The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-06
USE OF AUTOMOBILES.
Kansas City Man Thinks It Will Rev
olutionize Social Conditions.


The fact that the Parkhurst-Davis
Mercantile company, of Topeka, is ex-
perimenting along the line of using au-
tomobiles for the travelling statesmen of
the company and if the experiments
are successful will purchase twenty-five
of the vehicles, so that the company's
travelling men may go anywhere with
out having to rely on trains leads T. A
Witten, of Kansas City, to make num-
Der of interesting observations on the
subject.
81 believe it is entirely probable" says
Mr.. Witten, that within the next ten
or fifteen years the automobile will rev.
olutioniZe social conditions, the systems
and methods of transportation, and will
make throughout this whole country
network of almost perfect roads built of
maeadam, asphalt and perhaps steel.
1.-THE general use of the automobile
for carrying passengers, mails, freight,
farm products and parcels will certainly
make good roads a necessity and will
force them up on the country. With
good roads all local traffic, that is, trips
of 200 to 300 miles, will be made by au-
two automobiles in common use will
travel from 20 to 40 miles an hour. the
increased demand for automobiles VIII
cheaper them, just as the sewing ma
chine has been chea pened, SO that any
man of moderate means may own one.
Those who cannot have their own auto
they can be used when required instead
of awaiting the regular time of railway
trains and because they can go to any
desired point, while the train must fol-
low its track. All this will apply equal
ly to local freighting-
with good roads and the automobile,
the farmer can haul his own crops to
market, even 100 or 200 miles, as quick
ly as the railway would take them, load
ing at his own fields or bins, unloading
at such points in the city he may
wish, carrying his family along if he
chooses, and bringing back home such
goods as he needs. This he will do
either with his own conveyance or oy
the public freighter, but either way
much more cheaply than by railroad,
because of the numerous carriers, and
the small expense of operating the We
hicles. Local traffic thus being taken
from the railway all local lines of rail-
road will be abandoned. Only trunk
lines will remain and they will be used
only for very heavy freight, on long
hauls and for travel and the mails.
This will force the railroads eventually
into the hands of the government.
Country towns will then cease to
have any business houses except small
grocery stores and drug stores, like the
city suburbs have now, because the
people can go twenty-five or 100 miles
to the large city store, at any hour of
the day, and all goods will be promptly
delivered by automobile in the country
and country towns. All business will be
country towns will become residence
suburbs of the city.
when people can live many miles
out and come into the city with speed
and comfort at any hour of the day or
night, living in the city will become I'M
popular and the wealthy classes will
cease to do so. Country houses can
have their own water, gas and heating
plants and telephones; in short, every
con fort and convenience of the city
house. and the best paved and most
popular roads will be lined with pala-
tial homes. having spacious grounds.
People of moderate means will hive on
the side roads, but yet with ample
room, and in much greater comfort
than they can have in the city. Only
the poor will live in the large cities, as
the poorer classes now occupy the
down town districts, in tenementS and
flats, while the rich live in suburban
homes.
Agriculture will become more popu-
lar on account of the changed social
conditions, and the increased comforts
of country life, and many will be at
tracted from the city to engage in it.
The city will cease to be contested, and
will diminish rather than increase in
population, but the country will become
semi-urban in character.
HOW IT WOULD EFFECT THE
DRUMMER
1.-The automobile will also revolution
ize the method of selling goods by sam
pie The greatest Inconvenience and
expense to a. salesman who travels by