The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-12

stead OF the motor for delivery pur-
poses, the fact remains that the
truck horse is fast passing out of
existence. In a few more wears
whether legislation forces the is
sue or not, probably he will be a q
obsolete as the horse car. Grad
uaIly, the largest business houses
or the country have sold their
horses and introduced motor trucks
into their delivery systems. More
over, statistics, of which the Horse
association appears to be so fond.
show that the number Of horses in
industry is decreasing at a rapid
pace.
In 1910, for example, when the
great motorization OF America be-
gan, there were 12S,224 horses on
the streets of New York. By 1920,
a single decade later. there were
only 1910 and this year the num-
Der has been reduced to 62,254. A
similar reduction has occurred in
every other large American city.
Horses Fail in Winter.
One of the most important argu-
ments against the use of the horse
is the tremendous difficulty it en-
counters in negotiating the slip
perry streets in stormy weather.
Let a heavy snowstorm descend
upon New York and New Workers
at once experience the same irri-
tating delays in receiving milk,
groceries and other household sup
plies as do the inhabitants of re-
mote rural communities. These
oil 1n7 ~
dents of one kind and another.
must also constitute a severe loss
to the owners of the horse-drawn
vehicles.
On one winter day this year
when the streets of New York pro-
vided splendid skating facilities, a
two-horse truck bearing a load of
coal slid gingerly down street on
the West side and attempted to
back up to the curb before a Ger
tain brownstone front to which the
contents were evidently consigned.
This proved an impossible task.
The driver rose in his seat, dashed
the horses backs and shouted with
all the amazing strength of his
raucous voice, but to no avail. The
horses, though obviously terrified.
struggled valiantly and one of them
fell at least a half dozen times. by
God, he's game said the driver
admiringly. Yet the truck did not
move.
At length, the driver took the
blankets from the horses backs
and placed them across the ice be
meath their feet, but this didn't
hT- @YN w-~sf NJ r~
drivers from other horse-drawn
vehicles, which were blockaded by
the truck, got down from their
seats and offered to help. They
pulled at the horses heads; showed
at the back OF the truck; wheedled
and swore and expended their
strength for another half hour. but
the truck remained where it was.
Eventually, one Of the men Dor
rowed a pick and broke the ice
around the animals feet, so that
they were able to move forward.
However, the coal never was de-
livered before this particular
brown stone front. II had to be I'M
loaded at a safer point further
down the street and laboriously
carried by. the basketful to the
house. The superior advantages Of
a heavy motor truck in this case
were only too evident.
The Punishment of the horse will
have its undesirable features of
course. Milk drivers and ice men
will have to walk a good deal far
Their, presumably, in making their
deliveries, as it will undoubtedly
prove inconvenient to stop a motor
truck constantly in their progress
from door to door Pedestrians
will also miss the nice wide gaps
made in traffic lines by horsH-
drawn vehicles. There will be
some who will even shed tear at
the final passing of the hanson
cab. But, on the whole. the city
will probably breathe easier when
all of its traffic is by motor.