The San Francisco call., 1906-10-17
BY r. r. I,FIor1rnedieu.

The last thirty days have worked
many changes in the commercial auto
mobile vehicle. There have been make
verting automobile trucks into passen-
ger vehicles, but 1t has been only in
the last few weeks that there has been
a decisive move made toward handling
traffic on streets where it is impossible
to run cars.
At the present time Van Ness avenue
is the one place where there is con-
tinual traffic and where there is no
is, there has been no definite catering
to the trade until lately. There were a
few commercial cars used to carry pas
sengers over the hilly blocks. The
trade enjoyed by these cars has caused
several of the merchants along the
avenue to realize that it might be a
paying proposition to establish a reg
ular bus line. Horses were out of the
question on account of the grades
and they therefore have had to turn
to the modern vehicle.
The first order was for five Reos,
which are now doing duty on the ave-
nue.. While watching these buses
going along the avenue up and down
the grades at an even pace equal to
the speed of a trolley car on the level
street yesterday II was surprising to
notice several other commercial ve-
hicles which have made their appear
ance in trade. The business houses
which have bought these vehicles have
not come out with blare of trumpets
to announce the fact that they are up
to date as a mode of advertising, but
they have bought the vehicles and put
them In to use as t4ley would have
bought a horse and cart
1t has been proven in other cities
that the automobile truck and de-
livery wagon are less expensive to
run than the horse drawn vehicle and
at the same time 1t can do more than
a vehicle of the same size drawn by
a horse or horses. 1t is an object les
son to the business man to stand on
Van Ness avenue any day for one hour
and see the number OF motor vehicles
that are in trade.
There is no question that San Fran
cisco is making great strides in an
automobile way. 1t has made greater
strides in given time than any other
place in the United States. 1t is only
about six months since the automobile
was first taken seriously by the peo-
pie of San Francisco, but in that time
it has been impossible to get out motor
cars fast enough to supply the de-
mands.
Several of the enthusiasts were talk
ing over racing yesterday along auto
mobile row" and during the course of
the conversation the proposition OF
holding races next year on Pismo
beach came up for discussion. 1t was
suggested that if there should be races
on the straightaway course a most
interesting contest would be a relay
race. 1t was suggested to run 1t of
as the athletes run Off a relay race on
the track, that is, to have five auto
mobiles carrying a package, which
must be transferred from one car to
the other, cover one-f1fth of the course
This has been tried in the East and in
gymkhana games, but the event has
never been held on the coast.
The plan would be to have each team
drive a certain make of machine with
the same power, which would give a
demonstration of the evenness of the
makes. It would not be race of spe-
cial cars like the racing machines or
a stock car especially prepared for
racing, but would be a racing contest
that would prove something to the
buyer. 1t would mean that a proposed
purchaser would have better chance
to judge Of the makes.