[TheForge] demos

[Demon Buddha]

Larry and Pat Brown wrote:
> 
> I save this for people who want to know why people had boot scrapers all
> over the place. NYC hailed the auto as an anti pollution device, no
> fertilizer or carcasses to haul away
> L Brown
> Staten Island NY
> NJBA

	Heh... it's funny how things change and what gets forgot.
	In the "good old days" places like NYC were essentially
	toxic waste zones by virtue of all the horse crap that filled
	the streets.  They used to have guys out with barrels and
	shovels who were paid to pick it all up.  The accounts I've
	read described the stink as "pervasive".  Now, I don't mind
	the smell of horse shit, but then I only get it in smaller
	doses and can walk away from it any time I care to.  In those
	days you could not.  I lived a significant portion of my
	childhood in NYC and during the summer the odor from the few
	piles of dog poo was enough to make you lose your lunch at
	times.  Imagine hundreds or thousands of tons laying every
	where in the boroughs.  I suspect it was pretty squalid.
	I cannot imagine what it was like to be anywhere near a
	flyblown horse carcass at noon in mid-July. 

	Cars are pretty dirty, but I doubt they pose any greater
	hazard to the health than did the huge accumulations of
	horses and horse byproducts.