The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-05-11
MOTOR TRUCKS olsPLAclNG
HORSES.

While the horse may never actually
disappear from our city streets it is
fact that motor trucks are rapidly TAX
ing the place of horse-drawn vehicles
in every city The reason for this is
very simple. the power wagons are
vastly more economical because they
carry more, travel faster aud can work
longer hours.
1t is very interesting to analy2e the
economic values of the motor truck in
comparison with horse-dfawn wagons.
The electric power truck, travelling at
far greater speed. can cover larger
territory than horse and wagon. A
single horse, hitched to a one-ton
wagon, at best cannot cover more than
twenty-five miles day, and one-half
of this distance is usually travelled
without load. The productive mile
age is but eleven miles for days
work. The two-horse, three-ton wagon
will average twenty miles a day, or a
productive service of ten loaded miles.
The three-horse, five-ton wagon, which
is the largest practical unit for city
service, is limited to working radius
of eighteen miles a day, or nine miles
with load.
While the ordinary horse and wagon
Is going four miles in an hour, the one
ton electric truck will cover eighteen
miles. 1t can make delivery ten
miles from the store very nearly two
hours quicker than the wagon. Where
time is money in delivery, such saw
ing is most important. Even a five
ton truck. which is the largest size
needed in most businesses, can go ten
miles In an hour, or about three times
as fast as three-horse wagons speed.
Besides its greater speed the motor
truck has the added advantage of be-
ing able to work all day and every day
in rush periods without rest
Deep SHOWS and icy payements badly
The animals are lamed and often per
manently injured. long hauls are al
most impossible and consequent de
livery of merchandise is reduced far
below the normal. But these weather
conditions make little difference with
electric trucks. They pillow right
through the snow and with chain pro
tected wheels make light of the most
CLASSY payements. Not being subject
to diseases of tie flesh, and especially
horse flesh, they are not injured by
exposure to the coldest weather
The immunity of the electric power
wagon to weather conditions is ever
more noticeable in the hot days o.
summer. time when horses suffer
most aad die quickest The extraor
dlnarily warm weather of the early
part of July, 1911 was a striking OBJ
ject-lesson 10 the owners OF horse
drawn vehicles. In New York City
which has the largest number of horse
teams (as well as power trucks) II
service, there are normally 10000
horses hauling loads. In ten days
commencing with the excessive heai
period OF July last. the Society fol
the Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals
reported that 1900 of these horses
dropped dead in harness. or ratio o
nearly one in a hundred. In addition
to this heavy mortality, which is near
,y double the ordinary death-rate, thou
sands Of animals were wind-orokeI
or ruined for hard service.
Hot weather makes no difference t.
the electric motor truck 1t runs Sc
reaely on about its business regardless
of climatic conditions and needless o
the rising thermometer. At the wors
II can do no more than break dowr
and repairs are quickly made, neve
dying in the harness" like its pred'
.cessor
Now that it has been most effective
ly demonstrated that the electric true
can handle greater loads, travel NOR
miles and brave the worse kinds {
weather, all at great saving oye
the plodding horse, the power vehicl
is being rapidly adapted to every liz
oil work. In municipal service q
motor-wegon and truck are replaciu
horses for ambulance, patrol stree
cleaning, garbage removal, and hr
engine service.
Another point much in favor Of u
motor truck, especially in the crowde
city streets is that it takes up les