Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-08
A Pioneer of Personal
transportation
by Frederic J. Haskin

/ by rTcdcTiC -
Washington, June SIN the life OF
Amos Grant Batchelder. who was
killed a few days ago with six others
| in the fall of giant Government air.
plane, the whole wonderful romance
Of modern personal transportation
was epitomized.
Ii is striking proof of the speed
with which time and space have been
conquered In this country that one
young man, who played leading part
In that conquest, began with the first
crude bicycle, saw the whole develop
ment of that machine and of the au-
tomobile, and lost his life in an air
plane.
As ten-year-old boy, going from
his farm home in New York State
before dawn every morning to meet
the train and get his newspapers to
distribute, be became convinced that
better roads were needed for the bene-
fit of every community in the United
States. Stumbling along in the dark
ness over rough and rutted farm
roads, little better than the poorest
neglected lane OF today, the convic-
ton grew In this lads mind that
money put into roads would help
every one.
This farmer newsboy turned print-
er'st apprentice. but kept this dream
always before him, and the develop
ment Of it and its practical appllca-
ton became his life work.
Batchelder. the farm boy who
combined selling newspapers with his
other chores to support his widowed
mother, made this good roads dream
a reality as chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee OF the American Au-
tomohile Association--the "A. A. A."
With his almost fanatical belief in
the necessity of constructing and
maintaining good roads the country
over, Mr.. Batchelder became a pion-
Ger IN personal transportation. In
the old days of the bicycle--the high
wheeled affair which preceded the
safety" bicycle, he was an enthusias-
tic wheelman. This recreation fitted
exactly in with his serious work of
forever preaching and pounding away
at good roads
An Auto Pioneer
When the automobile became a
practical reality. Mr.. Batchelder turn
ed to it with enthusiasm. In the days
when scofrers could see no good in
the novelty of a self-propeiled We
hicle, Mr.. Batchelder was one of those
who had vision of the future develop
ment Of the automobile
With the rapid and tremendous
growth of the automobile. the neces-
sity of good roads became even more
OF a religion with Mr.. Batcheider
Even in the days when proponents OF
good roads We're springing up every
where. few could see any reason why
the Federal Government should par
ticipate in the creation of better high
ways Mr.. Batchelder was the first
TO recognize the part the Federal Gov
ernment should play.
For years he worked and preached
for this. and was rewarded when on
July II, 1916. President Wilson sign
ed the Federal Aid Road Act, which
brought the Federal Government into
road-building.
For years right up TO the time Of
his death, Mr.. Batchelder travelled
about 10000 miles each year. preach
ing better roads everywhere through
out the United Stafes-for military,
economic, and other reasons. Con-
vincing state legislatures. county
commissions, and the public of the
necessity Of building good roads and
keeping them good. occupied a great
deal Of his time AS a result of his
urgent advocacy. he had been in prac-
tically every section of every state in
the Union.
Opportunities for more lucrative en-
ployment We're repeatedly ignored by
this man with a big idea 10 which he
stuck throughout his whole life.
To Mr. Batchelder more than to any
other individual. the motorists of the
country owe a great debt of gratitude
for the improved, sign-marked and
charted highway systems of the
United States. Experience abroad
convinced Mr.. Batchelder that one
thing in which the United States was
backward was properly made, main
tanned, and charted roads, and to him
as much as TO any one man is due