San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-18
HORSES MUST GO.
Electric Motors withdraw Street
Wagons and Carriages.


From the li.tsburg Commercial Galcttc.l
From present indications it will
not be surprising if within a few
short years the electric motor
will have superseded the horse
generally, if not universally, as q
motive power. Within three
years it has taken its place on all
the street railways III this city.
with single exception, that were
not using the cable. The same is
true OF every other city in the
country Even country towns
and thickly populated country
districts have electric roads. In
this way hundreds of thousands
of horses have been displaced
within the last five years. The
cable came frs, but it is being
superseded by the electric motor.
as it is less expensive and more
easily handled.
Many of our readers will be
able TO recall the cry against
steam railways that they would
do away with stage coaches and
horses, thereby throwing thOus.
ands of drivers, hOstlers. horse.
buyers and taVeIn-keepeTs out of
employment. IL is said that this
cry WAS so loud as to keep the
Baltimore ana Ohio road out of
this State. Had it not been for
the turnpike influence the first
line would have come to This city.
and thence to Wheeling, instead of
going over the mountains from
Cumberland to Wheeling. The
stage horse was doomed, however.
and had to go. Is it not possible
or even quite prObab that
the carriage horse and draft
horse are likewise doomed
Within two years from the present
time carriages, buggies and light
wagons will be scudding along
our tieets propelled by eIeCtrici
ty, and it is not improbable that
the same power may be applied to
heaN Ter wheeled vehicles
In recent letter Thomas
Shields Clarke, the artist, who
has been in Paris for some time.
says:
DO you realize that the DAYS of
our equine friend are numbered.
Carriages propelled by electric or
naphtha motors are already a com
mon sight on the streets of Paris,
and becoming more numerous
every day. Not being a great
lover Of hOrseflesh | shall be glad
when it is gone. What nice clear
streets we will have when It
ceases TO hammer them to pieces
with its iron shoes. More cana
CiOuS carriages can be used and
many men can own their own con.
yeyancPS when propelled by .
motor that uses only few cents
worth Of electricity, in naphhta.
per day, and costs nothing at al.
for feed or attention when not in
actual use. Every man may then
be his own driver. 1t looks very
much as if this new order Of
things will be established before
the close of the present century
There are none, or at least only
a few, who will take issue with
Mr.. Clarke on the subject. The
electric motor and storage battery
have been brought to such perfeC
ton that it is quite safe to predict
a general if not universal decline
in horse power. During the com
ing harvest a number of agricult.
ural machines, such as reapcrs
mowers, threShers, plOws, har.
rows and rakes will be operated
by storage batteries instead o.
horses. This is rendered possible
by late improvements in the stOr
age battery. A five horse pOwer
battery, good for ten hours stead
work, occupies box no larger
than an egg case and weighs not
more than $50 pounds. These
can be transported any distance,
and may be returned and recharg.
ed at small cost.
A battery of this size and pow
er will prOpel farming carriage
continuously for fifty hours, or at
least for ten days if only used
five hours each day. So it will
not cost nearly so much as a
carriage horse, nor require ether.
feed or attention when not in use.
There is no reason why it should
not be ONE very popular.