The record-union., 1899-07-24
HORSE AND HORSELESS VEHI-
Giles.

HORSE AND HORSELESS VEHI-
Giles.
There has been indulgence in a great
deal of false sentiment about the horse;
that he is mans best friend, the patient
drudge, the tireless servant, the un-
which is true enough, but it is no rea-
son whatever why we should greatly
lament his displacement for street and
road use, if we find a substitute more
all the same, give him credit for all his
virtues and praise his faithfulness, pa
tience and uncomplaining service. But
| because he is all that is claimed for
plore his departure.
Let us look the fact squarely in the
face. The horse in use is not cleanly.
| One-half of all the cost of street clean
unhealth. He is not SO intelligent as
the dog nor SO faithful. He changes
| masters without apparent regret. He
| is not so affectionate as any one of sew
| upon his own motion, that is to say he
lreasons mainly only in times of great
urgency.
The dog will attach himself to his
master to the death, fight for him to the
last gasp and die of grief upon his
friends grave. He is more sensitive to
| i'll usage and more demonstrative in
gratitude. He will serve his master in
his absence nearly as we'll as in his
presence and defend his family and
his property for him without bidding.
He is far and away the more .intelli
gent of the two animals.
Yet We would detract nothing from
praise of the splendid characteristics
of the horse. When it comes to his
displacement for street and town work,
however, we have not the slightest OF
regrets If We are to get better results
and greater comforts. We are, there
fore, in perfect accord with San
Francisco contemporary which declares
that just as far as the automobile vehi-
cles come into use in place of the horse
drawn vehicles, the community will be
benefited in convenience. health and
cleanliness.
That these automobile carriages are
to come into very general use is now
unquestioned. Even their cost is not
to make them great luxury, since it
is found that in a round year of ser
vice the automobile for original pur,
chase and maintenance costs less than
the purchase price of a team drawn
vehicle, the team and it's support and
stabling. There is to be distinct gain
in the abolition of thousands of sta
bles from thickly settled sections in
towns and cities. These buildings
never are desirable from sanitary
point Of view.
1t is asserted by those best quail
flied to know, that the automobile in
stead of displacing mechanics engaged
in manufacture Of vehicles is to in
crease their number and enlarge their
employment. For 1t is to be possible
to own horseless vehicles where it is
now impossible for one to own and care
for horse with all his inseparable out
fit Of harness, stables, feed, ETC., while
the introduction of the auto is going
to place so many more vehicles in use
| that far larger number Of skilled
workmen win find employment.
Another and prime. consideration is
the improvement we are to experience
in the matter of good highways, which
must precede the general Introduction
about the only regret in connection with
the subject Of horseless vehicles which
we can reasonably entertain in Califor-
MIA, is that we will not have the auto
with us very early, and that it will be
| a long time before the machine will
be common in this State, for the simple
reason that the physical conditions are
so largely opposed.
For the auto we must have good
streets and long stretches of them, and
a great mileage of good roads. There
is no hope, to be entertained on the
basis of reasonable expectation that
California will have either for very
many. years. In fact the most ex
tended mileage of good and connected
streets in this State to-day is not in
excess of twenty-fye miles, while there
is no stretch Of good road that is not
comparatively short, and there are, so
to speak, fugitive. AT least there are
but two. or. at most three counties in
the State where an automobile carriage
can be run on twenty-five consecutive
miles of high class roadway.
| An Atchison woman sews from five
! in the morning until after nine at