Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-31

With muttered growl he rose, ell
bowed his way through the strap
hangers and stepped TO the street.
A row of idle taxicabs stood in front
| of the Atlas building. Into the first
| of these bounced Mccarthy, throwing
his address to the expectant chauf-
feur
The man hoped down from his
box, threw on the coil switch and ran
to the front. He turned the engine
over the compression, but no ex-
plosion followed. He repeated the ef-
fort a dozen times. Then, grasping
the starting handle with a firmer
grip he "whirled" the engine-with-
out result
whats the matter Can't you
make her go?" demanded Mccarthy,
thrusting his head from the door.
"Will you please listen. sir. and
see If you hear a buzz when l turn
her over?" requested the chauffeur.
81 don't hear nothing" was the
verdict.
I'm sorry. but you'll have to take
another cab" then said the man.
my coils gone back on me-
Mccarthy impatiently descended,
entered the next taxi in line and re-
peated the same experience. BY now
the other chauffeurs, noticing the
predicament of their brethren, were
anxiously and perspiringly at work.
Not an engine answered the call Of
the road A passing truck driver,
grinning from ear to ear, drove SLOW
ly down the line, dealing out the an
cient jests rescued for the occasion
| from an oblivion to which the per-
lection of the automobile had con-
! signed them.
Mccarthy added his mite; he was
beginning to feel himself the victim
of series of nagging impertinences,
which he resented after his kind.
IF" said he, your company would
put out something on the street be-
sides a bunch of retired grist-mills
with clock dials hitched on to them.
| you might be able to give the public
some service. I've got lots of time
Don't hurry through your afternoon
exercise on my account Just buy
lawn mower and a chatelaine
apiece-you'd do just as WE'LL
BY now every man had his battery
box open. Mccarthy left them, puz-
zling over the singular failure of the
electrical apparatus. which is the
nervous system OF the modern auto
mobile
He turned into Fifth avenue. An
| astonished sight met his eyes.
The old days have returned. The
centre of the long roadway, down
which ordinarily a long file of the
purring monsters of gasoline creep
and dash, shouldering aside the few
hansoms and victorias remaining
from bygone age, now showed but
swinging slashing trot of horses.
Hansoms, hacks, broughams; up
raised whips, whirling In signal; the
spat spat Of horses hoofs; all the
obsolescent vehicles that ordinarily
doze in hope along the stands of the
side streets; it was a gay sight of
| the past raised again for the moment
of reality by the same mysterious
blight that had Swallowed the Atlas
building the night before.
Along the curbs, where they had
been hand-pushed under direction
from the traffic squad, stood an I'M
broken line of automobiles. And the
hood of each was raised for the eager
tinkering of its chauffeur. Past
them streamed the horses, and the
faces Of their drivers were illumined
by broad grins.
Mccarthy looked about him for a
hanson. There was none unengaged.
In fact, the boss soon determined
that many others. like himself. We're
waiting for a chance at the first va
cant one Reluctantly he made up
his mind to walk He glanced up at