Anyone looking for proof that any sort of technological innovation is usually met with fear and skepticism will enjoy the following post.  The poster below, “borrowed” from the national archives, or ARC, website, shows an outrageous scene with a menacing locomotive plowing its way through town.  Of particular note is the way the “face” of the engine train is made to look as though it is scowling - seemingly enjoying decimating the guy on the horse and carriage, who was apparently smacked by the dreadful Locomotive’s cow catcher.

Click to Enlarge:

Text:

MOTHERS LOOK OUT FOR YOUR CHILDREN!
ARTISANS, MECHANICS, CITIZENS!
When you leave your family in health, must you be hurried home to mourn a
DREADFUL CASUALTY!
PHILADELPHIANS, your RIGHTS are being invaded!  regardless of your interests, or the LIVES OF YOUR LITTLE ONES.  THE CAMDEN AND AMBOY, with the assistance of other companies without a Charter, and in VIOLATION OF LAW, as decreed by your Courts are laying a
LOCOMOTIVE RAIL ROAD!
Through your most Beautiful Streets to the RUIN of your TRADE, annihilation of your RIGHTS, and regard less of your PROSPERITY and COMFORT.  Will you permit this?  or do you consent to be a
SUBURB OF NEW YORK!!
Rails are now being laid on BROAD STREET to CONNECT the TRENTON RAIL ROAD with the WILMINGTON and BALTIMORE ROAD under the pretence of constructing a City Passenger Railway from the Navy Yard to Fairmount!!!  This is done under the auspices of the CAMDEN AND AMBOY MONOPOLY!
RALLY PEOPLE in the Majesty of your Strength and forbid THIS
OUTRAGE!

Talk about striking fear in the hearts of men!  I can not even begin to imagine the hysteria propaganda like this must have created within the lower classes of Philadelphians.  I can not figure out which one they are more afraid of - locomotives slaying their citizens, or (gasp) becoming a SUBURB of New York City! Perhaps the real fear here was that this new, menacing locomotive would take business away from the coach lines that would lose business.

Speculation aside, one thing is clear - the logic of suppressing technology back then still had its roots in the idea of saving the children.  Then after they got the mothers’ attention with the first line they went on to rally all of the other citizens of Philly, specifically including the artisans and mechanics - who I guess are somehow not part of the general ‘citizens’ class?!  When I look at this poster all I see are scare tactics, threats of monopolies, predictions of widespread death, and the supression of accurate information necessary for people to make informed decisions; it looks like some things never change…

August 15th, 2008 | Funny, Freelance Writing, Literature, Nostalgia, Planes Trains & Automobiles