Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-21

JEFFERSON ana MADISON may nave
SEEM to an extent, the great future
ahead for this country-a Republic,
for instance, with a population of
1905 900 people and perhaps in
other ways have som-what vicl2liaed the
future-yet it would certainly be forcing the
Imagination to conceive that their minds would
be sufficiently keen to look as far ahead as the
present day and see this country as we our
selves see it and know it to so.
They of course, knew that people would come
here a haven from class and political OPP
preston, and as a place where they might
worship as they saw fit, and where even the
humblest citizen might rise to the highest Office
provided for by the Constitution, but it is ex-
cesdingly beyond the range of possibility that
Washington any one else of his time could
have foretold the magnificent roads and boule-
wards the automobiles enjoy today.
Then it was question, in many cases, Of
blazing a roadway through the virgin forest
crossing mountains where the white man had
never gone before, and fording streams that
were not bridged until many years later Even
the road that George Washington Travelled on
his way from Mount Vernon to New York to
be inaugurated President but of the mar
row, unimproved type muddy and almost i'm
passable in rainy weather, and dusty in the
extreme when the ground was dIy.
Traffic improvements, like other godsends to
mankind, have been evolution. The stage
and the OK cart gave way to the more speedy
the bicycle, though only looked upon for years
as a pleasure vehicle nevertheless proved the
entering wedge to better roads, and no doubt
had much to do toward bringing about the
introduction of the automobile which with its
added demand for better roads has given us
the magnificent highways blessed with
today.
IA /HEN Charles G. w Krauskropf brought the
w first of the modern bicycles to the Dis
trict of Columbia in 1873 there were no good
roads around Washington, and very few good
streets even in the city. To see a wagon stuck
in the mud up to the hubs was common sight,
and to see some merciless driver lashing the
horses under such conditions to make them pull
the wagon out was one of the painful sights
of horse-drawn vehicles. However, conditions
were greatly improved by the advent of the
bicycle.
few months ago the writer in talking to a
gentleman connected with a well known
countrywide organization referred to the
L. A. W.-or, in full, the League of American
Wheelmen-and, strange to say, the person with
whom he was conversing did not recall this
notable body of wheelmen, yet the history of
that organization and the influence exerted by
it meant powerful lot in the building of good
roads in this country a number of years before
the automobile got its start, and it is safe to
say that the advent of the automobile would
have been delayed many years had it not been
Tor the excellent and early construction work
done by the L. A W.
This body had its origin in Newport, r. l.,
back in 1880, when 100 wheelmen, representing
81 clubs, met in skating rink in that city and
organized and elected the following officers:
President, c. E. Pratt of Boston; vice president,
T. K. Longstreth of Philadelphia; corresponding
secretary, A. S. Parsons of Cambridge; record
ing secretary, j. Frank Burren of the Man
haitian Club; treasurer, Hugh L. Willoughby of
Saratoga. A board of directors also was
elected, including representative from every
State where there was organized club.
Not only was the L. A. w. the pioneer in the
movement for good roads, but it brought about
traffic regulations, out of which have grown
laws applied today to the automobile but which
were unnecessary to the horse-drawn vehicle.
IA /EBB'S DIGEST, which contains about all
wv the laws the Corporation of Washington
needed prior to the introduction of the bicycle,
is silent as to the side of the street a vehicle
should be driven. No left-hand turn is provided
against; lights are left to ones own Judgment,
and the driver could cross the street wherever
and whenever he wished. It was, indeed q
sort of go-as-you-please proposition. Regarding
carts, wagons and drays hired for gain there
were some regulations, which, however, would
be quite useless under OUR present conditions.
For instance, we are told:
at shall not be lawful for any one person
to have charge of or drive more than one such
cart wagon or dray at the same time; and no
person under twelve years of age shall be per-
mitted to drive a wagon, cart, or dray licensed
by this Corporation, and the driver of any cart,
wagon, or dray while the same shall be in mo-
ton shall keep to the right; when unloaded,
and in motion, he shall have the rens in his
hands; shall not engage in racing with another
cart wagon, or dray drive faster than a
moderate trot. And if any person shall offend
against the provision of this section such person