Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-12

possible buyer that the thing is really
much simpler than It looks. The num-
Der Of persons Of ample means who
allow the supposed difficulty of opera
ton to prevent them from buying an
auto Is said by the agents to be very
large, and It is TO overcome this OBJ
lection that improvements tending to
simplicity constantly are being studied.
Then there has been another distinct
line Of improvement. In the trade It
is known as accessibility. Translated,
II means that motor cars now are
being built so that the operator may
get at any OF the parts without taking
che whole machine apart or doing con-
tortions out of the range of any but a
professional. 1t will be seen that the
catalogues of most of the concerns
dwell on this point Of accessibility"
There is n very good reason for It. The
Illustrated joke Of the fat man lying
on his back under broken auto on
q lonely road has become about as
nearly standard with comic papers as
the chicken-crossing- the-road joke.
Also the joke about the chauffeur me-
gotiating with the antagoniStic farmer
for the hire of pair of horses to
pull crippled auto back to town.
New Models Strong
These quips may have served to
amuse the public, but they have also
served to make the public shy about
buying automobiles. Therefore the
manufacturers are showing for their
1905 models machines in which the
probabilities of breakage have been
| much reduced, and which, in event of
the some time inevitable break can
be repaired with less difficulty and in
convenience than heretofore has been
necessary. In the same connection the
makers have paid a good deal of atten-
| ton to Strengthening the points Of
greatest strain heavier axles and
Ilarger-sized tires being conspicuous
among the changes.
Visitors to the Chicago auto show of
1905 VIII see the limousine in greater
numbers and variations than ever be-
fore. Reference to the automobile die
| tionary shows us that the Limousine Is
the upper works of the closed car
the kind that looks so comfortable to
the pedestrian when the wind is blow
ing forty knots an hour.
In automobile building there are
several problems which remain I'M
solved year after year, and which still
are being argued in the trade. One of
the principal ones is the question of
tires. The problem, without techni-
oality, may be stateG thus: If tire
that punctures comparatively easy is
more comfortable to ride over and a
"punctureless" tire transmits to your
spinal column all the INEQUALITIES of
the road, which is the better tire to
adopt?
| Then there is the old question of the
most advantageous position in which
to place the motor bone of conten-
ton which the experts fought over till
the argument was called a draw. There
are enough of these technical argt-
ments to fill volumes if the heated
/ Nl,An IL
| has little concern in them as a rule
However, an inquisitive young woman
evidently with sensitive nerves. did
raise a question while examining a
booth of accessories, that the public is
vitality interested in. Succinctly the
question is this:
Why Is the Horn?
why is the automobile horn?"
| Why not a bell, q whistle or a buzz
yer? The manufacturers do not seem
to know. The horn was, therefore is
Its "honk-honk" has come to Sbe as
socia ted with the auto and, being dis
tinctive, is likely to remain. The his
| tory of the automobile horn is some
what clouded, although the anatomy Of
the thing is small science of itself
For the consolation of those who fai
to appreciate the dulcet beauty of the
auto horn notes it is to be noted tha
another signal has been invented ant
the device is on exhibition. 1t is called
Gabriel's horn, although it partakes Of
the nature of a calliope, being a fail
imitation of steamboat whistle. The
signal is not called the horn of Gabriel
in any spirit of sacrilege, and the
name is not intended to suggest any
of the possibilities of sudden transla-
| ton to another world by the automo-
bile route, but it happens that it was
invented by man named Gabriel. II
has not superseded the oId-time horn
to any great extent, but, left to pop
ular vote of the nonautoing public, il
probably would win.