The Washington times., 1911-08-05

lean-to the rear to hold some of the bat,
teries and another on front to look like COW,
catcher. He cramped the seats and the leg
room between-for long wheel base had not
yet been invented either.
THIS PIONEER DESIGNER of ours found
both the dash and whip-socket there when his
eyes first opened in carriage factory. He
never stopped to consider that, there being no
horse In front, the need of dash had also
vanished Nor had it ever occurred to him how
the whip-socket came there originalfy-so he
left them both on.
IF THAT CAR HAD RUN, we verify believe it
would have been the standard design up to now
for find many features in electrics that
are just as illogical-just archaic and just as
useless that
TAKE THE HOOD FOR EXAMPLE-why
should it be on any electric7 No reason on
earth save that some designers don't think
ON A GASOLINE CAR it has a use-therefore
it is right. Handsome is handsome does 1t
covers the motor. But do you know we in this
country used TO be ashamed of motor-tried
for years to conceal it beneath the seat; till
one day one of Gran'pa Daimler's cars came
over from Germany--and forthwith all i'm
itated the Mercede hood and will probably con-
tinue to it for the next hundred years
whether we need it or not. We are such an
original people!
NOW THERE IS ANOTHER DANGER-<he
danger of copying without knowing what or
- why you copy. Education. training, experience,
travel are requisite if one would copy intelli-
genty-artistically.
COLONEL INGERSOLL USED TO SAY I'm
agination cannot 60 beyond the range of ex-
perience. No man can describe ain animal he
has never seen. He may describe one with the
horn of rhinosceros, the name of a lion, the
trunk Of elephant and the wings Of an eagle
But that is not an animal-it is monstrosity
composed of various things he has seen or
dreamed of'-a farcical. phantasmagorical phe-
nom, as it were.
NEXT TIME YOU SEE AN ELECTRIC on the
street just stop and look it over. Don't laugh
it might offend the lady inside. And it is not
her fault. She needed an electric and bought
the only thing she could find though she will
tell you her sense Of the artistic and the beau
tifu were offended by every line She doesn't
think it ugly now-one gets used TO any
thing in time.
DON'T LAUGH-Though you will see several
features left over from buggy design coupled
with others from gasoline automobiles that arc
as funny-or as ridiculous-as was that whip
socket on the dash of the earlier electric, or
InsersolPs composite quadruped.
THE FLANDERS ELECTRIC is consistent in
every detail-the graceful body curves. the dig
nihed, though pronounced stripping, the flowing
leather fenders-even to the colonia! lamps
which were especially designed for this car
rage by Mr.. F. E. Castle.
Il EXPECTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT"
exclaimed prominent dealer when his eyes
first rested this carriage, but frankly. did
not expect to see anything beautiful and in
such excellent taste as this Rumor said that
you were making an electric that would create
a sensation. I feared it might verge on the
bizarre-and for that class of trade Of course
that wouldn't do at all. But this-it Is faultless,
exquistel There is not radical feature-not
discordant note. It is true to every conven-
don-and it is the easiest riding car have
ever seen"
NOT A 'WHIP-SOCKET" ANYWHERE-not
supertuous feature-rot even a hood to i'm
itate q gasoline car and occupy room that
should be devoted to passenger capacity.