El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-14

a recent trip Of about 500 miles
through the middle states by
~ automobile, I noted the uniform
good nature, patience and courtesy OF
the automobile drivers
Before the days Of the Hepburn bill
we had fine phrase, to wit: The
Courtesfes of the Road" This meant
a railroad pass. The tendency OF the
times wiped out that particular KIM OF
courtesy" and now the term means
simply the good will which gentlemen
always manifest toward each other
when they meet
Six wears ago the automobile was
plaything. Men who drove machlne
were more or less heroes; also more or
less brigands. The spirit OF the larrlk1n
and the hoodlum sat at the wheel II
farmer did not get out of the way quick
track!' Don't you know anything
What's the matter with you:
will take a wheel of you next"
1t is the rule now of the good autoist
never to use such language, nor even
resent coarse language and eplthet
when applied by others
If you sit at a wheel, you cannot
afford to lose your temper All OF the
nerves YOU possess should be used in
carrying your machine through to
AS for singing somebody up with a
few hot WOrdS-that is a thing of the
past. The traveller now no longer con-
siders himself a section Of the day OF
We used to talk about the dangers
of travel; now We are beginning TO IN
derstand Aristotle's dictum to Alexan-
der the Great: The enemies of an
army are in its own camp"
A mans enemies are in his own
heart: his enemies are his limitations,
his impatience, his hot haste, his desire
to get even. his fear of being injured
or defrauded.
Well has it been said: There is no
devil but fear"
There is something heroic about hav-
ing so horsepower at your finger tips,
or reached by the pressure of the foot,
and yet never using this power to the
limit About it there is a quality that
makes you proud and gives a dignity
which men without power never pos
sess.
It so happens that the running of an
automobile with this tremendous power
within your reach tends to give a sort
of freedom from all little perplexing
cares.
If a teamster blocks the way unneces-
sariIy, you do not roar at him; but, if
possible, you catch his eye, smile, wave
your hand. and he gets the idea and
partakes of this spirit and responds
The automobile clubs all over the
country undoubtedly have done much
to make peace between the man who
hasn't an automobile and the one who
has
For a while we had a beautiful con-
tempt for the man with a machine, and
we spoke OF the Red Devil, having the
chauffeur quite as much in mind as the
machine
No chauffeur now will run over
chickens, dogs, ducks or geese, If he
can help it He keeps his machine
well in hand when passing by houses
where animals or persons may run out
or appear suddenly. He is cOnsiderate
for the feelings of others.
There used to be an old Quaker
maxim running thus: IF 1 can do a
kind act or say a kind word. let me
say it now, for I may not pass this
way again"
The autoist, however, realizes that he
will pass this way again; also hundreds
and thousands of other autOists will
pass this way again, and his endeavor
is to leave a kindly remembrance be-
hind rather than one of wrath or in
Because it is a somewhat
curious fact that anybody that has been
insulted by a reckless autOmobilist !
the pavement in his imme- !
date vicinity viii feel a spirit of re-
sentiment and ill-win, even for a little !
time. toward the whole tribe of men (
who own buzz wagons.
This being true, every good autoiSt I
now endeavors to spread good will. 1
courtesy. kindness, as he goes, know 1
ing that he probably will be back this (
way again." and that everything he /