Back in the 1700s, about the only way we went from one place to another was by horse-drawn carriage... unless, of course, one were traveling to Europe, which meant a long, hard voyage on board a sailing ship (powered, of course, by wind and nothing more).
Now, everywhere I look, there are these vehicles you call “cars.” There are so many different kinds, it boggles my mind. Big ones, small ones, old ones, new ones, gas powered, diesel powered, electric powered. And so often, these cars seem to be bought as a reflection of one’s personality. (Which leads me to wonder, what kind of a car should a person such as myself have? What would be the proper “Ben Franklin” car? I suspect it might be an electric model.)
I have also been told that there actually once was a “Franklin Automobile,” manufactured in the early 1900s in the town of Syracuse, New York. It was supposed to have been a vehicle of luxury, and thus met an untimely death when people could no longer afford its high price.
Cars, planes, boats!
But even more amazing than the car is the fact that one can now visit Europe in just a single day, by flying through the air! No more tedious, arduous ocean voyages! Certainly, one can still go by sea, but after reading about people’s unfortunate experiences with Carnival cruise boats, I would seriously question why.
A thought just occurred to me. Had we the benefit of all these marvelous modes of transportation in my day, Paul Revere would have had a harder time figuring out by which mode the British were coming. Longfellow’s poem, glorifying Revere’s ride, would probably be quite a bit lengthier, and much less graceful: “One if by land, two if by sea, three if by air, four if by subway...”
I am glad to observe, however, that the original transportation mode, the horse, has not vanished from the scene. But I am shocked and astounded by the price of such simple pleasures. A horse-drawn carriage ride in a city like Philadelphia or Boston goes for about a hundred dollars per hour! At a figure like that, a humble traveler like myself could go through a fortune in one day.
But I do need to remember, everything costs more in this future world in which I now find myself.
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin
Now, everywhere I look, there are these vehicles you call “cars.” There are so many different kinds, it boggles my mind. Big ones, small ones, old ones, new ones, gas powered, diesel powered, electric powered. And so often, these cars seem to be bought as a reflection of one’s personality. (Which leads me to wonder, what kind of a car should a person such as myself have? What would be the proper “Ben Franklin” car? I suspect it might be an electric model.)
I have also been told that there actually once was a “Franklin Automobile,” manufactured in the early 1900s in the town of Syracuse, New York. It was supposed to have been a vehicle of luxury, and thus met an untimely death when people could no longer afford its high price.
Cars, planes, boats!
But even more amazing than the car is the fact that one can now visit Europe in just a single day, by flying through the air! No more tedious, arduous ocean voyages! Certainly, one can still go by sea, but after reading about people’s unfortunate experiences with Carnival cruise boats, I would seriously question why.
A thought just occurred to me. Had we the benefit of all these marvelous modes of transportation in my day, Paul Revere would have had a harder time figuring out by which mode the British were coming. Longfellow’s poem, glorifying Revere’s ride, would probably be quite a bit lengthier, and much less graceful: “One if by land, two if by sea, three if by air, four if by subway...”
I am glad to observe, however, that the original transportation mode, the horse, has not vanished from the scene. But I am shocked and astounded by the price of such simple pleasures. A horse-drawn carriage ride in a city like Philadelphia or Boston goes for about a hundred dollars per hour! At a figure like that, a humble traveler like myself could go through a fortune in one day.
But I do need to remember, everything costs more in this future world in which I now find myself.
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin