(Probably)
the earliest Columbia Automobile booklet
Though
it is extremely difficult, try to imagine you have never seen an
automobile!
It is something strange and unknown. Your means of transportation
is, and has always been,
the horse. This animal has been around forever and has provided
you with all the
necessities of strength and reliability. You have had them around
your entire life,
and there is seemingly no need to replace this steed with a machine of
any kind.
This is the position the public was in when this booklet was published
- probably
some time in 1898. The inventors and distributors of motor
vehicles had to
first convince you of the desirability to own an electric carriage, and
then
persuade you to purchase one from their stock.
The first section of this booklet goes to great lengths to introduce
you to the
advantages of owning an automobile. Then there is a full
description of all
of the workings of the newfangled machine. Remember, all of this
is
new and possibly exciting to you as a forward-looking person on the
eve of the twentieth century!
This particular booklet is extremely rare, and though it has
water-stains,
it is hoped you will enjoy reading it - with the knowledge and
pre-conceptions
of our own age shoved aside for a few moments.
