University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-14


with me and"
"Sufe | will, John, even to riding
behind you on your motorcycle"
Thus have times changed. Motor
cycle and automobile are replacing
the horse and buggy. Within the last
decade so appreciably has the de-
mand for buggies decreased that man
ufacturers are endeavoring to arrive
at some solution as to how to in
growing desire for speeding along
country roads on motorcycle or in au-
tomobile.
No longer do Agnes and John fancy
the long slow drive behind trnsty
horse, enjoying the beauty of spring
time scenery and the fragrance OF
wild flowers and fresh green mead
ows. The present-day girl has lik-
ing for moving. as rapidly as things
about her are moving and so the fash
ionable Stanhope of few years ago
has lost its popularity. If John has
the wherewithal. he purchases car.
but if his savings are slow in reaching
the required amount, he continues to
save in the hope that good fortune
will smile upon him within another
year.
In the country communities partic-
! ularly is the decrease in sales of
buggies noticeable. The automobile
has not entirely supplanted the buggy,
for often family will do without an
extra conveyance. waiting till they
can afford a machine Then in other
cases where both a machine and
buggy are owned. the buggy lasts
longer than formerly, because 1t is
used only when the roads ar: too
rough for an automobile.
Prices Not Far Apart.
The difference in price of the two
equipments is steadily diminishing
/ High price of feed and high price of
horse, with decreasing price for au-
| tomobiles as the number on the mark
eft increases and the cost of manu-
facture decreases, brings the market
price of the two closer together. A
wo-passenger auto mobile can now be
bought for $3.50. A good horse will
cost 5000 or $3.50, Stanhope $50 and
harness $25. Here We have an amount
approaching $500. Feed will cost
from $S to $40 a month. and for SIS,
if one understands his machine, an au
up.
The young farmer looks upOr these
figures critically before deciding upon
the purchase of a buggy. Perhaps
in another year he can buy machine
and keep pace with his neighbors.
Aside from wanting to do as others
do, there are certain pleasures to be
derived from a machine which make
strong appeal to him. One can
cover more territory in less time
and to the pleasure of spending is add
ed the pleasure of being, in point of
time. closer to the city.
Another factor that has made for
the decrease of buggy sales is the fac:
that the next best opportunity has
caused many of the former manu-
facturers of buggies to go into the
automobile business. Advertising
with more than ordinary force has
pushed their products into the coun-
try communities. whereas the manu-
facturers of buggies who remain in
the business have failed to keep pace
with auto manufacturers in advertis-
ing.
While these are the conditions that
exist in the country, the automobile is
losing somewhat in popularity in the
large city. The millionaire is taking
more and more to high-class horses
and so the demand for buggies is re-
viving in the city.
Heavy Loss in Sales Here.
Agents in Columbia estimate the de-
crease in sales of buggies at from 25
to sc per cent during the last four
years. The reason for this local de-
crease they give as two-fold.
"Sales in the CITY," said one agent,
'have fallen off almost 100 per cent,
and in the country. where we used to
sell three buggies, We now sell but
one. 1t is self-evident that the auto
mobile has supplanted the buggy in