University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-05-13

A man Wltn lOuS, COdi-OioCh wuAo
kers, living in our town, thinks the
Columbia Automobile Club should
give a celebration in his honor June
1. Perhaps it should, too. For isn't
the arrival of the first automobile In
Columbia an event worthy Of an an
niversary? Look at the miles of good
roads that have come to Boone County
within the past few years. What Is
responsible for this improvement?
Automobiles. Who brought the first
automobile to Columbia? The man
with coal-black whiskers. So there
you are.
On June 1, eight years ago. w.
B. West drove out of St. Louis in a
brand new Oldsmobile. Over the
Mineola hills, through McCredie and
Williamsburg, the present route of
the cross-state highway; even through
Warren County, where farmers lay
in wait with shot guns for motorists
in those days. they say; on over hills
and rough stretches in that car, the
pride of his life," he came on to Co
lumbia. Women jumped out of We
hicles and left horses standing alone
in the road; mule teams ran into
fence corners when the car whizzed
mast SO the driver tells
Came to Town in Dark.
At midnight he turned into East
Broadway. The motor chugged and
the engine sputtered but the city was
too fast asleep to hear it, No one
but the West family knew what had
arrived.
Perhaps it was best that the citi-
zens didn't know-best for Mr.. West
and the car. For it is doubtful II
there were more than a dozen among
all the inhabitants of the town who
noted the first public appearance of
the car on Broadway with any special
delight. 1t was a curiosity, that's
true; but it was also a devil on
wheels" Old family horses, which
the children could drive anywhere,
trembled, squatted on their hind legs,
twisted around in their shafts and
performed other antics, which en-
ragged their drivers and disgusted the
chauffeur. The old mother hen with
her brood of twenty chicks would
stand on a street corner and fly right
under the wheels of the motor.
Horses. which had been made to
haul carriage loads of women and
children around over the city and
out into the country on bright after
Moons, had fewer engagements.
No Driving When Car Was Out.
"Are you going out with the car to-
day, Mr.. West?" The call came over
the telephone.
NO. I'm busy in the shop today"
Then it was all right to go for a
drive, but when the car was expected
to be on the streets, the horses
hay in their stalls or ate
grass on the lawn.
But times change. The attitude of
persons become wholly transformed
in a very short time. The fall of
of that same year, Columbia man,
who had been watching Mr.. Vests
horsepower machine whizz over the
streets, decided that there must be
some pleasure In running an auto
mobile. He ordered a 15-horsepower!
Ford from Sedalia. F. A. Sampson
was the second man in Columbia to
own an automobile.
Il bought it for the pleasure my
wife and 1 might derive from II" he
says. But I'll tell you frankly, I
never rode in the car a single time
without a feeling of fear. And my
she trembled all the time.
But We ran it a great deal and never
had a serious accident.
Critics Liked to Ride.
"One afternoon on Stewart road We
net a man on horseback. The horse
SHE'D at the car, threw the rider and
packed into a wire fence. That night
some one called me up by telephone. |
presume it was the father Of the
,oung man, whose horse was fright
,ned. He started to say something |
about damages, but I told him We were
irving our car so slowly that I was
,ut of it and helping the young man
before he and the horse had gotten
,ut of the fence He then had nothing |
% say. That was the worst accident
We had"
Many persons condemned the auto
mobile. according to Mr. Sampson, but |
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