I understand that Lord Willoughby de Eresby M.P., the popular member for Horncastle, has purchased M.Wegulin's 12hp Daimler car. This is good news and the more M.P’s that adopt them the better it will be all round. We may hope to see Mr Seely on one yet. He may find it easier to get into Lincoln by autocar than by horse, particularly for evening engagements.
Assuring how the movement is going, Mr Wright told me the other day that he has sold eight tricycles and quads this year, among the latest being one to Mr J. Percival who is adding to his “stud” a Speed King tricycle with water cooled head and all the latest improvements. Dr Caudwell of Ropsley near Grantham has gone for a car now, a Stonebow, and learnt to drive while being taken home. He was such an apt pupil that he drove most of the way home and then took the man down to Grantham station and returned home alone.
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A demonstration of the utmost marvellous power of the brakes of motor cars was shown in the Lincoln High Street this morning. Mr Peel, the manager of the Lincoln Tramsway Company, while riding passed a motor car. On nearing the G.N. Railway crossing gate way, the horse Mr Peel was riding slipped on the wet wooden pavement and came down. The driver of the car following Mr Peel closely, applied his brakes at once and pulled up about a foot from the fallen animal. What might have been a very serious accident was thus averted. Fortunately Mr Peel, who was thrown from his horse, did not receive any injury, but had a horse-propelled vehicle been behind, the consequences would have no doubt been much different.
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Motors are not the dangerous things some people think, and there is no need to jump off the road or to come rushing at an unattended horse’s head as some people do. As a rule it is the drivers of the horses who are in “a funk”, not the horses. In proof I motored through the Horncastle Horse Fair last week without any trouble.
While on the subject, I may mention a particular instance which recently occurred in a place which shall be nameless. A party of ladies were out on a pleasant jaunt in a motor car. On their return late at night, a petrol supply pipe broke and there was a flame, which however went out immediately. There was no means of repairing the fracture, so another small car which was following behind took half of the party home, and a horse drawn waggonette went out for the others who had commenced to walk the 14 miles. It was a beautiful warm evening and there was no actual danger, but the ladies were apparently alarmed. Probably they had the foolish idea that motors “blew up”, for the next Sunday they asked for special prayers of thanksgiving to be offered up at Church for the escape from the grave peril they had passed through.
I have heard of motors being “Cursed” but never of one forming practically the subject of a “special prayer”. Of course, the peril was not even hinted at in prayers so that the congregation was in the dark.
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I find that the “Mors” auto car which won the Paris-Bordeaux race a week or so ago is the property of Captain F.J. Laycock at Wiston Hall and Vice President of the Lincolnshire Automobile Club. Fournier, who drives the car, is Captain Laycock's driver. A telegram of congratulations was sent by the club, a telegram was received quickly in reply from the gallant captain.
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Sir Hickman Bacon has purchased a fine 12hp Panhard car,
the one used by Mr Hutton in the races at Neath. Sir Hickman, who is the
President of the Lincolnshire Automobile Club, had the car in
At the dinner that took place each evening, the speeches showed that a great impression had been made and that there is now little likelihood of automobiles having to carry a big number and still less likelihood of them being asked to go at a reduced pace. The Automobile Club Mr C.Johnson at its head, deserved the active support and sympathy of all automobilists.