AUTOMOBILING AS A SPORT. 



137 



may be compared to a yacht. The 

 former is a sort of land cruiser and 

 the good or bad conditions of the road 

 correspond to calm seas or rough, high 

 tides or low. In both cases the swift 

 motion through the air exhilarates and 

 gives health. In fact, automobiling 

 might even be considered a better 

 sport than yachting, for it is so useful 

 in ordinarv life and is so closely 



tie reason to suppose that its popular- 

 ity will ever diminish. 



It may be well to consider here the 

 3 motive powers in general use in 

 automobile building. 



Electric automobiles are decidedly 

 satisfactory for use in the City or sub- 

 urbs because they are almost entirely 

 noiseless. They can be left alone any- 

 where and are ready for immediate 



AN ASCENT OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. THE FAMOUS MOCCASIN BEND IN THE 



DISTANCE. 



connected with many other sports. 

 The automobile benefits tennis, golf, 

 fishing and hunting ; and is much 

 used as an enjoyable means of trans- 

 porting people from crowded cities to 

 the suburban yacht club houses. In 

 other words a man may go yachting 

 on land and yachting on water the 

 same day. Such are the times we live 

 in ! It is little wonder, then, that the 

 automobile is popular, and there is lit- 



use when the owner returns. Further- 

 more their operation is extremely 

 simple ; but we are waiting for a 

 cheap, durable, long distance battery, 

 and until that is brought out, if it ever 

 can be, the electric car can hardly be 

 classed among sporting automobiles. 

 It is not suited for trips and tours in 

 its present stage. 



Steam cars, like electric machines, 

 are noiseless and free from vibration, 



