Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-08
otal expenditures for the ten years.

York the automobile has almost re-
placed the horse as a pleasure engine
A few wornout cab horses still stand
at the curbing and a spirited team or
an old family conveyance may be seen
now and then in the parks. But the
horse carriage has become rare enough
to arouse interest. In the trucking field
the horse still predominates, but the
motor truck Is becoming more numer-
Gus every day. The cost of automo-
billing may be offset to a certain extent
by the increasing cost Of horse main
, tenance and by the saving Of valuable
| time in transit.
In the state Of Illinois there are now
owned 10000 machines, almost as many
as in all of France. Michigan boulevard
swarms with motors, and the pedes-
trians who wait in little crowds for the
policeman to cut the sea of red auto
mobiles in two for them like the wa
ters of the Red Sea, marvel at where
all the money comes from to buy and
run the multitude of cars.
Giving the Illinois cars an average
Of $1,000 brings a total Of $48,000, 900,
with a maintenance cost for ten years
Of like sum. With a population Of
5,63S,591, this gives only one car for
1909 persons, but the cost up to date
has been such that, divided among all
the men, women and children in the
state, the thousands who do not have
cars, there has been a per capita ex-
pense of $17.02. The national debt
amounts to only $11.5S per capita.
Recent figures from New York NUM-
cipal bureaus give an official record Of
operative cost. The city owns 100 ma
chimes. These travelled 100000 miles
last year at cost for maintenance and
repairs of $99,557.44. In making this
in wages. Storing the machines cost
$12,354.27. These items of expense
bring the 1910 total up to $176,570.91.
President Steers of Brooklyn, operated
twelve Of these cars. His mileage
was S9,725 and his gasoline and repair
bill amounted to $9,442.1S. The ma
chimes cost s24,6S9.
The automobile manufacturers ap-
pear to be confident that the outlay for
motor vehicles has only began. Within
the last two years two big motor COM
binations have been formed, and plants
are being enlarged everywhere. The
to be growing constantly and the truck
business, though only in it's infancy.
has unlimited possibilities. At the
present time there Is $275,000,000 in
vested in the business of producing
automobiles and motor trucks. This Is
fair indication that the makers, who
should know the situation IL any one
does, feel confident the nation Is going
to throw it's purse strings wider than
ever in its purchases Of machines.
Ten years ago the automobile indus
try in the United States was in its in
fancy. There were only twenty seven
factories, and the production by any
one of them Of 200 cars in year
would have been something Of a rec
ord Only 1000 men were employed,
and not more than $500 cars were In
the hands of the public. The whole in
vestment in automobiles, makers and
buyers, did not rise above $6,000,000.
Contrast this with the present, when
the business Of making automobiles
has reached sixth place in Importance
among all American industries. Today
there are 100 factories, and a yearly
production of $4,000 cars Is possible
from several Of them. There is also
large production that may be called
experimental, as 1t does not come from
established factories or includes unu-
sual models. There are now 27S,00O
employees in the factories, and in sales
houses and garages thousands more
are employed, all depending for live
lihood on the automobile owner
No wonder, therefore, that the Pc
destrian pauses on Riverside drive or
Michigan boulevard and exclaims:
Where does it all come from? Where
do they get the money with which to
pay?" The pedestrian looks around
almost apprehensively. He Is timid
about staying alone. So many are rid
ing in automobiles that he fears there
may be no one left but himself to
walk.
For, to paraphrase an old ditty, IF
you haven't any automobile you
needn't hang around"
Regardless of cost the American
public intends to motor to its hearts
content. Some one else may pay the
national debt and build the worlds ma
vies. The automobile Is a private af-
fair, and it's cost, however great, Is no
body's business.-Chicago Tribune.