Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-04-13
THE GLORY OF THE AMERICAN RE-
PUBLIC
The Science of Government
The Hope and Dependence of the Human
Race
Copyright 1917
BY ORLANDO BELKNAP POND
(All rights reserved)
CHAPTER XVI.
Trem endous Competition Developed.

products moved in channels already estab-
lished The stage coach conveyed the trav-
cling public over the best Of turnpike roads
by well trained and fast speeding horses,
and the heavy teams hauled the products
of the country to the canals and near by
navigable rivers.
All of these interests were arrayed against
any attempt to build railroads into their
territory or field of operation, and had their
supporters in the communities Of greater
interest All were combined against any
and all movements towards railroad build
ing.
Like all new undertakings Of great i'm
portance the railroad met with great oppo-
stion from many sources. 1t was strug-
gle between contending INTEREST," conflict
between old established principles that
travel and transportation follow the chan
nels of least resistance; and that changing
these channels by overcoming the natural
obstacles by artificial means and introduce
ing better and more rapid vehicles of con-
veyance and thereby turning trade into
other and new channels of transportation
1t was the determined effort of the one
to retain it's hold on the established advant-
ages, and prevent the railroad by every
known means of obstruction from gaining
a foothoId in their territory of operation
and the persistent determination of the
other moving on step by step, little at
one place and little at another to accom-
plish it's purpose Though the task Of rail
road building was enormous, difficult be-
You'd measure, and discouraging in every
particular, when it did get a fOothold,
when it actually stretched itself out in
various directions and from many points, it
became the victor and drove all of it's old
enemies and competitors from the field of
operation. First the stage coach, and Sec
ond the canals and third the river trans
portatons, all were forced from the field
of operation, and to give way to the
strides of this modern giant and successful
competitors and trade and production found
new channels and new centers of distribu-
ton
Until July, 1884, the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad had only three locomotives The
freight ears, many Of them were drawn by
horses.
The locomotive had not yet been fully
established in his rightful career upon his
own right-of-way. This right-of-way was
not in fact yet fitted and adapted to his
occupancy, more than this the locomotive
itself had not yet advanced beyond the en-
brio state and conditions But such as it
veloped to meet the conditions and the rail
road and locomotive were together fitted
and adapted to each other. Until this time
it was contest between the horse and the
locomotive; the locomotive all the time gain
ing upon the horse. The horse was finally
supplanted by the locomotive on the main
lines, though not for several years. He
still however remained in activity on the
Short or branch, lines, and held his pre-
rogative here as late in some instances as
the civil war, and was for much longer
time the only street car operating force
relied upon.
1t had been nearly, if not quite, two hun
dread years since the first railroad or tram
way was built in England. These tramways
were built and adapted to use with the
horse and cart The timber rails and horse
power had given way to a certain extent