The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-19
Automobile Demonstration Has
Much To Occupy Time.
Women Seem To Like To Make
Cars Climb Poles.
Topeka GIRL THRU A FENCE
When Car Stopped She Said 1t
Was Great Fun.
Probably Thought Otherwise
When Father Got Bill.

The life of an automobile demon
strator Is just one telephone pole af-
ter another. according to a local repre-
sentative OF the species. Women in
particular. he says. are extremely fond
of using a new motor car for an air
plane and some appear to have the
idea that the ordinary touring car
may be used in the same manner as
a French tank-for leveling stone
houses. telling trees and crossing
trenches.
II consider myself a lucky man."
said the demonstration with Douglas
Fairbanks smile. I've been in this
line for six years and am still alive,
with only a few scars to show for the
awful battles I've been thru. During
that time I've gotten by with only
about $4,000 worth OF accidents 100
There is such a difference IN nu-
mainly. Take women Tor exanhp.S "
Lots Of women are frightened to death
when they get hold Of a steering
wheel, and yet they insist on learning
to drive. There are not many women
who can learn TO steer in a day-oF
a month. Beside. they are AttIe
weaker than men and are more IN
clined to let a big car run into ditch
or hedge fence before they can get II
back into the road.
Learn Bicycle Riding.
bicycle riding is the primary school
for persons who would drive an auto
mobile. You learn the principles OF
guiding that way and consequently
have little trouble in guiding car.
But they've all got to learn the
gears. The greatest trouble, at first.
with most persons learning to drive
Is killing the engine. women ap-
pear to have much difficulty in push
ing the clutch in far enough to SHIFT
the gears, and then frequently they
let the clutch out too abruptly, or per-
haps, after killing the engine Few
times, press so hard on the foot throt-
tie at starting that the old boat BOUNDS
away like a greyhound chasing jack
rabbit and before one has time to
think the car is tearing thru a corn
field or spud patch.
1--WE found it pays, when teaching
a person TO drive, to be always on
the alert. but not to help them too
much. 1 tell 'em to pull down the
spark and gas levers, step on the
starter, push in the clutch, put her IN
low. release the clutch easily and give
her a little gas at the same time.
They always seem to understand per-
fectIy until they try 1t and kill the
engine, and then ask me what's the
matter with the thing; is it broke, or
does it always act that way.
Girl liked Speed.
But I just let EN- figure 1t out
themselves and then they remember
IL I remember one time 1 went out
to teach a charming young Topeka
woman to drive a large touring car.
She liked speed. and drove pretty well
for an amateur. We were approach
ing a corner at about thirty miles an
hour and 1 told her to slow down. But
she got excited and pushed on the
throttle all the harder and the old
wagon shot forward like q bullet. The
faster it went the harder she pushed
the throttle until we were eating up
about fifty miles an hour within fifty
feet Of the corner.
II reached Ger, snapped off the
ignition and pulled the hand brake
as far as I could, but II was too late
We struck a hedge fence, going thru
II like it was a cobweb. and stopped in
a. pasture right among a herd of milk
cows. Right in front Of us yawned a
steep little gully. full Of stones and
jagged rocks.
well, sir, whaddye think that gal
did7 She just looked up at me and
laughed and said:
"'Oh, wasn't that fun?"
But / guess she changed her mind
when daddy got the repair bill. Even
n hedge fence can leave marks on
nav carr