Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-03-07
"Ghe Terror"
lcopyr,ght. 1885. by Homer sprague. ]


was well TO do, of middle age and had
sondncss for athletics. He had n rec
ord ms n bikist. and he owned and
drove trotting horse. When the auto
appeared his friends knew that he
would soon have machine.
A perfect machne-a thing Of brass
and steel as easily controlled ns a
childs toy. an almost living, breathing
creature, moving at walk, II the di-
rector willed, or flying along the high
way at the rate of a mile minute
stood in garage. and the colonel In
spectcd 1t. He had scarcely begun
when fear crept over him. To Others
the machine was an object of curiosi-
ty. To him there was something IN
canny about it.
A year passed and yet the colonel
had not joined the ranks of the auto
lists. Then men began to smile aud
throw out sarcastic hints. out OF every
hundred autoists ninety eight are
afraid of their machines. The other
two are reckless Of consequences. The
ninety eight know that they take their
lives in their hands every time they 80
out
Until Colonel Whiteside realized that
he was an object of unfavorable com
ment he needed the warning whispers.
When his nerve" was questioned he
was forced 10 buy He talked. and the
. n eA,I
Some one else talked also 1t was the
auto. aud he alone heard its words. II
brcathed heavily II Kissed warning
~. lis "chug, chug, chug," had men
ace. It said:
buy me if you will, but look out.
am a creature of strange moods.
balk: stampede; | go wrong as often
as | go right Buy me and possess me,
but remember that some day | will be
the death of you.
The auto was purchased, and the
colonel took instructions In It's manage
meut. For fortnight he went about
with his heart In his mouth and ever
on the watch for accident. Then he
bfEAu ~ lttl II 'bllltlllHl itt illf W III IL
ing, Il determination to defy aud drive
and take the upper hand. 1t was
child's play. \ turn of the wheel this
way-that way-mOre speed-less speed
go ahcad-stop. Why, the most docile
horse he ever owned was not so servilc
and obcdient His bicycle had never
been under such command. Ten miles
an hour had satisfied hln, but one day
when the warnings required to him he
became indignant ana put the speed up
To twenty. No calamity followed. He
was as safe as he had been at half the
speed. He returned home feeling that
he was master.
The autoist who confines his pace to
fifteen miles an hour this week will be
making twenty next week. He must
do il. He is driven to do II. His l,llow
towards Will laugh and grin If he does
not do it, aud he can't stand that.
When Colonel WhiteSlde knew that he
had made twenty miles an hour he
was pleased and proud. Every minute
of that hour he had expected accident.
After that he got Il chauffeur That's
the usual course Of the ninety eight.
They leave the driving to somebody
else aud lean back and try to look
placid aud nouchalant. Now came
twenty-five, thirty, forty-five miles an
hour The colonel gasped and felt a
pain in his heart. He did not speak ia
tho ,.hnuffput. EnsouSa NO ,vou, n f,, IA
his voice would betray him. lie had II
weakness of the knees. and things
blurred to his vision. But for pride
and fear Of rdicule he would have
said that never again would he ride at
such pace. Let him show the white
feather ana the man beside him would
grin In his face and then tell the news
to n hundred others Let II be whis-
pered that a man is afraid of his auto
and he is done for The other ninety
seven are also afraid but they will
make common cause against the nine
ty-eiglth To conceal their fear.
This machine can make mile
minute said the chauffeur in the ga
rage one day as the colonel was ready
for his spin.
"NrS?"
"And wen let her out today"
every we'll"
There were dozen men about. but
had there been only the chauffeur to
listen the colonel would not have
dared 10 protest He must acuuiesce
or be thought tlmid. He nodded his
head aud smiled but at that moment
the auto said:
'Ncs, I viii make mile n minute
but look on. for me have given
you several warnings. hut you have
not needed them Today you shall
feel the sensation Of flying, but will
You sleep in Your bed tonight?"
The start was made More ohedient
than amy horse that ever wore har-
ness the machine rolled over the as
phalt streets guided by the slightest
touch There was time for the colonel
Ia suggest that the pace be limited to
thirty-iiro or forty miles an hour when
the long. straight stretch of country
road sh"u.1 be reached. hut he feared
To do so. The chauffeur is the real
boss OF the auto lie makes or I'M
makes the reputation of the owner for
NERVE"
The colonel turned his face away
"a Al Z.