The gasoline automobile is fast coming to the front, and with a few objectionable
features removed, will be a great boon to the traveling public. The present objections
to most machines of that order are the noise, the smell and the vibrations.
They are among the handiest, in other respects, for physicians, as they do not require
as much attention as do steam machines; but when they get out of
order, especially far from "home and mother," they are about as mysterious as
boarding house hash. It takes an expert to find out the difficulty, and even he is
often unequal to the task. They are often lugged home by the noble hay motor, with
the once haughty chauffeur perched on his lofty seat with one hand on the steering
handle and the other gently spread over his humiliated features.
When, after careful instruction and practical demonstration, I first began to run an
automobile alone I felt as timid and nervous as a young colt before a screeching locomotive,
but as time wore on and experience ripened, I found pleasure in my daily
rides, and now, after an extended experience, I feel safer in it than I would behind
a well fed horse.
The steam machine has some advantages above all others, as it runs more
smoothly, is noiseless and free from odor and vibration. It is also a great hill
climber. The power can be nicely graduated, and the sensation when riding is
more pleasant than in any vehicle yet made.
