The Washington times., 1917-06-16
The Radiator
By MONTE W. sOHN.

BIZ MONTE W. SOHN.
Baltimore boasts two remarkable
youngsters in Billy and Jimmie Rip
pert four and six years old. They
live in the suburbs.
Last week they drove into town In
their Red Speedster, { leg-power su-
tomobile. 3 feet wide and feet In
length. Uncle Bill, who drives for
one OF BaltImore's exclusive families,
has had them out in his Jeffrey sew
eral times, and those few rides furr-
ished the inspiration for the speed
ster.
The hood and radiator are cylinder
shaped, like the early Franklin and
the Phisnna Of today. There is a steer
ing wheel pitched at a racing angle
slung low, about six inches from the
ground. There 10 an emergency brake
and even a gear shift lever.
The two youngsters have achieved
something highly commendable in
their exalted pushmobile. The impress
sion IT created when Baltimoreans got
their first glimpse was one OF aston
ishment So far a. their extremely
young minds and abilities would per
mit-not forgetting the scarcity OF
raw materials lying around loose
they have carried out with admirable
faithfulness every detail OF the big
racing cars appearance.
Jimmie, the elder. furnishes the
fuel, IL the engine, motor, and ig-
milton system. and himself delivers
the power to the rear axle.
Billy-four-is the pilot and is ut
terIy Indifferent whether he narrowly
misses telegraph poles and trees or
meets them head on.
The hood OF the car is a retired ice
cream tub, such as might have held q
ten-gallon freezer in it's youth. The
lumber was swiped from the wood
shed and the rubber wheels purloined
from the baby's carriage.
Ten years ago little boys might
have shouted, Get q horse!" derisive-
ly. But they gave the automobile a
wide berth. Today they drive dad TO
the office and argue technicalities at
fifteen years.
Ten years from now7
The following story is self-explan-
atory. That is, it explains how per-
verted is the mind Of the average
person as regards what
constitutes news. Can you not pic
ture, gentle motorist, the avidity, the
best seller appetite with which your
eyes would devour the Saturday
Times automobile page il it were
made up Of such inexpressibly bleak
bunk as this?
so far as my experience goes. I can pro-
nounee the Cadillac eight the best thing in
the shape Of q motor car that has yet come
70 US from the land OF the Stars and
Thus wrote an expert In the Motor News,
Of Dublin. q leading Irish motor publication,
! tsr q run Of forty miles in = Cadillac eight |
streets Of London and over Enow-covsred |
-oads In the open country. He goes on:
1T Is TO an intents and purposes . one
scar car, as you can use the top speed thiEh |
yeaT) on anything from i've 10 over sixty |
miles an hour. The acceleration Is really |
wonderful. The rate at which the car can /
Jump from 4 creeping pace up to q mile per |
not my FIRST introduction to the eiEht-cylin- |
der engine. having made q run several years /
ago In a De Dion with the same number OF /
cylinders. The one impression left on my
mind In connection with that trip was the
mooth running Of the engine described
{ then being pulled along by 4 cable.
here was not only the feeling Of sweet and
saAy running, but the sense OF supreme and
constant power as well Ny forty-mile run
N the new Cadillac. in and out Of traffic.
through slush and snow. uphill and on level.
vas q repetition Of my previous experience.
TO use an Americanism. the Cadillac Is
some car. a. u provides comfort bordering
N luxury. speed far beyond ones require
nent. and ease OF control 80 simple that q
hid could drive II. Thanks TO highly or
lAniIsd factory and an enormous output. the
American company IL able to put this car on
he market At price that almost dehes