South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-17
Motor Car, as a Time Maker" and Transportation
Aid VIII Not Be Affected Much by the War

an the motor boats. farm tractors
and engines. and other fuel consum-
ing factors. il is hardly a thing ct
which 10 wonder that 'gas. viii Doe
scarce
Assuming 10 gallons a week as
the average amount consumed dur
ing the year. the 100000 cars viii
burn up 100000. 900 salons OF
fuel Ten gallons is a very low aver
age, too. for part Of the motor cars
considered are doing war duty iu
France, and others are commercial
cars continually "on the go.T
Tire prices-but why interrupt
that nice ride OF ours with such un-
pleasant thoughts? Tires viii -
expenS we. no doubt. just as every
thing else is nowadays.
To get back 10 that nice ride OF
ours-have YOU seen the new map
OF ST. Joseph county, with all the
new names on the roads, When
you 20 down 10 North Liberty you
no longer take the Sumption Prairie
road, it's the Liberty highway. now.
The Michigan road is now officially
labelled Dixie highway. and all the
other roads in the country have
been christened, as youu find out
when you go riding OF an evening
this summer.
Affected by War.
Motoring has been affected by the
war. OF course. as has everything
else in the country. Production will
be limited. and fuel supplies Will be
high priced. But the automobile
has come 10 stay. and we cannot
do without it. To expect this ma
ton TO give up its motor cars would
be almost like expecting it 10 live
on air and water. Motor cars. like
many things. has passed from lux
uries" and "conveniences," almost
20 necessities
Without the motor car. life would
be infinitely changed. In place of
the big red motor trucks which rush
the streets 10 put out fires, we
would have the old horse drawn We
hicles with a corresponding increase
of insurance rates and fire losses.
Perhaps in this connection the
passing of the horse is most pic
turesque. Some time ago, when
South Bends large hook and lad
der truck was wrecked, the three
black horses which pulled the long
wagon Of old were brought back
into use. and a spectator. standing
on the street. was given a hasty re-
vue of the whole life of the motor
world. as the fire department went
by.
The three blacks got away sooner:
when the bell rang, they jumped.
and were out of the doors almost
before the men had succeeded in
starting the powerful motor in tha
neighboring trucks. A few blocks
away from the station. one could
see the horses gallCping desperately
down the street, pulling the fire
equipment to the blaze. The clang
o the old gong reused citizens 10
names flying and hoOfs strikmg
sparks from the pavement, lunged
past.
But the sound of the old brass
gong was soon drowned in a newer
note, the sound of a siren and the
heavy roar of explosions pouring
out of an exhaust manifold. The
driver of the hook and ladder pulled
his horses to the side, and they. the
expression of longing regret almost
showing on their faces, gave way.
as the unfeeling hish power motor
cars went tearing by leaving the
horses far behind.
The day Of the horse has passed.
and even war cannot bring him
back to take the place of motor
cars. Pictures which used 10 show
thoroughbred horses jumping hur-
dies, now show the smooth lines of
the latest twin six.
If they didnt-you'd have just
finished an article about one horse
shays, instead of about motor cars.