The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-28
NOT RICHMEN'STOY
Motorcars Are Now Recoo-
nized as Business
Necessities
AFFORD MUCH PLEASURE
Expensive from Mechanical Point
of View-Maximum Speed Obtain
able Not Factor in SelIing-Two
Factions in Touring.

aOle NOT Factor in Selling-TwO
Factions in Touring.
Socialism and automobiles! Few
people, except perhaps those to whose
attention it has been particularly call
ed have realized that the very famil-
lar words here expressed have had at
times a close relationship and one that
has been actual, not simply expressed.
Occasioned by the fact that for many
years after motorcars were recognized
as commercial possibilities, it was
thought that they must necessarily be
rich mems toys and that only dire re-
suits might be expected from their gen.
eral use by the wealthy class-that
they would further the distance be-
tween those whose fortune 1t was to
be numbered among the moneyed in
terests and those represented by the
stereotyped phrase of middle class"
A change has occurred! The stand
ardization of automobiles, the discov-
cry that they might be owned and en-
| joyed by thousands of persons who
never realized the pleasure to be Sc
cured by the purchase of such a
vehicle rather than by the scrutinizing
of bank accounts and the growing
knowledge that automobiles are great
benefit in many more material ways
| have led to altered opinions. 1t is very
| true, indeed. that there is still lin
gering hostility in some quarters, per
haps a fancied wrong, and perhaps
caused by narrow minded jealousy, but
| this is fast disappearing.
In many ways the first ideas that
| motoring would tend to increase class
distinction have been proved false,
and conditions are Numerically OPP
| posite, for experienced tourists will
| support the statement that AUTOMOBILE
| ing has an elevating and at the'same
| time leveling effect and that the level
! ing is taking place upon higher plane
than that ever before accomplished by
such a widespread movement. 1t can
not be said that all automobilists will
| recognize all others, for there still re-
mains, and likely always will, the
superiority implied or expressed in the
actions of the high priced touring car
party to the users of the low priced
| little runabouts.
| Two factions arose early in the days
of general touring. the one known as
| the autoists and the other as the agri-
| cultural interests. and it is not improb-
able that the fault lay largely with the
former at that time. Fast driving
| over country roads. disregard for horse
drivers. the tendency to ignore all hu-
manity except the few riding over one
| and two cylinder engines of loud noise
and low ability, were causes which are
fast being forgotten, and the further
ance of this lies to great extent with
the present day motorists to overcome
the fancied grievance.
Thoughtful automobilistS who have
travelled many highways in many sec
| tons of this and other nations realize
that conditions are altering. that the
farmers appreciate the Importance of
| motorcars, that their rapid transpor-
tation may be brought to their own
doors as benefits to them, that the
motoring organizations are leading the
crusades for improved highways and
that greater consideration on the part
of both sides has resulted in increased
harmony. The slower moving traffic
on public highways will always be at
disadvantage, there will always be
some horses that will be afraid of the
approaching machines, and there will
always be some Overzealous canine
pets which exhibit an innate antipathy
toward the rapidly revolving wheels,
with fatal results.