Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-18
Automobiles.

ment, a tender regard Tor the tnlnSs
that made life beautiful and gave ro-
mantle flavor to existence, that have
at last with gloomy reluctance accept
ed the automobile and the feverish ac-
tivities that attach to that annihilator
of distance and all else that may at
tempt to traverse its right of way"
Having thus expressed himself and
receiving no response, DIR. oldfsh
continued: AT the battle of Arbela,
you will recall, Darius expected that
his scythed ehariots would NOV down
the Greek phalanges of Alexander, a
| harvest of carnage that was frustrated
| by the crafty. Ifellenes, who simply
sidestepped these mighty blades and
| let them rattle harmlessly through.
But, one must acknowledge that there
| is nothing in this reconcile reference.
Nobody ever sidestepped the automo-
bile.
THE effect of the automobile, which
has been generally accepted by the
prosperous farmer al vehicle of busi-
ness as well as of pleasure, is TO take
all the sweet juices of life from the
farm horse and leave him a poor, piti-
/ full drudge, faded and worn, all his
| holidays, his pleasant excursions to the
neighborhood church o Sundays. TO the
| county town on court days, the moon
| lit. drives when Josh went buggy rid
| ing With his best sirl-all, all are
gone, No more from sheltering tree,
around the rthouse square will he
raise his head from his luncheon of
| oats to answer to the joyful whinny of
some longtime acquaintance. Alas,
poor Dobbint All, all are gone, the old
familiar faces
And now too late, the church,
| which in an earlier day was alert to
question any innovation and carefully
weigh its effect upon our spiritual
well being, is beginning to wonder
| whether the auto may not be the
monster of the apocalypse that had
breastplates as ii We're of iron, and
the sound of their wings was as the
sound of chariots. of many horses
running to battle
1T was at first thought that the
auto would increase church at
tendance. Then it was found that
this was dependent upon environment.
1t is doubtful if there is in the discuss
sion of any problem of today word
of more accommodating resiliency
than that same word environment. In
the remote rural districts it has been
observed that the automobile adds TO
the church attendance; 1t brings peo-
pie to the meeting house; while on the
other hand it is of painful remark
that the automobile whisks away to
the country from the services in the
city churches the well-to-co members,
| causing serious shrnkage in the
| usual collection. The automobile not
only takes away father and mother,
but also the children. who are thus
weaned at an early age from the
Sunday school, the preparatory de-
partment for church membership.
Church members remarked city
clergyman, the other day, are beeom-
a ing less and less responsive to the
a obligations that fall upon them. While
it may be that a Billy Sunday or a
, Gypsy Smith would be able to draw
some miserable sinners into the fold
| there is greater need for awakening
, some of our most prosperous members
to their duty. Perhaps like dis
| obedient or unthnl1ing children whom
we bring under control by depriving
, them of their playthings for time il
would be well if they could be induced
/ to give up their autos on Sunday fore
Moons. at least. Instead of making
r appeals to outside sinners we might
: we'll repeat the formula of the old
: time revivalist: while we sing. you
e. who are church members are asked to
e. come forward to this altar either fol
9 service or treatment
Fear is expressed that we are
r drifting into the European Sunday, the
4 worst thing about this detection from
o the straight and narrow road into thu
: primrose path being that the con
s course of jolly pilgrims is now led b,
i those who hitherto have been tn,
e most steady and sedate persons of the
e community. Some folks think tn,
: entering wedge was the legalizing o
Y Sunday baseball, and these person.
are now disposed to rejoice and be ex
|, ceeding glad that punishment-th,
4 most severe punishment being reck
d oned in dollars and cents-is now be
/ ing visited upon those for whom thi'
II special legislation was obtained Thus
d time at last sets all things even.
!, 1T was the incompatible Shake
g speare who gave us the reflection
IS The prosperity of jest lies in the
ear of him who receives it, This
n leads me on to say that no jest con-
n corning the auto is ever favorably re-
/ ceived by the owner of this latter DAY
{. version of death on the pale horse
He has no leisure to listen to story
IS no matter how good, no matter how
: short. He is thinking about his auto
and he is with the garage like the man
with the drink habit and the saloon
b always either going to or coming
% from.
IS But, am well aware these preach
. ments are useless. We shall never
y be able to return to the days of the
q simple life. / have a friend, who is
10 like Logan, the chief of the Mingoes
the last of his tribe. He is a modest
b man, with no desire to obtrude upon
= that already greatly infiamed and ir-
IS ritated organ known as the public
/. eye: a man of extreme and poignant
< sensibilities. He walks on the shady
Is side of the street, his shrinking man