Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-21
From Other Viewpoints
when the Automobile WAS New.
nv ALFRED u. WILLIAMS.

one Of the most poignant pcrplcxinr and
imminent problems of the small town editor
as late as nine ten years ago was TN. ou,
'aScd farmer and the automobile The in
stance was unhappily familiar. Sunday the
farmers family was started for church i'm the
family vehicle. behind the family horse with
twenty years record Of perfect conduct, 4 rush
ana too'ins OF an uniamili.- machine-a sud
den leap and wild blum at running away-a
load OF more or less anrightcd and screaming
wnnen-da mayed shaft and harness
\" man Of experience needs TO he told OF
the oratorical possibilities and inlaming ca pa
hitics OF the female OF the species whose
dignity. serenity and Sabbath pose have hccn
disturbed and who has been thoroughly
startled The farmer WAS sent to town Mon
day with general instructions what 10 say
TO the editor concerning inyas sons OF peaceful
rural communities and decentralization OF cx-
cmplary horses by dabolic Innovations de-
1--WE resources. He worked these out. usually.
on his way in. utilizing his opportunity for
SOLITARY reflection TO accumulate rage and
language. Quite frequently he wanted 10
know Of the editor how in hi country peo-
pie were to enjoy the consultations OF religion
with id dude from town disturbing their
hoIy calm with = so-and-so device Of the
devil, He got little hotter as he continued
his remarks and recalled his wrongs and the
home hrcwed eXhortations. Statesments like
'h3Sr ao"v" indicated were merely preliminary
and Introductory They became really inter
's,lns and torcihe as they proceeded. The
climax was likely TO include sweeping denim
citation Of al hwcilers in TOW, ms. Also suggcs-
tons that sheet so bAscly trucking to the
moneyed Interests to refuse to defend the
most sacred rights OF the people was u dig
g'ac" 10 civilization: ana that il the editor
failed to scream ed!torially against such out
RACES as described. committed probably hv his
personal friends, best advertisers he would
lose every subscriber in the outraged neigh
borhoOi
These Affections sore not long the editor
hor", as journalistic afncii0ns go. Almost
heipre he had completed nssuaEinG predic-
Tons mat tn" country horses presently would
get used to the new CONTINUANCE. he was bcset
ny ms fellow townsmen irate and wanting
20 know II something could be said or
d"nf TO stop these sO-and-So yaps from the
country from driving their such nd such ma
cnincS hcadlong through the streets and run
inE down inoif"nsvc citizens.
In" latest Official figures tell how tho
th'nEc mas come. Along in 1911 tho state OF
virginia Tor instance. had auto to 700 in
hhp''an'S' mos, of';fte IN. owned in the cities
ana towns. In fsi3' there was an auto for
every twenty men. women and children
Inc great majority Of them in tho
country In 1919 the State had seven timns
az many registered machines as she had In
i'i' -s"Fenfoid Increase in six years The
gam - about that or the country a. whole
rom 1000 TO 100000. Yirginia's total of
o''ooo machines is SURPASSED by TEXAS
Georgia. North Carolina Oklahoma and Mary,
lana OF the Southern States but her gross
revenue from them. OF 5000 900 is exceeded nv
: ines" states and West Virginia In propor.
tomato gain in numbers q. machines owned
INC cotton Beit p surpassed only Vir-
GINA, but AL thsf rest OF the country sincs