San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23
(From Chevrolet Sales Speeder)

Every year witnesses the further
passing of the old roam hack. Horses
AZ not what they used TO be. Big
bays, old gray mares and sorrel drivers
-Clydes and Percherons and lighter
draft horses-all are gradually sue
cumbing to the march of progress.
Money talks-and cold figures have
won the case for the Gasoline Engine
Us. Dobbin, ct al.
City streets used to echo to the
!lump-clump-clump Of the dray horse
and the clapety-clap, clapety-clap of
the hard-driven hack. Now the high
buildings playing pingpOng with the
roaring exhaust of the heavily laden
truck and the racing engines of count
ess taxicabs, delivery and passenger
cars.
The commercial car and the truck
have practically replaced the horse in
most cities of larger size and are in
viding the sacred precincts of the
farm. Horses in this country are de-
ereasing at the rate of half-million
per year, according to a Department of
Agriculture horse census, and trucks
hre increasing almost as fast. In the
welve months from July, 1922. to
June, 1923, inclusive. truck production
figures were 325,737, according TO a
recent bulletin of the National Auto
mobile Chamber of Commerce.
Truck Output Gains.
Truck production, for the same
period, incidentally showed a gain of
rs per scent over the preceding twelve
months, while paSSen c production
gained only II per cent.
A few figures obtained from various
sources will quickly prove the greater
value of the truck.
A big retailer in Pittsburg. Operat
ng a large fleet of trucks of various
ICES, finds his average cost for the
first 10000 miles to be 81 cents q
mile.
Medium weight horses cost about
S1Ha month for maintenance, or 81
Ter day. They average about twelve
niles a day. making their total cost
lbout S.3 cents mile. Wagons and
bther equipment must be added TO this,
bf course.
Hay VS.: Gasoline.
A horse consumes about bale of
iay week. say about 40 pounds. He
rayels about twelve miles a day, or
y miles per week. Ergo, you get
bout a half-mile pound of hay.
compare this with lightweight motor
rucks, which will travel about 20
niles a gallon of gasoline. You get
more miles gallon than you do
,ound of hay.
With hay quoted at S24 a ton or
100 a hundred. the cost of this item
lone is II cents pOul-.. or at two
bounds a mile, the cost of Dobbn's ra-
ion is "a cents a mile of D.. bin.
With gasoline at "a cents a gallon.
nd figuring 20 miles to the gallon.
his item alone costs II cents mile
rotor truck.
Other items of expense involved in
ach case are about in equal proper
ion. Hence it is fairly accurate to
ay that it costs about half much to
perate a motor truck as to maintain
horse. And the initial investment
f horses and wagons, harness and
tables, will just about equalize the
Investment necessary to completely
notorize any business using light
,eight equipment.
Putting it another way, business
an be motorized for about what il
-ould cost to equip it with horses and
heir equipment, and opera; ID at about
he same cost per day-but with motor |
rucks, the trading radiu is more
han doubled.
This is proved by the experience of
~ American Railway Express Com |
any, which claims to be still the larg- |
1T user of commercial horses. They |
Sc horses for special purp, es in the |
spress field. They use trucks where |
bey are most economical. And they |