The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01
Automobile Gossip
BY JAMES b. KEELING

Eyes. sir When we turned the curve
we saw two fence rails standing on
and In the middle of the road They
were exactly the same distance apart
as the wheels on the machine and each
ran was fully ~ feet long. Like goal
- posts on a football field they Stood
a death was written on every splin-
di in them. There was no chance to
1851 or dodge, and l shut my eyes,
Somentarily expecting to hear the
a. nding crash and then sail into king
Hn come. But it was not So By
miraculous occurrence each of
front wheels had met the rails
iiluarely and bowled them down fiat
Upon the ground straight IN 'front.' of
us. Along the rails we sped as smooth
~ as If riding upon an asphalt street.
each rail forming a dandy running
board. 1 gasped In establishment, and,
turning, looked back just in time to
notice the two rails rising to stand
ing position again, the rear wheels
having given them parting Flip which
eft them as they were before we struck
them, the only difference being the
This is the weird and wonderful mar
rative spun by young motorist of
Birmingham. He is a man OF posi-
ton in the church to which he be-
longs and for fear that he might be
turned out of it If his name was given
as the author of I'll is yarn II is lef
unpublished. When asked if the ac-
count of his experience was absolutely
correct in every detail his face REDEEMED
with anger because his word had been
doubted. He offered to prove it, bu.
CT course we couldn't doubt him fur
tier after this ana believe the story
TO be a true recital of facts.
It's high time the autoists of Biz
bingham were getting together and
forming real. live automobile asso-
citation. OF course there is the Bir-
n'ingham Motor club and its secretary.
G. T. Brazelton, is probably the best
nan that could be found for the place
But among the members a state of
1ethargy exists. Willing enough they
are to talk of what should be done"
but no one is willing to take the in
iative or to even assist when an eff
fort is made to start something.
BIrmin CHAM Is probably the Only
City of its size in the country that
fesr't an automobile club building. IN
other cities the dealers boost matters
a,cng, but among the Birmin CHAM con
tlngent there is a great deal of jeal-
ousy and a smallness hardly expected
OF grown men displayed. If the local
dealers would cease tn cir bick erings
and cooperate with each Other in the
promotion of the automobile spirit'
Increased business for each would un-
doubtedly result.
1t wouldn't be the proper thing for
q dealer to be an officer in the asso-
citation, but they could have a little
organization of their own In addition
t. being members of the club and could
act as an advisory board to the board
of directors.
There have been threats of the re-
organization of the club but so far there
has not been any definite action in this
direction. 1t is to be hoped that 1t will be
done. Mr.. Braselton has been a hard
worker in the interest of the club and
certainly deserves the assistance of the
ether automobilists OF Birmingham in
promoting its interests.
A bird kite trailing after an automobile
was the odd-looking spectacle which res
1dents of Twelfth avenue, north, wit
neesed one day last week. In the rear
of the machine were a couple of young
sters. kneeling upon the seat and riding
backward. The chauffeur was speeding
the car along at good rate while the
s'kids' had taken advantage of the wind
created to let the kite out
There was no doubt about the kite
dying 1t was sailing high and pulling
hard upon the so feet of cord. while the
boys were full Of glee. The heavy rush
- xfvx4 f<x
the paper. of which the kite was made
and hardly more than a block had passed
when the wings suddenly parted company
with the body of the kite, leaving a BIZ
Of frame trailing at the end Of the ma
chine and very probably two broker
hearts inside the car.
For some unaccountable reason joy
riding, drunken automobilists like to rids
upon the sidewalk Of the streets around
the courthouse, Third avenue ant
Twenty first street. Last Friday night
large touring car. packed with q warblins
crowd of young men, raced over thu
Twenty first street bridge at full come
speed, fitted across First avenue like al
nj wind, mashed past Second avenue lik
~ the second section of a cyclone ant
Seathed Third avenue like a sudden recol
sction. As 1t reached this corner tn
river curved it over to the sidewalk b!
the courthouse and sped down the wall
n Fourth avenue. when he again tool
% the street.
The machine was travelling easily 6
miles an hour and that 1t did not smasl
into the wall surrounding the yard o
the courthouse was a source OF wonder L
the spectators. who gasped in astonish
ment and felt their hearts to assur
themselves that they had not been fright
ened to death
II disappeared from view like it hat
appeared--sudden and startling, remind
lng one Of the gentle swishing of the 20O
million-mile tail of the comet.
The policemen are planning the holding
Of an automobile meet during the con