Daily camera., 1899-04-06
THE MOTOR WAGON.
Improved Roads May Bring 1t in
Use in the Country.
Automobiles Are Rapidly hsplAs-
Ing the Horse In the Cities. bat
the Animal VIII Always Re-
main the Farms.

Some of our contemporaries are al
ready discussing the possible applica-
ton of automotors TO country and farm
uses. This, OF course. is upon the as
nmption that they are TO be success
1ully introduced into the cities and,
Doner or later, drive equine vehicles
from our streets. Of thai there cannot
be much doubt The extraordinary tri-
umph OF the bicycle shows how rapid '
he public will adopt an improved We
hicle when its practical value has once
been demonstrated.
The motor wagons use in the country
Is another matter. Automotor car
riiges and wagons cannot become very
common on the ordinary country roads
Of to-day. The highways must first be
il proved so that these motor vehicles
- sed. There would not be much en-
uragement 10 farmers for investme nj
In them II they were required TO drive
them over bad roads al a slow pace and
10 the deiriment of the machinery. On
improved roads, however, they would
soon demonstrate their superiority
over vehiciet drawn by horses.
Whether they can be pro&sably EN-
pioyed on the farm Itself Is question
hereafter TO be solved. There are some
iorms OF farm work noN done by horses
10 which il would be difficult, to apply
any other power known. Steam plows
are seen and used on the great prairie
arms Of the west. but none has ever
been devised which can be succes sfully
Lpplicd 10 the small farms of the east
Flowing. dragging, or narrowing
drilling. hauling hay and grain from
tAe field 10 the barn. and other similar
agricultural work will tax the in
Eenuiiy OF inventors who may try to
solve this problem.
But ii would be absurd 10 declare that
il cannot be done. When the moving
machine first appeared it was thought
that no machine could bc devised that
would do the farmers grain harvest
ing. But the harvester speedily fol-
lowed, though al frs, no one thought
of binding the grain by machinery a.
IL was cut. Two men were stationed on
The first machines, one to drive and the
other TO rake of the bundles Then
Others followed 10 bind up the sheaSes
in the old-fashioned way. Later came
the machine binder, and now self
binders" as they have been called. are
IN universal use. Farmers used TO do
all their seed sowing BY hand: now
every farm has its grain drill Long
after the thraShing machine came into
common usr beans and hutiwheat were
thrashed with the fail. or. in the case
of the former, were trodden our OF Iho
pods 10y horses. Now beans also are
ihrashed and potatoes are dug by ma
chinery.
1t would be impossible within the
limits of a brief article To cnumcratr
the numbcrless machines adapted 10
farm uses by the ingenuity OF inventor,
within the past 80 years. And II is to b.
noticed that the American farmer
gives every useful invention cordia!
welcome. However SLOW he may rave
been TO see the alue OF good roads. he
has been quick and generous in re
spending to the efforts OF inventive
genius There is every reason to be-
lieye. therefore, that motor wagons and
carriages and some motor power other
than horses would find market anon,
the farmers of the country as soon a
jhoy could demonstrate their practical
value
The value OF good roads as an object
lesson will be greatly increased by the
appearapce of the motor carriage ana
wagon upon them. When farmers see
how much more economical as well as
more speedy and pleasant the new We
hicles are upon suitable roads than
horses. the more liberal and enierpris-
ing among them viii be eager to make
the observation-disclosures (N. "
Democrat.