug
gest the best possible thing, irrespec-
tive of price or profit. for he wants to
give satisfaction. Right here there is
a great saving in the running cost OF
a car. II every owner fully understood
his car he could not be handed "a gold
brick by his chauffeur. He would know
Ill =. alo Fafr- frruf rt1~a
was needed.
Loss ONLY TEMPORARY.
Then there is another point that the
representatives of the different cars
that are for sale on the coast should
insist upon, and that Is that a car
should not be turned over to a pur-
chaser until the latter has shown that
he fully understands the machine.
few sales may be lost at times from
following this mode of procedure, but
il will in the long run increase the to-
fed owner of a car does lot or harm
by telling his friends that the car he
has Is an expense. Many prospective
buyer has switched TO some other make
when some personal friend has shown
what the expense OF his car has been.
In about ninety-nine cases out OF
hundred 1t has not been the fault of
the car, but the lack of knowledge on
the part Of the owner. A satisfied
owner is good for new car Just as
often as his funds will allow. There
has been a talk of forming school for
chauffeurs. What would be better still
would be a school for owners.
There has been a change in the idea
of the popular car. Up to April the
touring car was the popular vehicle in
the city and on the road, but the dust
and the prospects of a very muddy win
ter about the city, have turned the at
tention of the prospective purchaser to