The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-30
THE NEW LOCOMOTIVE.

After but a few years of experiment the world
mas devised new form of locomotion, and one, too
WHICH Is quite likely to effect revolution in COM
mereial carrying well as in private travel
Americans were behind in the attention which
they bestowed the automobile until quite recent
~. France has been the pioneer. The admirable
condition Of French roads will explain this. The
TACT that the experiments we'll the general line
OF development in the automobile among the French
have been along the line of speed shows that the
condition of French roads has been the main incen-
i've 10 the development that has been realized.
NOW that Americans have taken hold. may
expect such developments as will surprise even the
people OF France The trip made by Mr.. Alexander
Winton between Cleveland and New York has been
Followed by something like automobile craze in
the Eastern Cities that the recent departure of
gentleman and wife from New York city to San
Francisco in one of the vehicles has been re-
garded with universal attention throughout the en-
tire country.
Inc abomfnable condition Of country roads will
De serious preventive to the development of auto
mobile riding No matter how much may be done to
overcome the difficulties of a long journey over
American country roads it can never become in any
sense popular undertaking until the roads are
made passable
What the cycle did to call popular attention to
the balbarOus conditions of country roads the
automobile will finish. Public sentiment will force
action even in that direction, that in Of the
greatest social and commercial necessities of our
modern life, regarding which American society has
been strangely at fault not unlikely soon to
set about the task Of redeemng ourselves. Already
journeys have been made from New York to Albany
and we believe, from Boston to New York: but "a
matter of fact these tests have proven little more
than the proposition that bad American roads are
some of them are not so bad but that they can be
passed in safety by high class motor running
rubber tires
There is feature of the future effect of the new
locomotive which is rarely regarded and that is the
good results which it will have upon the condition Of
our public highways they are put in decent con-
dltiOn, outside well within the cities Today
the bestbuilt road. trampled and torn by the IRON
shod hoof of the horse last but brief period
Macadam and asphalt are recognized as finally the
only pavements that admit of smooth running in
the cities and the former under the ordinary traffic
done by draft horses lasts but a brief time without
the need OF repair Once let the horse disappear for
purposes of heavy hauling and be replaced by the
automobile wagon and the problem of the construc-
ton and maintenance of streets and roads is solved
The price at which the automobile is now being
sold places it outside the resources of all but the
wealthy for private use and will for some con-
siderable time confne its use inacommerciaI business
to the larger and wealthiers lines of business But
within little while after american attention be-
comes seriously directed toward the vehicle all past
experience shows that they viii be on the market
at only a reasonable advance on the cost of their
manufacture. 1t can hardly be that that blessed de-
vice to rob humanity of the benefits of great inven
lions, the patent laws, be invoked successfully
to prevent the placing Of the automobile the mar
ket at reasonable figures. The fact that it has been
so long in operation in it's essential principle will of
Itself doubtless prevent the invention from being tied
up by private greed
Good roads and easy locOmotion them are the
two blessings which will come to modern society with
the disappearance of old friend the horse as a
beast of burden.