I know double-commenting is frowned upon, but this quote also stood out to me as a bike nerd:

  The least important, perhaps, and yet to some of
  us the saddest thing about the decay of New England
  country life has been the disappearance of the 
  hospitable wayside tavern. Something similar, it is
  hoped, may be brought in by the bicycle. It is much
  to be feared, however, that the new bicycle road-house
  will be nothing more hospitable than a mammoth stand-up
  lunch-counter.

I wonder what these wayside taverns were like. Nowadays, I find myself happy enough with "stand-up lunch-counters" when I bicycle tour (ride self-supported long distances by bicycle). I also find myself greatly appreciating the dirt roads present in Vermont and much of New England, since they slow down car traffic and are honestly much more pleasant to bike on than poorly maintained pavement roads. Meanwhile, this author laments the poor state of (presumably dirt) carriage roads across rural New England. It's interesting how I seem to agree with the base thoughts and preferences of the author, but we have inverted preferences on these things (for similar reasons).

I wonder what this author thought about the automobile.