The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-01
AUTOMOBILING.
From TonfeA

-
From Automobile Topies.
There does not seem to be any great mount
OF clamor against road racing down In Nassau
county, Long Island. III embattled farmer
has cut his eye teeth.
Solid rubber tires are being more used.
rubber makers say. One cause assigned for
their popularity Is the increased use of shock
absorbers. A sort OF equalization OF matters.
as it were.
There is great apprehension IN Paris as to
the American automobile industry and many
French dealers are making plans TO secure
agencies for American cars for Paris. An
example of the increasing popularity Of
American cars abroad was the recent ship.
ment by a single nrm of twenty electric road
wagons to Italy.
The little town Of Nappanee. Ind. which
has never before done anything 70 merit
special distinction. has jumped into promi-
hence by the claim that more autom bile are
owned in the town In proportion TO its popula-
ton than in any other village. town or city
ported by the fact that there is one automo-
bile for every 100 population. the latter being
$500.
However little honor may be paid to q good
example a bad one is always followed. Chat
ham, Nj. sometimes called the motorists
Gehenna,' from the malisnity with which
s sS adff 70 toIiow E the lead Of a eSiess;o s sabu r,
TqEnpike, which passes through chatham.
walks walk S vii Be- e%en aasSe dse q isss, OF sFS snd
cobbleetones. They will be so sloped that
s sef 3 nso ddaSTii Sss. e aill s not Sc se dlssd traHelaltRE
but an auton obile travelling at. say. forty
miles an boar which strikes one OF these
'teasers' VII gst q severe bump.
For ages the peaceful goat has been the
butt Of cheap Wits. Now that he appears
as q benefsctor. of the human race perhaps
there will be a revulsion Of feeling. A Colo
RADIO goat has been instrumental In bring
goat died nysSeriogsi S,I and its owner R41s!'{ htaa
s a. f be 3oygE adds s. t sad ih'e ssiis Of F's gsn found 4
chem ist said the gum reeembled rubber. The
goats owner gathered samples q all vege;
in the discovery that millions Of acres in
Colorado and adjacent Staets are covered
gan capitalists will soon have in operation
a factory TO extract the gum.
The Windy City owners and dealers are
in the throes Of a graft deal surpaesing any
thing ever met with In the country. For
several years the art Of extorting commits
sions from dealers has been growing, until
to-day It has reached the stage whereby a
chauffeur for a big pork packer has openly
filed suit In court 10 recover a commission Of
$40 or more. which he claims to be due him
oy a certain firm. for sending his employers
car there to be repaired. Investigation
has disclosed the fact that one big supply
house has been giving chaufleurs commits
Eions In order 70 hold their trade. which has
In turn forced other concerns to do the same,
In order TO hold their trade. The practice
to realize that they have been mulcted 70
the extent OF thousands Of dollars, and before
che Hyn p aeSanb seif Is re- sstt ls,ed charges IA eo;;t Of e X PEI : 2
number Of chauneurs.
Tollsates are generally looked upon as a
relic Of the DarkAges, and the work OF abolish
ing them and making the roads free to all
users has progressed so far that only a few
Of the gates still exist. But to get even
with motorists it is seriously proposed by a
Jersey lawmaker TO resusoitate the tollgate
and use it 10 levy toll on mo~torists-letting
all other road users 60 scot free. This bill,
which was introduced in the New Jersey
Legislature last week, provides for the estab.
lshment of toll houses and gates at intervals
of ten miles on the main highways. They
shall be connected by a telephone system,
and as each automobile passes q toll house
ten cents toll for each person riding shall be
paid and. the number Of the auto and the
station. These tolls shall be turned over
weekly to the toTnship collector: The
a $Spe SsS.o sasa Re p aese ,a1s s 70 Be re s4 z 4
the 3esrest constable and srrest the ofender4,
Of the peace and required to furnish bail.
= on trial he is convicted the automobilists
s IISsRsfii o sssas f e f Esys sSsdm tS5 3 s sSsh be ga ss
q year, a share OF the money to go 70 the
counties for road repairs.
Al to the best way to travel in Spain: by
train OF sutomobile7 That 10 a question OF
Individual judgment. II by train one viii
not see the local color. The oars are dirty.
the service poor and the trains slow. II by
automobile one will ind Spain about the
most expensive country Of western Europe
to tour in. A tire will last about 900 miles.
easolene costs from 6s cents a gallon in the
north to twice that in the south, with all
other supplies e~orrespondinely high. Those
not willing to put up with any hardships
had better not try to so south OF Madrid by
automobile. while the more adventurous
can get q mild example Of what they may
expect by. making the fsrty-four mile run
desirable season in which TO make the trip?
The northern part of Spain consists of a
series Of platsaus se tbeTs am e ne a afss OF
these plateaus to break the force OF the wind
il is either very hot or very cold; That puts
In the spring the crops make the scenery
more attractive than in the fall. when the
lack Of follsg makes eyerythins seem par
at some places would prove a serious obstacle
to the automobilists after the spring rains,
S Sntee Al Hthep can easiiy be forded. While
roads as bad as those in the southern part
Of Spain are seldom encountered, those IN
the north. or at least those between the French
border and Madrid, are far better thar the
average in America, and would be considered
very good II it we're not that che ne "a sn z spI t f9
French roads.