AUTOMOBILING AS A SPORT 



141 



materially by neglecting- this treat- 

 ment. 



The same is true of the chain or 

 chains, if such are used. These should 

 be removed occasionally, cleaned in a 

 pan of kerosene oil, and afterward 

 immersed in lubricating oil. Then 

 wipe dry and replace, lubricating with 

 a little graphite, but not too much, so 

 as to make dirt adhere to the chains 

 and cause wear. 



For an inanimate object an automo- 

 bile is peculiarly responsive to little 

 attentions of this kind, and a man who 

 will keep his car tuned up, as it is 

 called, all the time, will save money, 

 time and trouble. No matter how 

 carefully the various parts are secured,' 

 the shocks from rough roads are con- 

 stantly tending to shake off the bolts, 

 nuts and cotter pins, and a little in- 

 spection now and then will save a 

 great deal of unnecessary expense. 



The steering connections require 

 frequent attention, for the safety of 

 the passengers depends so much on 

 this part of the car. Wearing parts 

 should be oiled, and connections ex- 

 amined frequently. There are a lot 

 of odd jobs to be done about an auto- 

 mobile that are often distasteful and 

 in fact it is these very jobs that 

 have created the chauffeur. Many 

 people do not like to turn machinists 

 or repair men, and even if they find 

 such tinkering pleasant they have 

 not time for it. At the same 

 time a man owning a small car does 

 not need to give it the attention that 

 a larger car requires, and with little 

 trouble can do the greater part of his 

 own work, leaving the rest to be done 

 by the attendants at the garage where 

 he may be storing it, or by his gar- 

 dener or coachman. 



It is interesting to note that many 

 of the latter class, with little training 

 and instruction, can be of valuable as- 

 sistance ; for there is nothing mysteri- 

 ous about an automobile after all. It 

 is a stupid man who can not keep the 

 gasolene tank filled, the body work 

 clean and the machinery well oiled. It 

 would be a stupid man indeed who 



A MOTOR CAR AT GLACIER POINT, 

 YOSEMITE PARK. 



could not keep adjusted the little parts 

 which require occasional adjustment, 

 who could not inspect regularly the 

 various connections, and, in short, at- 

 tend to 99 out of 100 of the various 

 little things which must be done in 

 order to keep an automobile running 

 at its best. Some men go so far as not 

 to run their cars at all, leaving this 

 as well as the maintenance entirely 

 in the hands of the driver. This 

 is not so uncommon as might be sup- 

 posed. It seems a great pity that any- 

 one should give over the best part of 

 the sport to somebody else. The oper- 

 ation of the automobile is a liberal 

 education in many ways, and in addi- 

 tion to this the thrill of conducting a 

 swift motor car over beautiful roads, 

 seems to me one of the principal rea- 

 sons for wanting to own an automo- 

 bile. Such persons, of course, are not 



