Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-21
Automobile Show Season
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

FEE%1 T Is now the open season for
Ika All automobile shows. 1t began
IE E with the epoch-making show
IA N8l and races in Atlanta week be-
In fore last. in which the Georgia
lgahsu1aI capital did itself proud, and 1t
will end with the Chicago and
New York shows, which will be held
early in the new year, Between these
dates many events are scheduled. The
New Orleans show is now on. Tomor-
row the great flag-to-flag race from
Denver to the City Of Mexico will start
at the crack of the pistol. Philadelphia,
Detroit, San Antonio and other cities
are planning events which will focus
the eyes of the automobile world upon
each of them in turn.
The present year has been q notable
one in the automobile world. AL
though the panic of 1908 did not injure
the automobile trades as 1t did some
other industries-more than 10000 new
cars having been sold during the pam
ic year-the business revival served to
quicken the demand for new machines,
and this year has been q fat one for
the maker and the seller of horscless
vehicles. Chicago recently told story
of the rise of the automobile, q story
that one hears everywhere, in a more
impressive and convincing way than
any other city. 1t kept q careful
count of the vehicles passing twenty
four representative points in the
Windy City The result showed that
on Sunday there were 64.5H motor cars
passing these points within the count
ing period and only 19, 800 horse-drawn
vehicles. In the counting period for a
weekday there were 67,51S motor cars
to pass these points and only 1886
horse-drawn vehicles.
Not content with the lesson shown by
these figures, Chicago wished to make
the lesson impressive, and when Presi-
dent Taft reached there on his great
swing around the circle the parade he
headed had not a horse in It. AS far
as the eye could see there was one
unbroken line of automobiles. One may
be sure that there was rivalry as to
whose car should carry the president.
The honor went to II. A. Stillwell, and
II happened in this way: The Chicago
committee thought a binding rule of
etiquette made ii necessary that no
man should ride with his back turned
on the chief magistrate, and that
therefore the only automobile which
could carry Mr.. Taft would be one in
which the front seat faced backward.
1t happened that Mr.. Stillwell was the
only man to think of having his car
changed to meet this point.
Not only has the automobile con-
quered the city, but 1t is carrying Its
active warfare into the very citadel of
the stronghold of the horse-the farm.
When George Ade, gentleman farmer,
laid aside his pen long enough to give
a barbecue at his Indiana farm last
year. his orchard became n park for
automobiles. In that portion of rural
Indiana there were more automobiles
than horse-drawn vehicles. Not long
ago fifteen farmers were gathered In a
cussing the automobile. 1t developed
that twelve of them owned machines.
and that every one of the twelve
thought them preferable TO the horse
for driving. In many places through
out the country one may see mowers
and other light machinery hitched to
an automobile and driven around tine
field at a hustlng gait. Women are
using them to take their butter, eggs
and chickens to market, and their milk
cans TO the creamery. Farmers may
| be seen hauling their veal calves and
| lambs to market on them.
| And after their day on the road Is
over their usefulness is not at an end.
| Not long ago a western farmer bought
q secondhand machine, used 1t until IL
would not run any longer, and then he
bought a new one-for be IL said that
| the man who has once had an auto
mobile and a telephone Will never do
without either. His 15-year-old son
took the engine out OF the old machine
and hitched it to the churn, saving
much elbow grease. Then he used II
for the corn shelter, the washing ma
| chine, the feed cutter. And at last,
when the windmill went on strike, he
tried it on the we'll pump, and again he
was saved that aching grind which
sends thousands of country boys away
from the farm.
If there is any one business man
| above another who has benefited by the
advent of the automobile il is the real
estate agent The automobile provides
| the best possible means Of showing real
estate. First there is the exhilarating
ride that makes the prospective pur,
chaser at peace with himself and all
mankind. The poetry of fast motion