Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-03
SEEN AND HEARD UP AND DOWN GASOLINE ROW"
Breeze from
the Blowouts
my J. X. eowEN. JR.).

motorists. and many who depend upof
their own exertions to see that theii
ears are kept spick-and -span hav'
foregone the trips W. country roads
which are so popular. on account o.
the Iugubrious condition Of the roads
The recent thaws have certainly pu'
the jinx on those who would fain nj
the high places, and drivers of carr
unprotected by chains or other non
| skid devices have had to take the pro
coed h-caution" orders to heart.
Not hat the moist highways have
been a special source of discomfort t.
the occupants of the cars. On the con-
trary, it is the callow pedestrian, treat
ing himself to a little spring sunshine
before time, who gets 1t in the neck
or, to be more accurate, all over his
clothing. But even the fellow in the
road who cusses the cars as they Shoot
by and splash him may thank his
lucky stars that they are not the
threshing machines of a few years ago
TO get within a quarter Of a mile OF
one when 1t was doing it d%arnedest was
to be treated to a mud bath quite as
good as any Mt. Clemens, Mich, ever
Pi1oNtco, atiu flOt cV0D bie SeNtI-lOI
trucks with the wheels two feet across
that dot the roads Of late have any
thing o. them when they were out for
business.
Newark and the surrounding country
has pretty good roads. as a general
rule, but the Four Corners on a moist
day would make as strong an argu-
ment for the good-roads movement as
could be produced.
Chains are all right; so are extra
corrugated threads, and tires like the
"Nobby," but something of the kind is
absolutely necessary. The mar who
goes out with his car these days with
out some additional protection is either
crazy or a foo. Or he may simply be
d~aredevilish, which amounts to the
same thing. The streets are slippery
always; when IL is not ice it is slush
that makes them dangerous, and when
these are melted there still remain the
wet n treacherous streets them
selves. A corner is never a dead-safe
proposition even for the most careful
drivers, and wintry conditions OF
weather do not make it any more at
tractive, unless it be permissible to
see attractiveness in a moreue. So
much for the city.
But the mar who would think OF
riding through the country. with the
roads In the state they must be at this
season of the year, must have some
thing vitality wrong with him if he
leaves minus his tire protection. Ac-
cidents happen every day in the city,
directly resulting from the condition
of the pavements, and the fact that
there are fewer accidents in the coun-
try is because fewer cars leave the
city precincts. For if the percentage
OF men who scorn tire protection was
as large among those who make rura'
trips at this season of the year az
among those who simply endangei
their own and the lives of others in the
city. there would be several additional
deaths per diem for the newspapers to
chronicle.
Just to show how strong the feeling
against New Jersey because of its
present automobile laws has been, a
story was brought to our ears the
other day which would seem to be
carrying the matter a little too far. 1t
appears hat a really good policy had
beer taken out by a Western man with
a local insurance house, which. as II
would net the agent a fat commission
he was anxious to secure finally. But
in looking over his policy it CHANGED
that the Western man came upon the
name similar to that OF a certain sen-
ator of New Jersey who had intro
duced an automobile bill. Immediate
ly he wired to the agent that it was
all off. In reply to the frantic queries
of the disappointed man he sent 4
matter-of-fact letter, stating that once
on a time he had CHANGED to come
within the range of said laws and had
been what he considered ~unjustly
scathed by them. Amy State ne
concluded, which harbors such blank
ety-blank laws gets no insurance
money from me-
While trade in local automobile cir
cles has not been what could be cailee
even dull for the past months OF thi'
! winter, a feeling has been rather preva'
lent hat with the coming of the shoV
| this month there will be noted a decid
ed change in the aspect of the buyini
public. The Armory show, from ever.
present outlook. is going to be a bii
trade boomer. The material is Their
and the men are willing to dispose OF II
All tina is necessary is the elusive MAJ
with the MACON. and once he gets IN
side the Armory doors this line he vii
be lost, Newark is one of the hveiies
automobile centres on the face OF tn
earth; a great many cars have bee
sold here, and a great many more car
will be sold. The coming show is ex
pected TO be the starting gun for bi
business in 1912. and local dealers ar
preparing to make the coming season
record for sales. Every space wi
be filled at the Armory that is possibl
available. and the fact that many spac
applications had to be denied show
that great expectations of "somethin
doing are the rule. With the dealer
optimistic, and with eager buyers 9
hand uaitino tn stha shoyn y the mi