A Glimpse Back At The Motor-Car Of 1915

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19070, 18 July 1936, Page 9

A Glimpse Back At The Motor-Car Of 1915

"YJEVEU before in human history has it |)ooii possible for a middleaged man to look buck on his youth ami sco nntifpiify," writes 11. V. i) 'Urion in tin- Chicago larih News. "i. had tin ■ experience the other day when going liuougn nil okfllC,.iuiit book, la ii was a detailed record in automobile ownership 'way bach in H»l'i. ••My iMa.wvo.ll ear m : dial year got ii'..! nun.- in tin; gailon, Inn arter i.ue auaeiuneni 01 various -gas savors,' tuo mileage weiu up in -".", with an annual n\ mayo in' i /..'-.. i 11:1, is better man any ea. t.i m., recent experience lias ilono. iiicMiciii:iii\, my account uook shows repeated un csi.aunts in devices v'or increasing K !| s niileage. •• n is interesting ro note that m JSil.i gasoline (untaxed; costs 'M coats (toil) a gallon, wti >il was only Hi cents (No) a quart. 'l'o-iliiy gasoline c.osts aiioni I in; sana', despite hoiivy taxation; while r.io price ui" oil li:i» pracncaiJy doubted. - • .\ i«i<>i:l;' I In' entries in niy account book I nuil such ipiaini items, a.> •r-iiior ior starting ; 'boll dressing,", and •talcnin powder.' This Inst was used for ousting tlie inside of lyre casings. In those clays we fixed uur own nats. For more dillictilt jobs Wo paid mechanics. '•The most ex])onsi\'e item of m,otoring, back iii tliat pioneer era, seems to nave iiei'ii tyres. According to my records a lite or ItilOu miles was high. One 'shoe.' as I hey were called lasted only loiid miles. It cost $7.20 (£1 !>s). ••One of Ihe most revealing pages in this book concerns a trip in a rord front New York to Chicago in February, 1919. The fust day's run was to PirtsJield-r-.1-M miles, The second day we made t.'tica —1-0 miles. The third day, by reckless speed, we reached Geneva —l-'-i miles. The runs on succeeding days were Geneva to Buffalo, 104 miles; Buffalo to North Kant, I'a., 00 miles; North East to ' levolaad, I'll) miles; Cleveland to Bryan, ()., IS" miles; Bryan to La Porte, hid., 101 l miles; Lal'orte to Chicago, }S miles. "Nine day.- were required for the trip; the staggering average was 1:M miles per day.''