The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-07-29
Driverless Magic Auto
to Feature Spectacular
Parade in w. jefferson
Safe Driving Purpose
Of Big Event
Driverless Vehicle Controlled by
Telegraph Key to Show How
to Turn and Stop Safely
TO PERFORM HERE AUG. Z

"A Qt1V0I10SS MdS1C dUIOllOU11C,
will wind it's way through the
crowded downtown business district
of West Jefferson on Saturday after
noon, August starting at 2 p. m.
Riding in another car behind from
twenty to fifty feet away, will be
Captain John ]. wild Jim) Lynch,
ex-cowbody, rodeo champion, dare
devil, movie actor, stunt man and
safety expert and crusader. His fin
gers will tap away at an ordinary
looking telegraph key sitting on the
seat beside him, but the Magic au-
to will obey every tap. 1t will start;
it will stop; it will make proper
right and left turns; it will sound its
own horns. In fact the Magic car
will move over the entire route of
the parade without human being
in it or near it, in a demonstration
of safe driving, sponsored by the
town of West jefferson.
Mayor Rufus Coward is issuing an
official proclamation, dedicating
Saturday, August 7, as Safety Day
in Ashe county. The point of parade
formation, route to be covered and
other details will be published later.
Millions of people in scores of cities
have watched the Magic" car per-
form in similar safety parade since
1881. They have at the same time,
heard wild Jim's advice on how
NOT to drive The only connection
between the two automobiles will
be a long thin strand of wire, linked
to the telegraph key in the control
car, and to the robot controlling de-
vice in the other. Regular safety
lectures, leave sour taste in every
body's mouth, especially when you
start telling another fellow about
his shortcomings as driver" Capt.
Lynch commented. But when you
get people in high spirits with an
interesting event like this, and talk
safety at the same time, then they
will listen and become interested,
and absorb the subject voluntarily.
The Magic" car never jumped red
light. It always stays in the proper
lane of traffic, and "thats more than
a lot of cars with drivers in them
do" he commented.
Lynch explained that he had his
own code for operating the driver
less machine A certain number of
taps for each operation desired, va
rying in number, according to the
last thing it did. All civic and safety
minded firms and institutions who
are interested in the promotion of
safety on the streets and highways,
are invited to cooperate and support
this worthy movement of life saving
in our city, and those supporting it
will be allowed to place either one
or two entries in the safety parade,
should they so desire. The Magic"
car has even played to royalty,
when Capt. Lynch demonstrated it
before the Duke of Glouchester,
King Georges brother, at the Mel
bourne, Australia Centenary cele-
bration in 1884. He has appeared
with it before crowds as large as
three hundred thousand people in
New York City, and many other
large throngs of people in such
cities as, Washington, D. c., when
he demonstrated the Magic" ear
on the United States Capitol Plaza;
Pittsburg, Miami, Omaha, Denver,
Los Angeles and hundreds of other
cities and towns.
After Captain Lynch installs the
equipment in the car, it will be on
display for public inspection before
the parade. This place of exhibition
will also be announced later. Watch
the columns of The Skyland Post
for moro about this event