Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23

|
automatically turn red whether
there is a machine approaching or
not. The nature of the plan is
not divulged.
Hack Inspector Joseph Harring-
ton has Just returned from a mo-
tor trip West. He reports that in
st. Louis there are no hackStands.
Taxis are clasSed with all other
automobiles and can park any,
where they can get in, provided
they do not stay over the allotted
time for all machines. According
to him the plan works out there
very we'll.
Another novelty the inspector
reports is that if you phone for
a taxi and ride over SIS cents
worth. the money for your call is
refunded Mr.. Harrington did not
advocate the giving up of taxi
stands here. but admitted it might
save his office a lot of trouble.
The Early Auto.
Interesting "reminiscences of au-
tomobiles and auuomobiling 20
years ago are narrated by B. w.
de Guichard, a pioneer in the au-
tomotive industry and spark plug
company head which rounds out
it's twentieth anniversary this
month.
To-day the motorist steps into
his car, turns on the ignition and
is comfortably and confidently
away on his Journey" Mr.. de
Guichard said.
Twenty years ago, this same
motoriSt, perhaps, used a tea
kettle full of hot water to prime
his machine, pouring some of the
hot water into the radiator and
some of it over the carburetor.
Then he would bend over and
crank the car; if adroit at this
operation, he would escape a
broken arm
There were headlights that had
to be filled with Oil in the real
early days; a little later, carbide
lights were introduced. With this
method the motorist found it
necessary to see that the tank was
supplied with water and carbide.
Riding over rough road, and
there certainly were plenty OF
them, the carbide lights would
suddenly flare up like VeSuviuS
and then as quickly fade away.
Following the carbideS came the
acetylene pressure tank, which
was quite an improvement. It
will be remembered that all of
these lamps had to be lighted
with a match.
There were no garages along
the roadwayS 20 years ago and
few paSSerSby to render help, so
in case of a punctured tire the
motoriSt would begin work on
changing the offending bolted-on
lug, or clincher type fabric tire.
Initiating the tire was done by
hand pump. There was no such
thing as carrying an inflated spare
tire in the early days. And chang
ing a fiat tire then often meant
half a days work, pair of badly
skinned hands and anything but
a sweet disposition.
Shock abSorberS were unheard
of in the early days. This didn't
make motoring over the bumpy
roads any better. Windshield
wipers were another unknown ap-
pliance, but they weren't needed
in the Winter time, anyway, be-
cause everybody lacked their cars
up in the garages and kept them
there because road conditions
made it impossible to use them.
while there was no such thing
as a spark plug 30-odd years ago,
in the days of SprocketS and
SkepticiSm the accepted means of
firing the fuel mixture was a fear
full continuance known as a hot
tube
Equipped with a blow torch,
the motoriSt would proceed to heat
up the tube. If he couldn't get
the tube hot enough, the engine
remained dead. If the tube be-
came overheated-bam, backflre,
bandageS.
Motoring HandicapS.
Under such handicapS labored
the intrepid motorist before he
even put on his gloves and Cog
giles to go forth and give Main
street big thrill.
when it looked as though that
hardy band of pioneer motorists
was destined for extinction. the
fiendish hot tube was discarded
in favor of spark plugs.
1.-The first spark plugs were
nothing to enthuSe about. They
were bought by the peck and
thrown out by the buShel. But in
the intervening years of automo-
bile progress. spark plugs, like
other component parts of the
automobile, have been gradually
developed and improved until
they are as nearly perfect as it is
possible to make them.
To-day improved engine design
eliminates necessity of the tea
kettle full of hot water; better
tires have reduced greatly neceS-
sity for changing. Improved
roads and cars make Winter driv-
ing as popular as at any season
and certainly more, appreciated
On any we'll travelled road the mo-
toriSt is able, as rule, to gel
service when necessary.
Cars are being driven longer
today because of engineering de.
velopment and better driving
:. conditions and because of the
protective devices on the car, Sucf
: as oil filters, air cleaners, crank
case ventilation, gasoline strain
erS, balloon tires, shock abSorbers
lacquerS and paints, instrument
: board indicators. etc. Again, an
other factor in the long life anc
; economic operation of today'S au-
tomobile is the owners knowledge
, of the Importance of keeping the
cor,,;aoI orl1y -