The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-05-21
FORTY MILES AN HOUR
is NOT A HARDSHIP

President, is fast enough during the
period of tire shortage, which means
the period of the war. To be sure,
there are still some speed demons
who have not needed the Presidents
warning and who are still travelling
at so, go and 10 miles an hour. But
they will soon be walking at an
ever slower pace than the first auto
mobiles / remember could travel.
In the late nineties-I have for
gotten the exact year-H. H. Kohl
satt, then one of the editors and own
ers of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, Or
ganized what I believe was the first
automobile race. 1t covered dis
lance of some 80 miles, from the
city hall in Chicago to the city hall
in Elgin.
Much preparation was made for
the event. There were no gas sta
tons in those days, and five-gallon
cans of gas were distributed at fire.
quent intervals along the designated
route. There were, I think, six cars
entered. All were of the one-cylin-
der variety, with high buggy bodies,
solid tires, steered with rod, and
started with the turn of a crank in
front. Streets and roads for the 80
miles were blocked off and at ten
o'clock of the appointed day, the
race was on. 1t continued to be on
for nearly six hours, when the
first car arrived at the city hall in
Elgin, an average, speed of about
five miles per hour.
AS I recall, only three of the six
starters ever completed the course,
and the third took nearly eight hours
to travel the 80 miles. One could cas-
lily walk the distance in less time.
That was but little more than
40 years ago. Within that time
American ingenuity has produced
the refnements and speed we have
today. Those fve-mile-an-hour gas
buggies cost far more than the aver
age new model of today. Our Amer
lean system of competition brought
production up and price down. To
day we have car for every four
people in the United States, an av-
erage of one for each family.
To go back to the Presidents 40
miles an hour during war time
should not seem great hardship.
THE LATEST COUNT SHOWS 282
governmental agencies operating in
Washington, employing over 225, 00C
people. At the end of 1882 there
were 81 governmental agencies, en-
ploying 66,3O2 workers. A portion
but by no means all, of the increase
is occasioned by war activities. WE
MIGHT get along with few less anc
save some of the hard-pressed tax
payers money, or use' it to buy
more guns.
CAN THE GERMANS
REALLY TAKE 1T?
l HAVE a German-born, though
naturalized, yard man, who deplore'
what he says is the reason for thi
war.
To prevent other wars, he hope
this one will not stop until all Ger
many is occupied by Allied troops
That, he says, will take the wa
fever out of the German mind.
From what he says, gather tina
he thinks the Germans are not s
good at taking it, as they are a
dishing it up for the other fellow.
THE FARMERS CROP of graf
consists of sunshine, rain, air an
2 per cent of soil. But he is er
titled to liberal compensation fo
the brain and Drawn it takes
properly mix the ingredients.
| THE QUESTION for America
| workmen is whether it is best
| work 48 hours week now and fc
| the duration of the war, or go {
| more hours a week at pittance
| pay for their lifetime after Hitle
| and the Japs have won the war.