Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-22
HISTORY OF TRANSPORT !
: ILLUMlNES HI PAST !

Il-IOWJN6o J0c FASj
From the Christian Science Monitor.
London-In his work. "A History OF In
land Transport and Communication irs.
England" Edwin A.. Pratt bids US look.
back a moment upon the r,lngs OF the
ladder up which we nave struggled In our
efforts to solve the problems of TRANSPORT
and locomotion.
To those of us whose fathers told tales.
of early Victorian days and rumblins
stage coaches. when they had hot baked
potatoes in their great-coat pockets to.
keel, their hands warm. while they sat
LOT hour after hour on the box seat, ex--
posed to wind and weather, this book will
be vivid with much interest; and to the
student of history and of mans emanci-
patton from Limitation Of transport and
REORGANIZATION facilities. much OF
the storied past will be illumined.
The history Of the roads is rather like
a FAIRY tale. The author tells us in his
preface that there is no such word az
nnallty;' 1t Is a history of small be-
ginnings and great conclusions. Our faith
ers were first proud OF the old wagon and.
men In their turns of the stage coach and
or the locomotive; and we ourselves have
seen the evolution of the bicycle and the.
motor car. each of which has already left
'ts mark and written its history upon the
dust OF the highways. a history to be con-
tinued into the coming centuries.
from all time and in every land prog
ress has always been bitterly opposed. and
progress in road-making has been no ex-
ceptlon to this rule. In the Georgian era
aces or parliament were passed under Sc
we're penalties to compel the use Of wheels
more ike garden rollers than wheels; 1s.
inches wide was enforced ny one act. un-
der the idea that wide wheels would ro|y
nat the required surface of the road. and
only by degrees did it dawn upon the ay-
thorltles that the roads themselves and
not the wheels required special attention.
Al the beginning of the 18th century
McAdam and Telford made the first at
tempt. since the day of the Romans, at
scientific road-making. The earliest mail
coacnes travelled at a speed of about six
miles an hour, but the speed improved as
the roads improved. Queen Elizabeth set
the example of riding in a coach through
London. and when her example was imi--
tated and many private carriages became
l~asnlonaole there was fearful jealousy
and opposition on the part of the London
watermen; for the Thames had hitherto.
peen the highway for all classes, although
tn's was perhaps largely owing to the de-
plorable condition of the streets. When
the first coaches came into use they were.
declared to be wicked emblems of pride
ana an act OF parliament was actually
passed through the Commons in 1901 ito.
restrain the excessive and superfiuous use
OF coaches and orders were issued that
people ought to be content to go by wa
ter or else on foot. Hackney coaches and
sedan chairs came into being in London
about the same date $3.50 and the latter
were In common use until about 1921.
People can hardly realize the roadles.
condltlon OF Britain so late as the year
1863. when turnpike roads began some
what to improve matters. Meanwhile. In.
some good roads. The old British sys.
tenn OF leaving the repair of the roads to
the different parishes had proved a
CHASTITY failure: the new idea was to
transfer the main roads to the toll-bars,
making the user a the cost; of course
great opposition. And in time the turn
pixies proved a failure, owing to corrup-
ton and waste and folly OF officials and,
lack of unity of design.
After this. however. Mr.. Pratt leads
US more happily along a better class OF
roads, through highways and byways; we
are fioated over rivers n canals, we are.
jolted over railways in their small be-
ginnfngs, II enchanted by the magic.
OF their vast evolution, always interesting.
are his descriptions, and forever instruc-
tive; motors. tramways, buses, cycles.
SOOS0s 0A AZ w OIOoT are nldFSn6lIeO ana.
surveyed. Even the aeroplane cannot
elude Mr.. Pratt; he would fam take wings
Of the morning and tell US what the fu-
ture has in store for those who would ride.
upon the winds. He makes it quite clear
that. judged by history, good roads are
essential to prosperity. He touches ON
every method Of locomotion from the
eagles flight to "shanks' nag, he gives
you every reasonable statistic that the
most exacting can honestly require, and
withal his book is extremely interesting
Away instructive, and never dull.