The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22
ELECTRIC TRUCKS
HAVE WIDE RANGE
Are Of Assistance i'm a Very Di-
verse Line Of Business
Activities.
WILL SOON BE NUMEROUS
Expected to Come Up to the
100000 Mark. Says
Garlic.
WILL SOON BE NUMEROUS
ny r. NELSON earle,
General Vehicle Company.

Tho man who owns granite quarry.
lime kiln or creamery twelve miles from
the railroad need worry no longer about
the prohibtive cost OF getting his product
to market. The motor truck is the solu-
ton. Again. the manufacturer who de-
sires to move from cramped city quarters
to tho low ground rents, sunshine and
cheap labor Fan locate on the river bank
miles from the railroad II he wishes and
still handle raw and finished material with
despatch. The motor truck makes this
possible.
As a matter OF fact. the big railroads
are no longer able to build spur tracks to
every little ice house, chair factory or
brick yard In many cases II doesn't pay,
anyway This is why the motor truck is
being seriously considered as feeder for
branch lines and even main lines. One eN-
press company. which until recently had
very little produce business in Il certain
city. boosted business in a unique way.
In towns from nifty TO seventy-tiyo miles
up tho line they began to collect milk.
cream, Strawberries and other farm and
garden products. which they put on the
train rushed into the city by A. N.
and by means OF G.. V. electric trucks
had them at the commission merchants
door when the buyers began TO arrive at
A. NJ. No wonder the railroads are be-
ginning to welcome the motor truck.
Uncle sam ALREADY uses ei'ct'l' truChs
in eight navy yards. in four arsenals, and
at various army depots. well as at
Washington. There are nineteen q. v.
electrics in Manila alone, hauling ice and
army stores. There is an immense field
for trucks as United states army trans
ports In fact. We are away behind Franc"
and Germany In this respect. There must
be nearly 500 trucks used in the transfer
OF mail in our large cities. and the par
| Gel post opens up endless possibilities. In
| all these fields. with the possible eNcep-
ton OF army work. III. electrM will give
| "A good account Of itself.
Then there il the Industrial truck field,
nj present "unscratched." The battery
truck crane the baggage truck the trac-
tor and the small freight truck all hav"
| wonderful possibilities. Tho railroads,
steamship compa MES. wholesalers and
manufacturers are all manins inquiries
about the electric freight truck, II looms
up large as the remedy for dock and
| terminal congestion. 1t il revolutionizing
the handling OF raw ana finished ma
terials about manufacturing plants. one
slate mill recently moved 1000 tons
| In twenty-four hours with a single 1000
pound q. v. freight truck, about iNI
feet In size. The amount OF work these
little electric stevedores" will do is al
most unbelievable.
And In the central station and electric
traction fields the possibilities are also
great Winch equipped and hoist
equipped electric trucks are. tguratively
speaking, jus: being introduced forses
have no business In most kinds 81 con-
struction and repair work these days;
they are too slow and expensive Elec-
trio or gas division. It doesn't matter, the
power wagon Is the goods. Look at
Asheyille, Des Moines. Milwaukee. Van
couver, Rochester, Toronto and other
cities with tower. emergency. coal, meter,
cable or lamp wagons and in some cases
seven or eight varieties Here Is the
New York Railways Company with
thirty three modern electrlcs. the major
ity OF them heavy duty machines, as
witness the fourteen 3ia ton dump trucks.
Well pass over the poss! bilities OF of =
peak business for central stations though
many OF them are helping tho merchant
TO inaugurate an electric delivery system
with splendid two fold results As at
this writing only about ono third OF even
our larger central stations are using cleo
tries In their own service, II will be some
time before one can gauge the possible
-evenue from charging electrcs. but we
all know Il will be an important item
| 20 the central station which goes after
! II In the right way.
that no one can intelligently approximate
tho demand for IT, One can't gauge 1t
| by our 100000 horses because II will
do much more than replace horsehesh.
| Tho interesting question Just now ia,
"How soon will there be 100000 electric
trucks In service"