The Washington herald., 1916-04-09
OWNER.DRIVERS
GROW numerous
More and More the Chauffeur
Is Dispensed with at
the Wheel.
MOST TROUBLE NOW PAST
Annoyances Of Cranking. Tire Chang
ing Gear. Shifting and Minor
Worries Eliminated.


Never was a time when so many men
and women handled the wheels OF their
own cars.
This is one OF the most interesting de-
velopments Of a year that has produced
many sensations TO the youngest and
most virile OF American industries
The expert chauffeur will always have
a place. There Is employment for him
in the service OF the rich with their
many cars for varied uses He will al
ways be needed in motortruck work, for
taxicabs. and for vehicles generally used
In merchandise or passenger transporta-
| ton
But for individual pleasure car drIv-
ing. there never was a time when the
Importance Of the professional driver was
less vital.
The populariEing of the motor car
through price reductions and the con-
tinual additions to the comfort of the
driver and the ease Of running a car
and keeping II in shape are the factors
that have made driving so popular.
At the very start OF the industry. the
gentleman driver was common.
Cars were largely bought then by two
classes, the speed king who wanted the
pleasure OF sitting at the wheel OF car
travelling at a speed then unknown for
anything but a locomotive, and the man
with mechanical turn of mind who was
Interested in the automobile entirely from
a scientific standpoint and found his
pleasure In directing its work.
Gradually the zest passed from this
diversion. The speed and the mechanical
action OF the motor car became so we'll
known that less attention was paid to
them. Rich men hired chauffeurs
In thus giving up the pleasure of driv-
ing many were largely inhuepced by a
desire to get away from many wesri-
some and onerous features that went
hand In hand with the fun.
One OF the worst evils was cranking
| II may be that some time there has been
some eccentric who could control his
temper while trying to spin 'er over"
but the number was certainly few The
average man cursed outwardly. or fumed
inwardly according to temperament, and
was finally willing to turn the car and
It's responsibilities over to a driver,
thenceforth taking his comfort either be-
side the driver or In the tonneau.
Gear shifting also had a lot to do with
lessentng the enthusiasm of owner
drivers. As cars were formerly con-
structed, this changing was frequent
Nearly every hill involved shifting. In
long touring. this became very tirinE.
There were also lot of minor worries
Tires were hard to put oil. Lighting sys-
tenn gave endless trouble. The top that
had to be adjusted as protection against
sudden storm was a cumbersome AFFAIR
that two or three PEOPLE had all they
could do to handle.
Manufacturers had noted this condition
They had reasoned wisely that 1t was a
| handicap to industry, for the intelligent
observer knows that the real enthusia SIN
| for motoring is to be found among those
who do their own driving.
| Gradually there was evolved the car of
N,..~N
point of the driver.
Women Enjoy Driving.
The widespread adoption of electric
lighting and self-starting devices was an
| immense gain to start with. Here at a
| stroke were removed two of the obstacles
to more general driving by owners No
longer was it necessary to get out and
crank a car. Lighting became automatic
| Then came a One-man top that is COM
pact and readily managed, that can be
| put in place by one person within five
minutes and with a minimum OF effort.
| Meantime improvements had been
worked out in the placing of tires.
But especially a benefaction was con-
ferred on motorists when cars were con-
structed with SO much power and such
scientific application of it that gear
shifting was reduced to a minimum. 1t
now became possible to make long tours
| covering two or three days In cars that
| could readily take the steepest hills on
the high. that in the whole journey il
would never once be necessary to touch
| the lever.
From this great improvement In cars
has developed an army of owner-drivers.
| Men are now getting the full measure
Of enjoyment from motoring who former
| ly made passengers of themselves. Now
they are having the fun Of driving and
are more enthusiastic over their cars
than ever before.
Women. who formerly were deferred
from driving by the cranking, gear
shifting and tlre-changing evils, saw re-
moved all the obstacles to their participa-
tion in the full pleasure Of motoring.
| The increase in the number of wom-
en- drivers has been simply astounding.
Only a couple of years back women
| hardly drove anything but electrics.
The occasional woman driver was a
sight so rare that pedestrians stopped
to take a look. But all this has passed
now. Women by the hundreds drive
gasoline cars in this city, and thoy
drive well. II is admitted by traffic
policemen, who stand in the midst of
the city congestion and who are able
to study the subject, that women make
careful, Intelligent drivers, cool in a
pinch and not likely to take foolish
chances.
OF course, with many of those who
are now driving, men and women
alike, there was no option. If they
were going to have cars, they had to
drive. They lacked means to hire
chauffeurs. They are only motorists
because cars have reached such a pc
riod of development that driving has
been made easy.
The benefit to the industry from this
new enthusiasm for driving is con-
ceded Cars are going to last longer
now that the owner is his own driver.
/ A man viii naturally exert his best
care on that which he owns, When the
| bills for repairs must be paid from
! his own pocket he is going to exert
a care not otherwise obtainable. Each
owner-driver must constantly assimi-
late an increased amount of knowI-
edge concerning automobile construc-
tion. This will mean cars better taken
care of, and will reduce the service
costs of the stations maintained by
Various concerns for the protection of
customers.
large proportion of the cars that
! will be sold this year are destined TO
be guided by the same hands that will
sign the check for their purchase.