Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-21

by and that her horse was frightened and
she was thrown. This would appear to
be another instance of the thousands
where the automobiist has fled leaving
the victim on the road, in this case I'M
conscious.
We have noticed this week several
other serious accidents from automobiles,
and also the following brief editorials
from the Horse Review of Chicago and
prominent paper of Cleveland;
The Horse Review says as usual thing
the Review pays little attention to the
question of the Horse VS.. the Automobile.
We wish however to protest against the
reckless abuse of the public highways OF
which automobiles are so continually
and conspicuously guilty. This relates
not merely to the constant menace 10
life and limb which the machines constr
tute, but the damage which they do TO
the roads themselves. AS an illustration
of this we quote as follows from recent
article published in an eastern exchange:
1T is hard to say what will be the ul-
innate damage to the roads" said
member of the Massachusetts, commits
sion to representative of the Boston
"Globe" "but it has recently been estl-
mated by the board that $50, 900 damages
has been already done by autos.
"This is small in proportion to the cost
of the roads, but unless some new method
of applying surface is adopted, the dam
age is likely to be continuous; that is, re-
peated as fast as it is made good.
"There is something about the broad
rubber tires of motor-vehicles, on wheels
of small diameter, peculiarly damaging
to macadam roads. A vacuum Is created
by the tire, which sucks the surface, or
) binder, from the road, and it is blown
away, leaving the stones exposed"
This is directly in line with our own OBJ
servation, particularly in and about CHI
cago. Its chief boulevards and drives
now practically "belong to the automo-
biles;" which, owing to their thronging
numbers, the velocity at which they are
allowed to move, their prodigious power
and the reckless way in which they are
handled, have virtually driven off al
pleasure drivers who prefer to sit behind
a highbred roadster. The wear and teal
which these cars are causing upon the
boulevards and drives is simply tremend
5 Gus. Despite the fact that repair-gang
, with macadam, asphalt and steam boilers
are kept at work upon them constantly
their surfaces seem TO ulSlHleBIdle ldoIe
than they can be replaced, and they pre-
sent wornout appearance that tells 1T
own story. One of the standing argu
ments of the automobile propaganda
is the movement in behalf of goo,
roads which follows in their patl
and which they are doing so much t
promote. The actual fact is that TO
every dollars worth of good which the.
may accomplish in this direction the
do two dollars worth of damage. No
only this-once a road, or strip of road
is placed in condition which suits then
8 good-b bye to its usefulness to the rest G
l. the public. They take possession of it a
l. if by right of eminent domain, and hence
d forth it becomes both discomfort and
J. danger to riders or drivers of horses or
f pedestrians who venture upon it. NC
only is this true of highways in an
o about our cities-it is spreading over tn
o general face of the country at rapi
s rate. The Review is a great believe
d in the desirability of good roads in tn
= country; but it can readily understan
n why many farmer prefers, and wi
l. continue to prefer, poor ones withol
n automobiles to good ones with them.