Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-21

=7HE automobile. with its flaming eyes, its
malodorous breath and its footing voice,
- has almost come to seem living crea-
1SkNESI ture So incomprehensibe are its move
ments so unexpected its vagaries, 1t
would appear that a more erratic intel
ligence than that of the chauffeur directed ITS
workings In its devotees it inspires very real
affection. have seen a man cry like baby over
the scrap-heap ruins of an old favorlte. And
there is the Chicago woman who sued Tor dl-
vorce on the grounds that her husband cared
more for his automobile than he did for her.
Evidently, she belonged to the number Of those
who could not share his admiration. There are
many of these dissenters, and they al-chautfeurs,
pedestrians, magistrates and doctors-speaklng
with the authority of truth-tellers, lay at the
door of the automobile many henous faults.
To begin with the mildest charge, it is claimed
that the automobile fosters the use of profanity.
In this respect it is indeed palpably true that it
casts even golf far into the shade. AS one auto
ist explained;
'I have got to give IL UP if ever expect to
souare myself with the Angel Gabriel. You see,
I picked UP a second hand touring car, cheap. At
least thought it was when I made the bargain,
but It has turned out the dearest purchase I ever
made. The human body renews itself every seven
wears. Ny car beats that-it has to be renewed
every year. have calculated that it costs me
four dollars in repairs to run it one hour 1t
follows that have to think good deal of girl
before / invite her for an afternoons spin. She
has to think lot of me, too, for there is always
in abeyance the wearisome possibility Of having
to walk home"
When we think of the automobilist and the
doctor, we instinctively connect them in our mind
by means OF some accident, more or less tragic
in its results Casualties of this description bring
daily grist to the surgeons mill. We cannot pick
up newspaper without seeing the headlines of
some auto collision, explosion or wreck From
the very frequency and inevitableness of their oc-
currence, they have ceased to startle When a
man and his fancee, autoing in Massachusetts,, are
thrown out and killed, we forget it almost as soon
as the sound of the crash has died away and we
are callous to the violent death, during collision,
of the father of family. We even evince small
interest in the exegesis whether the accident was
due to carelessness or breakage. 1T is all in the
days work." one autoist said, nonchalantly, and
we echo him as coolly. At the recent automobile
races on Long Island the spectators were betting
on how many chauffeurs would be killed
AUTOMOBILES AND NERVES
These disasters, however, appeal to us as
caused by the thunderbots of the gods the strokes
of a blind fate. 1t is more astounding to learn
that their victims form but negligible minority
of the automobists who help to crowd the physi
clans offices You them at the oculists', at
the throat, nose and ear doctors But, above
all you see them at the nerve specialists. And
Of late, certain portentous cases have arisen-thC
cases of patients suffering from the new disease
automobile paralysis.
This showing is appalling. Yet, as one doctor
explained, "Those who are moderate enough tC
be satisfied with small runabout that makes