By David Peel
Fast forward 13 years, heading back to Fifth Avenue in New York City can you spot the horse. Photo provided by George Grantham Bain Collection
Sometimes a look backwards can provide a vision of the future. In 1894, top thinkers were very concerned about how to deal with all the horse manure in cities.
There’s only so much fertilizer that can be used and just about every single person had at least one horse, and many freight delivery men, fire fighters , or merchants had multiple horses. Estimates were that major cities like London may soon wind up below nine feet of manure with no end in sight.
Automobiles had already been invented, but they were exceedingly rare. These upstart machines did not seem to pose any threat to the status quo at the time.
In fact, in 1900, the Ladies Home Journal predicted it might take a hundred years for automobiles to take over.
Now we all know it happened much faster than that. But even I am surprised at how fast it actually occurred.
Consider the two photographs to the right.
Easter morning on 5th Avenue in New York City, you can spot a single vehicle in 1900. Everything else is horses.
So in a very real sense, the cars ate the horses.
What is going to change during our lifetime that will be such a paradigm shift that we don’t even realize it?
Let me know your thoughts at [email protected].
Peel seeks justice for those injured in tractor trailer and car accidents, medical malpractice, and disability. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.com wherein other articles may be accessed.
