Not since the days of the first horseless carriage has so much consternation and wonder been aroused in Lafayette,
Innocent passersby stop dead in front of the doctor's house here, eyes bulging out. They gaze in awe at a driverless lawn mower merrily cutting the grass.
It stops just at the right moment, turns right or left or in a circle, goes around bushes or other obstacles, and, in fact, obeys much better than Junior.
The driverless mower, operated by remote control, is the "brainchild" of Dr. Harold Jacobs, formerly of New Orleans.
The mechanical mystery is the joint property of Dr. Jacobs and Earl Benedict, his neighbor.
"This is only the pilot model," Dr. Jacobs said. "When we really finish with it, it will have a hood over it, be painted and really look streamlined."
"In fact," he added, "we will have it so sensitive to control it will turn in and out of the daisies."
"The Thing" uses two quarter-horsepower motors, several pulleys for gearing the speed of the motors, and "a few odds and ends found around the shop." It is operated remotely by means of a "control box" and two telegraph keys. This enables Dr. Jacobs or Benedict to sit and enjoy that pause that refreshes while "The Thing" gets hot cutting the grass.[PHOTO CAPTION READS] EARL BENEDICT (LEFT) AND DR. HAROLD JACOBS
. . . cut grass by remote control
