The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-30

taaas and hew long thsy we're prac-
iirafiY successful
cagnof'H rualEpantAry ssesnn car
riaEa In France. 17ss, Was Improved
on In England by Trwvethiok not TIL
sHs thtfa ~ century LATER,
little wss done fhere eaeept In
fha steam coaches ana tfan 1T three
or -four tons weight sbept fSGs the
laws and public opinion aiecouEagfuK
anything bus heavy traction and glow
motion on their blessed public high
WAYS The iunpystDfs who interfere
with rights prejudice or comfort *
'he English yeyw8ury have always
had bard proposition
The steam coaches IA the regular
passenger service Nera reetFloted 70
a speed ~ from ten 10 fourteen mites
per hour snd It was not very long
before The horse haulAge people pUt
them out ~ business vith the Rana
old cry that Is re~ee hoed 90 day 81 ths
contest between steam and electricity
In railroad service, Away with the
new
In 1891 and at various times later
HoUse of Commons committees re-
ported favorahly on the use IF steam
propelled vehicles but even In 1895
tbs discouraging II not practically
prohibitlve, English law required
three men TO drive each locomotive
besides ii man 10 precede II with a
red flag The speed was reduced TO
four l4l miles an hour, and the en-
gInea we're forbidden ever to blow
of steam. Confirmed In 1878. With
few scattering exeepionA light
motor ia 1881 was the fret 10 be mach
heard Of Then Ia 1888 Putlar's fri
cycle WAS impelled by an Internal
con bustIon engine then numerous
machines using petrol and later heav-
Ter oils.
But In 1895 GottAsb Daimler. using
petroleum spirit. made the longest
stride towards large efficiency com
pared vita weight easy control and
dura billy and he finally evolved The
i great Mercedes car.
Theu followed In England rapid
elimination Of friction and waste ard
the development OF the silent. oder
+ less, smokeless motor car. the private
carriage Of the wealthy who in 1903
/ had influence enough to have the
slced limit Increased even to twenty
miles GA hour on certain favorable
reads, but still restricted on other
roads and In villages TO ten stiles
per hour
! Thus did our English friends In
spite OF their builish opposition, have
/ greatness thrust upon them by the
bulldog tenacity OF their own invent
ors aud their sponsors,
] Meanwhile America was not idle.
neither were France and other ma
lions.
I Some one said the steamship, the
railroad and the telegraph made us
cosmopolitan; It required the tele-
I phone and the auto car with the
good roads II pecessitated to make US
real nsighborly."
| A good road IL usually everybody s
business and nobody's business" and
so in too many sections good roads
are still too few. But the anto MAX
ers sellers and users all want good
roads. and Just SEQ what they have
accom- pIished in better roads in the
last few years It requires personal
selfishness 10 start any public bet
torment and demonstrate its utility !,
then the people at large will develo p
1t to the required efficiency. Almost
every public bettermeut began with
some direct or indirect special bene-
fit TO the few"
The automobile had fts first rapid
practical development in France,
where 1t gets it's name. 1t found
great encouragement In the fine roads
anu tilS titSRkAailtJ oL LILO PetPAd ~
new ideas
The modern automobile. led up TO
by the rubber tired bicycle. Is "A oom-
prehensivs term including horssless
carriages. motor vans motor omni-
buses, and all ths motor traction vehi-
cles adapted for Use on ordinary roads
having no rails.
The extension OF the manufacture
and sale OF automobiles Is phenome-
nal They are found almost all over
the civilized world IN every imag-
Unable form. almost from small
baby runabout to the mailed battle
car. a migratory fort much harder to
capture than many an alleged Inn
pregnable fortress our grandfatherE
built
Tho three sources OF automo bile
power. electricity, steam and gaso-
line or naptha, have In many To-
caiities practically cut out air tcom