Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-01-25
IRON the New York sun

pictured on the screen. sald the lecturer,
i.is the automobile Of which you have all
read in your histories, but " hich few in
this generation have had an opportunity
TO see outside OF museum. When the
great reform wave OF 1912 struck the coun-
try the penalties for those having such /
machines in their possession were so severe /
that all but very few automobiles were
destroyed by their owners.
s.The remainder were smashed by the
cult OF autoclasts, w Inch ragged with almost |
fanatical zeal at about that time. The
picture you see before you Is OF one OF the
three perfect ones in existence, and is
noble example OF the automaker's art. IL
IL from the Metropolitan Museum OF New |
York, where it stands beside the Etruscan |
biga as twin relic OF past barbarism.
.Humanity knows, in rough and CARRIED
form, the history OF that great movement
which ended in the revival OF capital pun
ishment and the torture chamber for all
adiudged guilty OF owning, running,
building, or coDspiriDg to build an auto
mobile or zip-wagon. Yet the facts nave
been hidden in the archives Of the time,
and it has remained for me to uncover the
| true history OF that movement, together
with the life and public services OF rat
rick Henry Baggs.
ssYou must know then that by 1910 the
automobile had become the burning proc
4 lem Of the hour, casting INTO the snaue
! even the movement for the abolition oil
insurance companies and the local elee
lions. Makers had Increased the speed OF
touring cars to 125 miles an houri ana the
speed limit on country roaus anu clly
\ streets was raised to fifty miles an hour'
The prices had fallen greatly and the num-
| her Of automobiles had risen correspond
;nglv nv decision OF the courts the
driver who had blown his horn was alb
solved from all further responsibility IN
case OF accident. The sound OF an auto
mobile horn was the last vibration 70
reach the ears OF many poor ieilo" III
the stricken city. 49,
s.Women and children we're daily being
removed to places OF safety in the noun
tain regions OF the Catskllls ana the AuI-
ropdacks. Only the youngest ana most
agile pedestrians dared cross street or
country road. Yet the auto mama grew.
Men who had execrated the fatal mac nihe mes
were daily lured into them IN spile ., 'n ,ha
better nature; and once they leie tne
exhilaration OF riding iifty miles an nour
and the mania for slaughter. they were
lost. From that time forth they lett the
rsnts Of the preservers Of society and De,
came numbered with its destroyers ana
enemies. ..tt,.,,, a
snort cultivated in those times and ~ con
sonance with its bloody character. that
ian hurts more than a swing. compare
: s.i ~ ss;ght snnoyanee led 10 the ina
. doanfali on the nlanie. In combating thi'
snnovsnce Law the lite work OF ratrieh
: Henry Baggs, that hero oil newer ~ IN,
0 whose eountenance you nov see on WV
: screen before you. Loud applas,ss'l. IN,
/, ssNot handsome face, no. yet zee .h'
F. holy resolve which lights ths eye bu.
am getting ahead Of my narrative. an'
F. Created public annoyance OF the agt SNA
she automobile horn. In this quieter tlH'
il Is impossible to convey 70 you the sou l ~
az one OF those monstro ities. Nigne ~.
day they sounded on the streets ~
! / Work rising above the confusion o. -
,,atsd trains. gongs, shouts Of street Nenu
e. and ali the babble of that NOISY age
: / r. the resi- of the noises the pubile ha'
I h.-.or,e hardened, but the automoblie NOR
carried a sinister suggestion. 20 unai
:. pedestrians had heard that SOUND !us. =,
! lime 10 step aside by halr ureausn -
' s ..si.s death Each one In IN
, 80, rsfnem bered that such horn MAJ
sannded the death knell oil some uea
J tr;snd or relative. IL Is not strange, thele
e TORE that this annoyance became the pom
.spv referring to the old files of the NeN
York newspapers / find that " was 80
back as the close OF 1870 ~ Hi
Henry Baggs began ms
a plea was simple. -, horrs
Pa ~ The automobilists can toot norm
Z ssid in effect. why not the pedesltl
J. ansS iet as ali take horns and make Ne'
n Work such a hades that the courts "AH
forced 10 suppress the nuisance. -,
, "That was at time com ,s,obi,e. he
Il In the development OF the automoolle, ..
q. tara indeed. the horn nuisance pegsn
s,st an the public nerves. YET fa'llo
y Gsnry Rares looked beyond his time an
: saw the inevitable emo. 49,. vaar h
Z aNonth by month, year by wear,
toiIed on, trying TO arouse pnollS ih.eie =
nublic conscience. lie was ionelSi X
ai,rsat souls must be; he was ostrAel1e"
antomohile owners " no had been az
10 sr;ends. vel be faltered not. ny I'VE, "ns
III -, a,,il had become almost intolersoie,
A Ia ,ormed the secret League oil feoes.I
nas Srown in the slang Of the time as "
Is snedsi which later played suen an 'n'Po'
e tant part in our history. vi. ,s
err aBy 1910. at which time New hork w
n almost wholly mans city anu so M
. women and children were spring,hg " =,
; -. mountains. where automobiles cou,
1t not make fast time, the league was reao
Il, for action. ,a. Of men Al
n .,asaS nnon the streets carrying noh
anfomobile horns. They marcheo 70 s"V
a work In troops, in regiments, "a
j, they went. Broadway oeea ~, Vas ,
~ nonium. speech on Nassau stree. %
e. ;n,rossibility. As the day went or a.,
he nedestrians. even the few remaining "''
- chiIdren. caught the infection. rr.
- .sEvery horn in the stores was sna ~ !,
nm AZ fancy prices. Patrick Henry Dag
= Ma toreseen this emergency. LII,
ssRv noon sandwich men were pa."t ~
the streets with signs announcing S,,, ~
urt horns we're for sale at merely noriiu
OK, .e;ces in the headquarters OF the leagsss
Nsst Twenty-third street, busy ~
onghfare OF the time; Inc tnous"s =,
ne, Paegs had corralled 2oO,Oco hof"' :"
aid S'SIs V the early afternoon the pollee, ga
his ,sins Of several precincts had sent our 10
MS srrss,ed number OF the most 1919
~ nads test case was made tna' s'' ts,,ac
*. : he Jefferson Market court, : i =,
10 ~ 1f lsnnle 81 justice which stood a. )
O,e Terminal Of the san tranelsso =, =
anu anu prcsdia railroad. The prisoner MAS ~
the ethsr Than Patrick Henry Bags, v MI, ~
g 6 6eee rushing through the crowds toOt
tiesss sorn vifh either hand in the ih'oA'
81 tfou Of triumph. ...,,.+ Il.
the ..irse leader had ready eminent %
a .sio,t 10 defend him; Inc An'o. ~,
lea- a,a.es,s roused to their danger, rs