John: Unless internal combustion engines are
replaced by alternative power plants, the U.S. as
we know it is in for some radical changes.
My family lived in the same small town in a
mountainous area of PA for several generations. So
I have my grandfather's accounts of how they
handled the pre-car world. It wasn't too bad. In
some ways it was more convenient.
In 1920, trolleys that ran throughout the county.
People could travel twenty-five miles to work and
back on the trolley.
There was a train station at the bottom of the
town. The train would take you to Philadelphia in
two hours. Today, by car, it takes about three
hours to get to Philadelphia. You could take a day
trip to Philadelphia if you could afford it.
Less convenient were the horse accidents. The town
was designed on a long, sloping hill. Horses
carrying wagons of merchandise would sometimes get
out of control. The wagons would crash and the
horses might be killed. The local butcher would
show up and take the horses away to be processed.
A tavern built at an unfortunate location was
called "The Crash In Bar."
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