Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-18
NEWS OF THE MOTOR WORLD

in a bly, caused by lack of care exer-
cised by the driver. He is usually Of
the type fond of taking chances, and
every well-posted motorist knows that
taking chances is very bad policy To
descend a hill without being sure that
the brakes are all right is to make
oneself an accessory to any accident that
may occur, yet a surprising number of
drivers will do exactly this, 1t is only
when the vehicle attains high speed
and it becomes necessa. to check 1t
that the brakes are applied-and some
times found wanting. When this oc-
ours the driver either loses his pres
ence of mind and makes botch Of
things generally, or it is to, late to
apply remedy, and the Inc gitable ac-
cident happens. Similarly, the driver
who takes corners at such speed that
he barely gets around in safety, Will
find that he has no lee way whatever,
and if the corner is a little sharper than
he thought disaster follows.
The modern automobile is a machine
of infinite possibilities. 1t can accom-
plish wonders without even the SEM
blance of an accident or breakdown.
On the other hand, it is, like fire, the
worst possible kind of a master, Once
let it get the upper hand, and the
consequences are lamentable to con-
template. 1t is for this reason that
the take no chances" cry is so loud
and insstent. Those who disregard 1t
always face disaster. and they must
take the consequences. What these
consequences are we we'll know-and if
we didn't the newspapers would tell
us-with eXaggerations.
The revival Of the old-fashioned inn
is one of the good things that the auto
mobile is to bring abOut-is, in fact,
bringing about now 1t will take quite
d while to accomplish this, however
and meanwhile tourists frequently have
to put up with pretty poor accommo-
dations About as good an example of
this as we have heard of is given by
the Automobile club of Philadelphia. in
its route directions for tour to Cape
Charles, Va. On this route the logical
night stop is in place which is marked
to contain a hotel that has very good
room accommodations, but very poor
food. About ten miles farther on is
town which has a hotel just the re-
verse of the one first mentioned-the
food IS excellent, but the room accom-
modations are very poor. What a pity
it is that tourists could not partake of
food at one hotel and sleep at the other
Firefies have been very numerous in
New Jersey this year, but this week
saw vast increase in them. The
increase was due to the new law re-
quiring all vehicles to carry lights after
sundown becoming effective. The law
provides that lights must be readily
discernible at distance of $50 feet.
but considerable latitude is being OBJ
served in this respect. hence the fire
fly effect being referred to. There was
considerable opposition to the bill in the
legislature. and now the drivers of
horse-drawn vehicles are loud in their
complaints It remains to be seen
whether the law will really be en-
forced.
An automobile is playing conspicu-
Gus part in the suffragette campaign in
Boston these days. Recently several
Boston society women. who are advO-
formed campaign party and made
rounds Of the Hub. speaking from the
tonneau of a big touring car.
In contradicting the report that he
has lost his nerve, a we'll known racing
man, who is preparing to return to the
speed game, although not on horse
tracks, is quoted as saying: "T will
follow old Glory to the death. if it is
over the trenches and barriers that sur-
round all of the race tracks in the
United States, while the roll of dust in
our wake will seem like a cloud of val
lev smoke to the enemy with the roar
of the engine as of artillery fire. This
is the year that I am coming back
into my own" What a fowery deClara-
ton!
1t is pointed out that in this years
A. A. A. tour for the first time,
buggy-type car will be a contestant
IT is peculiarly appropriate thot this
distinctly western product should par
ticipate in an event which has such a
decided western flavor There are tens
of thousands of farmers who have
prediction for the gasoline buggy"
and the sight of one bowling along in
competition with the orthodox type will
do much TO convince them that they
have made no mistake. The buggy has
a vast future. and its makers do the
right thing when they enter a competi
tion of this kind.
Contests ere still held to be excellent
trying out" methods for cars that long
ago ceased to be in need of demonstra-
tion. To this. and the fact that they
constitute the hest kind of Advertising
are uuS tue CullllHutu pOpuldIllN oI COH-
tests. Even when n maker has every
thing sold he continues to enter con-
tests. finding in them sufficient return
to warrant the outlay. The public un-
questionahly watches contests, and is
usually able to discern what the re-
suits mean. Many a reputation has
been made bv a particularly good per-
Torrance. while others have suffered
as the result of a poor one. II is
game hut one i'm which merit and skill