Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-29
GROWTH OF TRANSPORT.
GREATEST EXPANSION is
REACHED IN THIS COUNTRY
Ever! MEANS or Travel Have Reached
HiEhest Efficiency In United
StntcN.

Every mode OF highway transDorta-
ton, from the days OF ancient Egypt.
when bricks made OF mud from the
River Nile were transported by man
power. AMI through the subsequent
steps. furnished by beast and vehicle
-: being actually demonstrated i'm
america TO-DAY.
=. 81: carries bricks. sacks ..
grain and what-not on his back: tho
primitive sledse Is reproduced in the
states; camels and elephants are seen
'wiih ears mounted on their backs
rs ' nn, DAY; 0x-sar,s are s in
prairie schoonerS are on duty in
rural sections untouched by railroads;
,nr,h,.pack mules solve transport
tiilicultics in Mexico: steam engine.
almost as weird as tn. Tom Thunn'
ares putting along on narrow gauge
iuiiroads: and motor---trucks---th he ul-
innate in modern highway Transport
.a,iomLare chuSsias their way
through city streets and on country
highways.
Ending Greatest Expansion Hero.
Practically every means of highway
transportation has had its Sreatcct ex-
pansion ana efficiency Develops, In tile
nitei States: according to the travel
'oodr!ch Rubber Company. In re-
Viewing the important steps in The
Gv . OF CARRYING over the road
nant position held by motor We
hicics and the vast possibilities OF ru-
tur" development.
In the days before the discovery OF
AinSrica the Aborigimcs were served
" wheelless transportation. Tho only
Two mediums OF land traffic we're the
jack dog and the llama. This half OF
Tie hahiiable globe had not. 40 years
ago. horse, OK, COW. mule burco or
sheep to its name: the dog was tho
Only domestic animal II possessed The
spanish introduction OF the horse,
niue burro and OK TO America marked
the longest stride ever taken in So
short time in the arts OF Transport
tation.
First Vehicle TRANSPORT in Is:,.
America's first vehicle transports
mon Smith and James Moore. Of Bur
linston, y. j.. and consisted % horse
DR." cannst"so wagons y Pniladel
mia paper. in March OF that year,
carried the following. announcements: Il
This is 10 give notice unto gentle
men. merchants, ,radtsmen, travellers
James Moore, OF Burlington, kcepeth
Two stage wagons. intending TO 20
from Burlington 10 -Imboy. " j.. and
back from Burlington TO Amboy again
once every week or oftener i! that
business presents"
From THAT advertisement have
grown all the schedules. time tables
railway stations. freight depots. rural
motor express lines and the whole
complcx system Of movement which
ms DcCoTUc the cllIc1 ana lnNlSDcnSd-
bic feature OF modern American life.
The principle Of organizing and self
ing periodic Transportation wa. des
tined to creep over the entire land.
During the early years OF periodic
made in The use of private ,ravei
records which SHOW tina, in tho year
1861 there were but thirty-cisht
wheeled conveyances in philadelphia.
There were twcnty-,wo private wheel
.Nl vehicles ROstn, in l16S
eases were doubtless parallcIled in
other cities during this period
Locomotive Arrivcs In lS:lD.
Slowly the people began 10 grasp
tho meaning Of wagon transportation
and its relation 10 them and the
country. During the eighteenth cen
ago ornry manner OF wheeled vehicle
took the highway for conveyance
duty.
Auxt!arics to steam railways. whose
tcvc'orneni started with Peter
American locomotive. which made rs
trial trip in 1880.
The era OF automobiles and motor
in the march OF highway transpor
iation progress 1t is interesting in
This connection 20 note that tho pas
senecr car is really descendant Of
tho motor truck, for tho first self
propelled highway vehicles were plan
ned and used for haulaEe purroses
ana tnCiF use lot DaSScnScI Sti VICE
MAS not at first seriously considered.
MakrS Phenome nal Progress.
The phenomenal progress OF motor
TRANSPORTATION !s familiar to every one
To-day America possesses over 100000
motor vehicles and the most extensive
system Of highways In the world. High
popcrci motor trucks are RAPIDLY re-
placing horse-drawn convcyancns for
c!tv and industrial center hau!aEs
Hundreds OF suburban. rural aud inter
city motor truck lines are in successful
operation.
Motor vehicles travel and TRANSPORT
ta,ion have brcn largely responsible
for the good roads progress made in
America hut loss than % ncr cent
ri the nations $500. 900 miles OF roads
are improved. However. America is in
tho midst OF the greatest highway
building campaign in the history OF tho
world and as new lanes are opened UP
for transport service thousands OF
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