Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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THE AUTOMOBILE AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION N UNUSUAL looking contraption wheezed its way down the street. ln its wake came a curious crowd of onlookers. Little ' boys shouted and waved their caps aloft, meanwhile marveling at the Hrst horseless carriage. With spasmodic jerking and a great deal of coughing and sputtering, the pitiable object had traveled for two blocks at the astounding rate of six miles an hour when a particularly conspicuous rattle precipitated a final lurch. lt stood perfectly still, unheeding the efforts made to coax it onward. The ridiculing mob continued to hoot and jeer. Cries of uget a horse rang out, A horse- less carriage! The very idea! Such a thing could never come to pass. Yet it has. Not only has it come to pass, but it has been a startling success. Millions of Uhorseless carriages are in use today throughout the whole world. It is true that the original has been greatly improved. Staffs of engineers and draftsmen train their efforts in order that the automobile may be more perfect. The original, plus years of concentrated study and experimentation, has resulted in our modern auto in which efficiency and speed have been well developed. The automobile industry, one of the most gigantic of the present day industrial world where automobiles are produced at the rate of three a min- ute, better than anything else tells the story of the automobile. Thousands of men and millions of dollars are used for the manufacture of this super- vehicle. While thousands of oil wells flow that the automobile may travel on its way, forests of wood and mines of iron surrender their treasures for man's benefit. The iron horse once ruled the highways of transpor- tation, but the automobile is fast being acclaimed as the most important unit in terrestrial transportation. The need for costly rails is dispensed with and an omnibus is ready to start at any time. These cross-country 'busses are fast becoming popu- lar both for equable efficiency and low rates. There is not a more suitable means for transport- ing merchandise than the modern truck. Quick delivery on short distance renders the truck indispensable both to the in- dustrial and commercial worlds. Not only Twenty-three

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it ge t ' Lis! - . - 2 CARA VAN TRA VEL RAVELING very slowly over the solemn majesty of the seas 53:1 of sand-far away in distant Arabia-caravans today carry their precious burdens. The beckon of modern invention has been unheeded. There the picturesque caravan still serves its v as ,fill fqgiy' worthy purpose. The perilous Sahara has its charms, its uncanny fascina- tions, its wonderful phenomena. Many a mirage has ruthlessly mocked the parching thirst of a desert traveler. Eagerly has he rushed to an apparent oasis only to be undeceived, and to perish under the burning skies, but that is the supreme sacrifice made by Arabians to bring the luxurious wealth of the Orient to our western existence. ln our avarice for the precious stones, priceless silks, and costly spices of the East, we are wont to forget the extreme hardships encountered by the Arabian. We like to think only of the beautiful with the happy optimism of a barb. A caravan, to our mind, is a spectacular scene. We like the ornate covering on the patient camels, the simply clad Arabian, the peaceful blanche of the sands, the delightful refreshment of the palm bordered oasis1 but best of all we are enchanted by the traditions and legends of the wanderers. We have visions of these children of the wilderness prostrated toward Mecca, for they are much given to prayer. Let us not forget the extreme difficulties of Caravan travel. Amid the great expanses of desert wastes many different tribes make their abode. Here too, cockle is found among the wheat. Many robbers add to the perils of this kind of journey. as as we at as Caravans have played no small part in the great drama of transporta- tion! NORMA GIUDICE MY DESERTED SWEETHEART There she sits by the roadside, Deserted and alone. When I would try to wake her, She would not even moan. No spark of life is in her, No strength is in her frame. She could get very saucy, But I loved her just the same Now she's dead and forgotten, -l But l was not to blame. -'F Though she was christened Mabel, just Lizzie is her name. ROBERT HERITAGE Twenty-two

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..- Qs' is C girls Y I Sl 1221 is the truck an important factor in urban transportation, but it is used exten- sively in long distance hauling. This inter-city trucking system, while still in its infancy, has a bright future in store. There are few people who do not feel the influence of the automobile. For example, it has ended the isolation of the farmer. Both social and finan- cial progress are, in his case, made possible through the auto. The horse- less fire engine and ambulance are invaluable in cases of emergency. The worker is no longer chained to the city through his work but may reside in the suburbs, free from the worries of a commuter. ln addition to exerting innumerable influences on the business world, the automobile is an important factor in the social world. It affords motoring forvpleasure. Not only does it afford everyday amusement, but long distances are covered in comparatively short spaces of time. How often are the high- ways thronged with tourists starting on vacations or holiday trips! On Sun- day evenings, cars stretch for miles from the far horizon wending their way back to the city. It is with amusement that one considers the public sentiment at the time of the first automobiles. Driving a horseless carriage was considered a haz- ardous undertaking. Not only was there danger of immediate injury suf- fered through inevitable accidents, but there was danger of chronic ills, for it was popularly believed that driving would produce curvature of the spine, flat feet, blindness and a malady akin to St. Vitus dance caused by terrific vibrations. Such beliefs are now practically extinct. Speed, the byworcl and god of today, is an out- growth of the automobile. lVlan's actions, thoughts and very mode of living depend upon it. The ancient Nomad, the Arab, the Tartar, all shaped their modes of life upon quick transportation. And man has again become a nomad, in the sense that distance is no more. BLANCHE ALEXANDER .lanua ry, '3 0 Twenty-four