The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-07-03
Wife of Patent Office Clerk
Successful in Ex-
pertinent.
CARES FOR OWN CAR,
AVOIDING ACCIDENT
Mrs. Hugh Kneipp Tells of Work
in Hustling People
About City.

The only woman in the Capital, and
one Of the very few in the world, whC
owns and operates an automobile "fol
hire" is Mrs. Hugh Kneipp, 20 E
street northeast. There may be another
but nobody has heard of her.
Very few persons know that Mrs
kneipp is a chauffeur" She became
one in an accidental sort Of way, a.
pioneers have a way of doing. Her
friends know that she has "a large
and growing business" and admire her
for her pluck; and the persons who
nave hired her automobile for so much
or, truly, for so little the hoUr-and
had the pleasure of being conducted by
Mrs. Kneipp, remember ner. She is
well enough known to be kept busy
practically all day.
When Mr.. Kneipp bought our auto
mobile We enjoyed it, but found it ex-
pensive, of course" Mrs. Kneipp said
today. You know people always do
ind automobiles expensive. While we
took our friends to ride with us, many
persons we didn't know began to ask
us to take them riding. They said they
We're willing to pay-that they would
not ride unless they did pay. So finally
prevailed upon Mr.. Kneipp &c let me
take them out while he was away at
the office.
Il didn't charge like the taxis-I
charge only $50 an hour 1t was really
Just to pay the expenses of our car.
And it does it."
Has But One Car.
Mrs. Knetpp said she was not get
ting rich from her automobile livery
business. She has only one car, and
She runs II herself AS for the sug-
gesion of lvery-well. she wears just
what would be called a sensible COS
tune by men. Men call il that because
1t is becoming. They have no idea what
it is.
But 1t was funny how the business
grew" Mrs. Kneipp said. After I
had taken out few parties, and they
seemed so pleased with the car and
with me, for run a car the way many,
many people like. and are afraid to ac-
knowledge, safely and sanely-after the
first few runs, 1 put an advertisement
In newspaper. From then on 1 have
had just as much as I can do
Mrs. kneipp said IL was chiefly among
the residents of Washington that she
FOUND her patronage, or out of which
her patronage found her. But 1 gen.
orally have no idea who they are. , /
take them where they want to 90 and
watch my car she said. Maybe they
are princes" she laughed
People who come to Washington
slghtsee eng want to go in hurry. she
SAID They get taxi or something
Ike that and rush. But people at the
embassies ana officials of the Govern
ment who wish to ride through the
parks in a leisurely sort of way take
~ Slowly. And 1 can take them slowly
AND keep up to the speed limit, tool
Then Mrs. Kneipp laughed
The Feminine Touch.
1t is the feminine touch" she boosted
Tor the only time. Il never had any
mechanical training. When We got our
car and Mr. Kneipp and l went out in
IT, learned how to run it. know as
much about it as l do about a sewing
machine-it interests me. l never take
mechanician. l crank 1t, oil it, fill
the tanks with water and gasolene.
clean the spark plugs, look after the
batteries and the magnetos. And the
feminine touch-well, you see, 1 just do
u quietly and don't make a fuss over
~ Mrs kneipp held out two very
Mnite ana smooth hands as exhibit 4
In her plea for The Feminine Touch.
ana the people / take out like the
3moothness, she continued. Il don't
Jar them. l don't barely escape running
- SCAAo anu DcdSlS anu DuRglSS.
We just go where we wish and make
exactly the speed we wish. l have had
one or two pretty speedy runs just by
myself, and know what speed Is But
tne pest way to run an automobile is to
run 1t discreetly.''
Mrs. kneipp said she had never had
any acctdents-eXcept one or two mis-
haps with ignition" and things like
that. She asserted the reason for that
was keeping her car in order.
Business Growing.
She laughed when she was asked ~
she were going to extend her business.
81 thiek not" she said. II really have
as much as care to do. like to be at
home. 1t was just an experiment that
succeeded. l don't care to go any far
Their with it-just now, at any rate 1
couldn't run two cars, and 1 haven't
another chauffeur like me she con-
doded with a smile. MY business is
growing. though. Lots of people at the
big hotels ask me to take them out.
ton people that want me. 1 know all
best of all, / know the parks and the
make a long rum"
Mr.. and Mrs. Kneipp have lived about
eight years in Washington. They are
from the middle West He Is in the
classification division of the Patent
Office, and is interested, of course, in
everything mechanical. Mrs. Kneipp
generally uses their car at night for
themselves and their friends.