Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03

T. &t&,j
speed. 1t is playing with fate to at
| tempt to round corners on two tires
besides it is bad for. the tires them
selves.
After operating forty horse-drawn We
hicles for sixteen years Chicago livery
mar. has announced his intention of dis
posing Of horses in favor OF taxicabs.
1t Is estimated that the eight auto
mobile factories OF Detroit will turn out
$1,000 cars during 1909. which. at an
average value of $4,000 per car. VIII
amount to 500. 100000.
Two steam cars are to be used by
Chief Horton of the Baltimore fire de-
partment and his deputy for responding
| to alarms. Richmond, Va, has ordered
| motor patrol wagon.
A Chicago motorist finds that there
| is a very marked tendency on the part
business Of making repairs to automo-
biles. Garage and horseshoeinS" Is
sign he encountered.
+
More than 100000 visitors are ex-
pected to be in New Orleans during
Mardi Gras week. February 20. 81 and q
insuring a large attendance for the motor
racing carnival to be held by the New
Orleans Automobile Club.
Theatrical companies have now taken
to the automobile to economic on trans
portation bills. Trunks, scenery and
stage hands travel by rail. but the stars"
travel from city to city zen motor"
Confident that he will be able to solve
the problems of the economical use Of
gasoline for railroad motive power. E. II.
Hartman will shortly spend small for
tune In experiments at Omaha, Neb.
It is estimated by Savannah Automobile
os.,ID hat %In TO hn
cent grand prize race will amount to $780,
600. when all the returns have been made
The funds will be used for advertising the
city.
Mr.. and Mrs. II. A. Hoover, who won
fame by their trip around the world In
motor car. will shortly sail for Algiers,
to start the remaining 10000 miles of
their proposed automobile jaunt.
Indianapolis has a canine motor maniac
in the form of bulldog which persists
in taking possession Of motor cars In
their owners absence, occupying the seats.
apparently In the hope Of getting ride.
x
A two-hundred-mile two-day road run
held by the Women's Motoring Club of
New York this week. from New York to
Philadelphia and return, was essentially
woman's affair and the first exclusive
feminine run OF its kind ever promoted.
any length of time. make it a practice
to shut off the gasoline supply. If this
Is not done, and II there Is leak or
flooded carburetor. fire may be caused
by some one carelessly tossing burning
match under the car.
New types of buggy abouts and many
improvements embodied in the 1903 cars,
particularly in the moderate-priced divi-
sion of machines selling for $1,000 or uh-
der bid fair to be the leading features
of automobile shows throughout the
country this winter.
The Automobile Club Of South Africa.
with offices at Cape Town. is a very
active organization. The membership in
Colony. and the club Is very energetic in
improving the roads.
X
W0fkmen in American automobile fac
tories are paid two and one-half times
approximately what they get for the same
work in the same kind of factories in
Europe Technical employees in the Amer
lean factories receive approximately twice
what they do in Europe. and commercial
employees receive about one and three
fifth times what they do in Europe.
The Harrisburg Pa) Motor Club, mind
full of the fact that the 1909 Glidden tour
Is almost certain to be a western affair,
proposes to make its annual reliability
contest a four-day event, to be held early
In May. With the idea of making the
contest the big eastern event Of the year,
the club is now planning to enlist the CO.
operation of a number Of the larger east
ern automobile clubs.
When side brakes are actuated by a
wire cable keep a lookout now and again
bend or any place where 1t is liable to
chae. THESE wires. after a strand or two
have gone, soon go altogether, and to sud-
denly find the side brake useless Is most
disconcertlng. more particularly as a
roadside repair is not particularly easy.
An idea of the proportions assumed by
the levying of special taxes on automo-
biles is afforded by an examination of
figures made public In connection with
receipts from the wheel tax in the city
Of Chicago. For 1908 this tax exceeded
that of 1907 by at least 100 per cent. the
enormous sum of $500, 900 being available
for the use of the street department. 1t
is estimated that this sum is sufficient
to enable tho department to place In
prime condition 240 miles of roadway.
Next to the engine the differential gear
in live axle type OF car is the most
important part Of the power transmits
sion scheme. Neglect Of 1t is more often
the cause Of serious trouble with novices
than with any other portion Of the ma
chinery. 1t must be remembered that
the differential is continuously at work
when the car is being driven. and that.
quite apart from the necessity for keeping
takes the engine power off the propeller
shaft. the differential pinions also require
perfect fabrication to insure proper work
ing.
An excellent example for motor organi-
cations in all large cities has been set by
the Automobile Club Of st. Louis, which
has arranged with the police authorities
whereby it will not be necessary for mem
bers Of the club to proceed to a police
station and give bond when their en-
ployeS or the members themselves are
arrested for speeding. Tho arrangements
effected will not cover the chauffeur when
he is driving the care alone. nor will
it protect a club member nor his fam
lily unless he has his membership card in
the car at the time Of the arrest. Each
member is pledged upon his honor to ap-
pear for hearing at the time and place
indicated by the officer.
A Needed Change.
From Iippincott's.
The Navy Department recently received