Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-10-06
Correspondence.
Woman's View of the Auto Qucs-
WEST HANcecK. Sept. 20, /


WEST HANCOCK, Sept. %, 1909.
To the Editor Of The American:
One OF the correspondents OF your
worthy paper, in an article headed "Fu-
ture Of the Automobile, made this state
ment: "Aiready il is exvrting powerful
influence on country life." Indeed, it
is doing so, to such an extent
innate it. 1t has taken from the over
worked farmers wife and the mothers
and children OF the common people, either
Of country or village, almost, II not quite,
their only recreation-that OF driving, care
free, in the open air.
lam . farmers wife. We own as good
team as heart could wish, good two
seated carriage and horse behind which
it is . positive delight to ride; and yet, on
account Of the automobiles, have taken
but one drive for pleasure (Othis summer.
We ride only when Obliged to, and then
we leave our children at home. Many an
afternoon this summer have watched my
husband drive away alone when the chil-
dren and would have gone with him for
pleasant::drive. Instead OF such pleas
ure, Twas obliged to spend the late after
noon and evening by an open window Of
IN overheated house, which was not 80
good for my health, especially rs my heart
was filed with indignation At the fact that
our1country roads, made by country peo-
finals, should be taken, without changing
or improving them many way, for thor
oughfare: fortmotor cars, thus endangcr-
ing the lives andr property Of any one who
ventures to:drive.
We, the women OF the common people
II Maine, are not only deprived Of the
pleasure of.thc drives to which we have
been accustomed, but our nerves are put
to such . lstrain when we are obliged to
ride, that no one1can tell what terrible
forms Of i'll health 1t may bring upon Us,
and not only upon Us, but upon the chill
dren OF whom we may ibecome the moth
ers. Do weHever lstop 70 think that per-
haps ''race Extinction" would be far
preferable to the coming generation Of
boys and girls born in Maine, IL things
continue - theytarei
The great question Of depriving 30
many Of our women lof their carc-free,
nerve relaxing mot nerve strAining),
health giving, out-of-door driving, is far
greater thanimany OF US care to think Of.
But ws must think ofeit, and solve it SONS
way, for the condition OF the farmers
wife and the mothers OF our children has
approached nearer ''the mere household
drudge" this summer than IL. ever has be-
fore.
The law Makers Of our State in the next
Legislature should lbe able to solve this
question some way, 70 the benefit Of NJ all.
'Ohp You say, ''the automobile has
come to stayf" Yes, We hope it has. We
may be fortunate enough to own one
ourselves, some Day. 50 have the steam
engine and the "electric" come to stay,
but they have road prepared for them.
They are not allowed to 60 at the rate OF
from twenty to::thirty miles an hour right
through thei middle Of any road in our
State, no matter how narrow or dangerous
the passing.
am wellCaware that there are certain
laws for the automobile already, and that
the automobiles are numbered, but the
laws are not sufficient and the numbers
are many times OF no value. II they do
any damage they are away before you can
zee the number.
Either there should be certain days or
hours in which the automobile shall not
be allowed on country roads, or else there
should be but.ope road leading from one
town to another on which they may
pass; and that road should be built wide
enough-at least two times as wide a. the
average road ut present-and with bitches
and culverts safe for both automobiles and
teams to pass, 30 that teams may not be
excluded from some OF the roads a. they
have been during the past summer.
1t the State Is not able alone to assist
town in such an enterprise, let 1t tax
the automobiles, said tax to be evenly
among the towns.
ONE OF THE WOMEN.