SARAH BERNHARDT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 527, 18 December 1912, Page 2

SARAH BERNHARDT.

THE AUTOMOBILE CRAZE IN

AMERICA

'"What struck me most on this visit to America," writes Sarah Bernhardt, "was how the Americans get about. Never in my life have I seen a country with.so many automobiles.

"'The horse seems to have become a prehistoric animal, still spoken of, which aged Yankees recall ha vin 5; seen in their youth, but young Americans when they hear about this extinct species listen to their grandfathers with that incredulity which we bestow on an old legen.l or fairy tale. Everybody moves about in an automobile ; nobody can understand how one can move otherwise.

"As soon as they have, a bit of money Americans buy an antomobile; it serves them for a bedroom, a dining rbom, a means of destra?tion, and for business. I saw in the Chic ago streets women of the best soaiety promenading about in littla :ars that had the form and often tha colouring of our old-time sedan chairs and thsy drove themselves, which 1 must confess was quite a surprising sight. I have 'seen working minors, their lamps fastened to their caps, going home in their 40 horsc-powoi cars, and I have seen people depriving themselves of food and veariir; worn out clothes in order to be able to buy an automobile. "An American who has not \n> auto would consider himself as dishonoured as a Spaniard without. » mantilla, a German without a pipe an Englishwoman without her over coat, or a Parisienne without a pocket mirror. "In Paris I never automobile with out a feeling of fear ; in Amcrict chauffeurs, who are generally undci 20, drive so cleverly that they dc not seem to be following a trade bul aM i J|aM liil gfa Hiitt M|ft| ig M