134 Frank Carney 



lished industries die slowly. It is cheaper to haul coke to the 

 lake than to carry ore from the lake to the older plants. Topog- 

 raphy is a silent partner in industry; it never goes bankrupt. 



Electric railways. The last decade has witnessed in Ohio a 

 new phase of transportation. Trolley lines were first built in 

 cities for passenger service. Then urban extensions were made. 

 Gradually these grew longer. The urban lines of cities not widely 

 separated met each other. Other places were then purposefully 

 joined. Electric lines were built between still more distant centers. 

 Now one speaks of ''through" electric routes as we formerly did 

 of "through" steam railways. Traction lines no longer depend 

 entirely upon passenger service for income. They have taken on 

 freight and express business, not only with profit to the investor, 

 but with great convenience to the localities served. 



No service of capital in modern times is doing so much to 

 make living in the country more convenient. It is too early 

 yet even to classify the changes of modern business methods, 

 due to electric lines that are gradually extending over the state. 

 These routes are encouraging more profitable phases of agricul- 

 ture. They afford prompt service, making it possible to market 

 perishable crops; and the centers of population thus served are 

 equally benefited. 



Better highways. Nowadays we hear much about highway 

 improvement. Our legislatures, for a few years, have been mak- 

 ing annual appropriations for the betterment of highwaj^s. 

 Municipalities have been taxing themselves, that they might 

 improve the roads leading into their immediate rural sections. 

 Long ago it was the opinion of statesmen that the federal gov- 

 ernment should do this kind of work. The National Road 

 which crosses this state is a product of that feeling. In the 

 year 1811, this road was started from Cumberland, Md.; by 

 1818, it was completed to Wheeling, W. Va.'^ A dispute arising 

 as to the constitutionality of the government's undertaking, the 

 construction of the road was suspended till 1825; then an act 

 was passed, making an appropriation for its extension to Zanes- 

 ville. From Wheeling to Zanesville, a thoroughfare had long 

 been in use ; this had been authorized by an act of Congress in 

 1796, for the benefit of early settlers in Kentucky and the 



"Ohi') Arch(>ol()o,ical and Historical Soficly Pub., vol. Ix (1901). p. 435. 



