The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-06-26
Innovation Has Met With Popular
Approval Everywhere Small
Automobile Is Now Competing
For the Jitney (SIang For 5
cents)-Where the Word 0rigi-
nated-One Driver Averaged
So a Day.
Photo By American Press Association.

4 LII wei the country has spread
the jitney (which Is slang for
~ nickel movement. North, east.
south and west have been in
vaded by the jitney bus. Street car
companies have become frightened as
the new fad keeps eating into their re-
ceipts and at the same time promises
to become a permanent institution.
There seem to be a great many ideas
as to what a jitney bus really is. Its
origin can be traced to Los Angeles.
where a man, the possessor of a small
automobile. saw crowded street cars
waiting for the next. The idea struck
him that these neglected passengers
would be willing to ride with him for
the same fare charged by the company.
His plan was well received. and
he soon established a FIVE cent run,
taking people to their very doors. 9th
ers followed suit, and today in Los
Angeles nearly 1000 automobiles of
every shape and description are doing
a thriving business. and the trolley
companies have tried to check their
growth.
Uses Of the Jitney.
The uses of the jitney bus in the
cities in which 1t now is are almost as
various as the cities. 1t carries the
business man to and from his work;
It serves the purposes of the woman
who wants to go shopping; it increases
Ah~ w~~r~ - <h> Gov <wot INV rpo1yfno
dancing parties nor convenient and
less expensive to get to; 1t is possible
In some cities for the worker of the
Family to go home to lunch where time
and other considerations used to pre-
vent.
The jitney may be a specially built
omnibus, a truck with cross seats nall
ed on, a limousine that has seen its
best days or q touring a of any quail
lty that has passed through previous
conditions of servitude. 1t may even
be new. The history of one small car
used for this purpose in Kansas City
q not without interest.
It was purchased a short time ago,
new, by one Brown. a locomotive fire.
man. The car cost him $522.90. and
he promptly put it to work. He ran it
In all kinds Of weather and covered
In five and a half weeks of jitneying
about 5000 miles. At the end Of that
time he sold it for $3.50. In this Pc
Rod. besides paying for his board and
lodging-at a modest rate. to be sure
and paying for all the running and up
keep expenses Of his five passenger ma
chine, Brown put sos In the bank. All
of which goes to show that there are
more than paper profits in the jitney
bus IL It Is run under fair conditions.
Brown had average gross daily re-
ceipts Of $3.50 to S.. with $3.50 as
has best single day.
Spread Of Movement.
In perhaps no country in the world
save this could a movement like that
Of the jitney bus have developed from
a sporadic experiment to a widespread
reality In less than three months.
Although there are probably many
thousand jitney buses in operation in
the country now. the business of jit-
neg busting has not become standard
led by any means. For this reason it
somewhat difficult to define IT. In
first place. a Jitney bus is not nee
nesarily an omnibus at all. To be sure,
he bus is being USED TO some extent.
md multipassenger vehicles are being
built and converted for the trade. But
n Its essence the Jitney Is any Kin OF |.