The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-08
Dolly At Auto Show Learns About Shifts" Clutches
 'Pstons" Cylinders and the Chassis of the Machines
Bx DOLLY DALRYMPLE

N s we went Into the big, gaily dec ] A\ orated. auditorium, where Bir- e = minghams auto show" is be- ing held this week. the nice young man with us kept talking about the chassis '' I thought chassis was the make of a machine" I volunteered mildly. Tt isn't" said the urbane gentleman.
 most kindly, tits the frame work, the machinery of the automobile, before the l body Is put on"
 "Ohw I gasped and accordingly feigned knowledge in the bare bodies of autos,
 running gears" 'pistons. cylinders, "connecting rods" cam" gears. and cam" shifts, clutches" and transmits sions.''
 "The names sound for all the world like advertisements for false hair" I again volunteered.
 The nice young man looked at me as if I were a. mere worm.
 They do just the same" I went on, recklessly. especially that transmission term; I heard a woman in a department store the other day ask Tor g. transforma. tion, and I learned later that 1t was 8
  "Brain attached, did you say?" queried the nice young man with what I regarded as quite a near approach to humor. Stranger terms now came to my ears as another representative of one of the big automobile companies accosted tha nice young man with me and quickly the talk drifted to emergency brakes and "differentiar' brakes. and other high sounding names
 "A gear shift means absolutely nothing to me-" observed; neither does side
 levers or 'carburetors,' or"
 That's because you don't own ma- chine" said the nice young man. "Oncs a person mentions any of these terms, he Is taken by an automobile representative immediately, if metaphorically, to that persons heartl'
 "Oh, behold!" I said, motioning to remote quarter of the auditorium. DO Jet me see that stunning looking imou- sine It's wonderfull A regular con- servatory on wheels"
 That's a good description" said the nice young man, for the first time ap- proving of my automobile language, flor a modern limousine comes p-r-e-t-t-y nearly being a conservatory on wheels, as you express it." q think he was fu- rious that I'd hit upon an appropriate term at last).
 The limousine we looked at was as large as any ordinary bathroom; it was fully equipped like a Pullman; the ob- servation kind, I mean; there was the clock, the stationary. pencil, note pad and fountain pen all tucked away in pockets around the car; umbrella holders and mirrors were displayed; an ivory-mouthed telephone, and tall, slender vases for flowers; lights in the corners suggested little let-in-the-wall medicine cases, and actually looked around for the cloak closet somewhere, so perfectly was every thing arranged, under this innocent fringe adorned flap and that one, so that a person might conceal the handsomest of wardrobes."
 I'm crazy about the horns on ma chimes" told the nice voting man, mot the kind-the siren horn. I believe it's called, that penetrates and is unforget- table in it's shriek, but the soft, quiet horn that sooths and pacifes" The nice young man explained kindly that the former was designed ito surprise, but not to alarm people ahead of the machine" and, of course, that settled the matter as far as he was concerned.
 Nearly all the machines that I saw for the first half hour at the auto show were from 40 to 60 horse power, and while not asking the price, deducted according to code of my own that the running rate in prices is hundred dollars a. power, or horse, so there you are as to price!
 One 46-horsepower car scared way up into the thousands. but I fancied that the extras" were for the mirrors and little notebooks and the very extravagant little clock that ticked away all ones financial conscience
 ''The colors and marvellous upholstery of the various cars" I observed" sug-