The other day I was sitting in traffic caused by an automobile accident, and I thought to myself, "Oh, not again!" It got me to thinking about simpler days here in New Gretna, before casino gambling in Atlantic City, when traffic and accidents were things just for the big cities. In the early 1970's when Jackie and I moved to New Gretna, I had to commute to work in Toms River every day. Often, on my way to work, I would only see a car or two until I got to Barnegat and then only a few more before arriving in Toms River, the "big city". My, how things have changed.
Not too many days go by when we read of another auto accident in the newspaper. You're probably thinking "Bet that didn't happen in the old days." Well, think, again. Reading old editions of the Tuckerton Beacon, it seems that there were auto accidents as long as there were cars. It's hard to believe, but if there are two cars on the road, there seems to be an attraction, sort of a strange magnetic force, that causes the unavoidable clashing of bumpers and crushing of fenders. That's my theory of auto evolution. It's Darwin meets Henry Ford. I offer the two following exhibits as evidence.
Exhibit #1 - Remember Alvey McAnney, the man of many hats? (See the Sunday, December 7th blog entry.)
Well, it seems that Alvey was the victim of this strange magnetic force in March, 1949. An "out of towner" made an unexpected U turn on Route 4 (since renumbered to the present Route 9) causing an accident. It's Darwin meets Henry Ford!
You might say that doesn't prove anything, that in the late 1940's there were a fair number of automobiles on the road and accidents shouldn't be unexpected, that Alvey's accident had nothing to do with the strange magnetic force theory. Fair enough! Perhaps you're right, but now I offer . . .
Exhibit #2 - the following photo of an accident on the Job's Creek bridge in the early to mid 1920's. Way back then there surely weren't many cars on the road, and one would think that accidents would be unusual. Not so! This old photo is conclusive proof of the auto evolution theory which causes automobile accidents. Put two automobiles on the road and you will inevitably have an accident. It's a law of automobile physics. It's Darwin meets Henry Ford!
The Job's Creek bridge, circa early to mid 1920's, looking north toward Tuckerton. Maja Mathis' barn roof can be seen in the upper left, behind the tree line. Note that the road is gravel. It hasn't been paved yet. (Photo courtesy of Charles and Patricia Richmond.)
You doubters can scoff all you want, but don't be surprised in the not to distant future when you see the Automobile Evolution Theory, Darwin meets Henry Ford, taught in our public school system. After all, it happened with evolution, and the monkeys ain't laughing, now.
Pete S.
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