Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-12-25

all the rest of us Oft the streets"
IF we do we'll even things up by
making the streets five or ten times
as long as they are now" Eugene re-.
turned.
::How do you propose to do that?"
1T isn't the distance from the cen.
ter of a town that counts" said Eu.
gene; cts the time it takes to get
there. This towns already spreading
bicycles and trolleys have been doing
their share, but the automobile is
going to carry city streets clear out to
the county line"
The Major was skeptical. Dream
on, fair son! !" he said. cts lucky for
us that you're only dreaming; because
If people go to moving that far, real
estate values in the old residence part
of town are going to be stretched pref.
ty thin"
"Im afraid So" Eugene. assented.
unless you keep things so bright and
clean that the old section will stay
more attractive than the new ones.'
Not very likely! How are things
going to be kept bright and clean
with soft coal and our kind of city
government"
"They aren't" Eugene replied quick
~. There's no hope Of it, and al
ready the boarding house is marching
up National avenue. Ny relatives, the
Sharons, have sold their house and are
building in the country-at least, they
call it the country 1t will be city
in two or three years."
"Good gracious!" the Major ex-
claimed, affecting dismay. $50 your
little shops are going to ruin all your
old friends, Eugene!"
"Unless my old friends take warn
ing in time, OF abolish smoke and get
a new kind of city government"
"Well, well! the Major laughed.
"You have enough faith in miracles.
Eugene--granting that trolleys and b.,
cycles and automobiles are miracles.
So you think they're to change the
face of the land, do you?"
They're already doing it. Major;
and it can't be stopped. Automo-
biles-"
AT this point he was interrupted.
George was the interrupter. He had
said nothing since entering the dining
room, but now he spoke in a lond and
peremptory voice, using the tone Of
n In authority who checks idle pratt
tie and settles a matter forever.
Automobiles are a useless NUS
ance," he said.
There fell a moments silence.
Isabel gazed incredulously at
George, color slowly heightening upon
her cheeks and temples, while Fanny
watched him with a quick eagerness,
her eyes alert and bright. But Eugene
seemed merely quizzical, as If not TAX
ing this brusquerie to himself. The
Major was seriously disturbed.
"What did you say, George| he
asked, though George had spoken but
too distinctly.
Il said all automobiles were a
nuisance" George answered, repeating
not only the words but the tone in
which he had uttered them. And he
added: They'll never amount to any
thing but a nuisance. They had no
business to be invented"
The Major frowned. "Of curse you
forget that Mr.. Morgan makes them,
and also did his share in %inventing
them. If you weren't so thoughtless
he might think you rather offensive"
"That would be too bad" said
George coolly. II don't think T could
survive it,"
Again there was a silence, while the
Major stared at his grandson, aghast.
But Eugene began to laugh cheerfully.
"Im not sure he's wrong about al
tomobiles," he said. with all their
speed forward they may be a step
backward in civilization-that is, in
spiritual civilization. But automobiles
have come, and they bring a greater
change in our life than most of us
suspect. They are going to alter war,
and they are going to alter peace. !
think mems minds are going to be
changed in subtle ways because of au.
tomobiles; just how, though, I could
hardly guess. Perhaps, ten or twenty
years from now, if we can see the in
ward change in men by that time, ]
shouldn't be able to defend the gaso-
line engine, but would have to agree
with him that automobiles had no
business to be invented" He laughed
good-naturedly and, looking 1t his
watch, apologized for having an en-
gagement which made his departure
necessary when he would much prefer
to linger, and left them at the table.
Isabel turned wondering: hurt eyes
Qunnn unt,n ! gFHf