New-York tribune., 1911-01-20
GROWTH OF ELECTRIC CAR
Exhibits of Runabouts at Auto
Show Attract Attention.
MOTORCYCLES FOR WOMEN
Now Made with Drop Frame,
Like the 0ldtime Bicycle
Many Improvements.

Many women are in attendance Part
of the eleventh national automobile snow
of The Association Of Licensed Automobile
,-,nufacturers at Madison Square Garden,
IN sri,a ~ the fact that the majority OF
,he exhibits are Of q strictly business ma
t,ra MANY nave come with their men
fo,ks who are interested in such things as
coal wagons oil tanks, fire trucks and
ornbulances. But many have come Of their
o,rn accord 10 see the dainty electrics.
Fvar since the small electric runabouts
-.re introduced about ten years ago, they
have always had great popularity among
women. IN the early days of motoring the
rt-rs electrics were about the only kind or
n motor car woman could handle easily
,gi.bou+ the attendance Of chauffeur, as
the early gasolene cars required more
strength 10 crank than most women pos
sees, Another great advantage Of the cleo
t-ic in wears gone by was their quiet op-
GRAFTON a. compared with gasolene cars,
ana this fact alone was responsible for
their widespread use by women.
The designers Of electric passenger carry
inc vehicles have made great advances IN
the past few wears and these machines
ravc retained all their early popularity and
ara steadily growing in favor both with men
ard women They are very handy for use
f., cities and one OF the proudest boasts Of
a number OF manufacturers OF the electrics
Is that numbers Of the best known and
most prominent makers OF gasolene cars
in this country use electrics for driving be-
tween their homes and their offices.
The enthusiastic interest recently shown
+ all the
country in furthering the cause Of the cleo
trio passenger vehicle assures still great
er Use Of these machines. In the past 1t
uas sometimes difficult to make arrange
r-snts 70 have electrics charged unless the
vehicles were stored I'm a garage where
owners OF electrics were catered to, but this
state of affairs has been changed. Now II
IS POSSIBLE for an owner Of an electric 70
install his own charging plant In his stable,
and the electric power companies are anX-
icus TO connect their feed wires 20 these
Individual charging plants.
The exhibition Of motorcycles on the bal
cony has also attracted many women
visitors, especially as a number OF the
riakers Of these two-wheeled power ve-
h,cles have produced machines with drop
frames. for the use Of women. The men
in charge Of the motorcycle exhibits have
frequently been surprised by the knowledge
Of motorcycle mechanism shown by women
visitors, who have thereupon told the sales
ren that they have learned 70 ride and care
fer the machines owned by men members
Of their families.
Women motorcyclsts have never been
rare, and a good many Of the fair motor
cyclists use these machines constantly while
away in the country for the summer months
Until comparatively recently, however, it
las been necessary for them 20 wear di-
vided skirts, as the machines have been
built with diamond frames. But now there
are several different concerns that are maxi
inC motorcycles with drop frames, 50 that
wcmcn who did not take up the motorcycle
because they obj,ctsd to divided skirts
have no further need 70 hesitate before pur-
chasing
The plan follove ed by so many exhibitors
OF the gasolene freight carrying vehicles Of
showing cars already painted with the
names Of business firms that have ordered
The vehicles has proved a very good one.
There are so many Of these cars with busi-
ness firm names painted on them that
visitors in almost any line Of business can
find IN the garden a number Of delivery
wagons or trucks that are TO be used by
firms or merchants IN the same line Of
business