Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20
CIASG STRIDES IN AUTOS
No Industry Has Been Such a Lusty
Infant in Many Years.
INFLUENCE ON CITY LIFE
omaha Has AXE Up the Com ercinI
vehicle End Of the Game aud
Many Of These Are seen
ON the streets.

NV people there are owning automO-
ilcs who do not find. after possessing one
20 few weeks, that IL Is almost Indispensable
il q business way. In fact, 1t is safe to
say that only about one car out Of every
10 In use is not employed in some way,
more or less, for commercial purposes.
Above every one else, however, the city
commercial salesman is the man who re-
ccives tho greatest benefit from the use
" the automobile. Many Omaha firms
have found il a paying Investment to pur-
chase automobiles for their city statesmen.
The same is true of other cities, which
more than anything else attests the truth
fulness Of the above statement.
Doctors Use Autos.
Next to the city salesman the physician
is the man who deprives the greatest ma
terial benefit from his automobile. The
reasons for this are obvious. He is able
to make his calls quicker; 1t is more dig
nified and far more expeditions. Long
waits for street cars and sometimes long
walks from this carline to the home Of his
patient are done away with. In addition
TO this most every one, whether in business
or not, finds great pleasure in automobile
riding, so that when the automobile is used
there is nearly always a combination of
pleasure with the business.
The automobile in business" Is one Of
the principal themes for discussion by deal
ers and statesmen in conversation with
prospective customers. During the severe
storm early this winter many arguments
were made along this line, and not a few
sales were effected as a result. The man
owning an automobile, 1t was argued, is
independent of the street car and, though
every line in the city be out of commission,
he even finds an opportunity to run out
TO the house for lunch.
Real estate men, bankers, brokers, lum-
bermen, In fact. almost every class Of
business men, find that they can use their
cars to good advantage in their business.
The real estate broker is the one man who
not ~infrequently finds his machine a null
sance to him. Many people will visit a real
estate office pushing a big suburban addi-
ton, and ask to be shown the property
without any idea of buying, but purely for
the ride.
Purely commercial is the auto livery.
There can be no impositions, except for
cash, and such imposition is usually pleas
ant TO the imposed None. During the past
two years the auto livery business has be-
come quite an industry in itself in Omaha
There are about fifty machines for hire
here. b
Heavy Hauling Trucks.
Owing to the fact that Omaha residential
streets are still in process of hard-surface
construction, the commercial vehicle has
not come into own. Another year.
however, and 1t will, is the prediction Of
local dealers. In fact, the larger depart
ment stores and other concerns doing a big
delivery business are contemplating doing
away with horses and buying self-pro-
PEELED wagons.
In nearly all eastern cities the day of the
horse Is of the past. All heavy hauling,
the delivery work of big firms, drayage
and express are done by gasoline or electric
propelled machines. This is fast becoming
the condition in the west.
Snow No Hlndrance.
Although 1t is believed the commercial
car will ultimately come into it's own, the
fact remains that it's entry into its sphere
of activity has been much slower than that
Of the combination pleasure and commercial
machine. This slowness is generally cred
tied to the manufacturers themselves, who
have kept it I'm the background. and who
have not pursued as tactful a policy in
placing It before the people as has been
followed in the case of the pleasure vehicle.
One reason why the commercial vehicle