The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-01-26

The Rule Of the Road.
In starting this country as q new
Establishment In the civilization line,
was to be expected that we should
ct up some conventional rules and
equations in minor matters, as well |
s in those of more importance, which |
would require modification or entire |
,hange in after-days. There are
Jome such which, in due course, have
been modified or dropped. Others are
Is difficult to change, however great
he need, as it would be to "recon-
slider" universal suffrage, drive latent
. Know-nothingism" out of the ma
tive American heart, or make the
18th of March a national holiday.
One of the ought-to-be-changed
is our existing rule of the
road" keep to the ht''-which
became a law, by usage, at least, If
not by formal enactment, at time
when the most prevalent modes of
vehicular conveyance were very diff
ferent from those now in vogue in all
well-settled portions of the country.
"Why is it," asked a friend, recent
", "that the left-hand animal of a
pair in harness is called the near or
nigh and the other the off horse, OK,
or mule? I have asked the ques-
ton of many, but can get no salts
factory answer. There must be a
reason for it. One horseman said
that 1t was because they went
to that horse first to unharness
him!'"
The root of the proper answer to
my friends query lies simply and
solely in the matter of the free use of
the right hand, and we may legiti-
mately trace back the questions dis
cussed in my recent paper on
Observation-Disclosures of the near
and off horse-and that of which arm
to offer a lady in walking with her,
to the elementary one of, Why is the
right hand the handiest? Is it so
from instinct or education for, anti
deXters and "south-paW 81 or left
handed persons, are rare exceptions
to the rule. .., .-.
Our laws of the road-turn to the
right-was fixed in the early days.
when ox-carts or heavy wagons were
the vehicles only or mostly in use,
and the driver or teamster walked
beside his cattle on the left, OF
mounted the left-hand horse or mule.
The left side was so chosen, or in
stinctively taken, in order to have the
right hand in the best position fol
the free use of CAD, whip, or rein, in
guiding the team,
In the case of the OX-driver, too,
the free and familiar use of the hand
on the OK next to him, aided in pro.
ducing such real or fancied superb
GRITTY in the comparative docility and
intelligence of that animal as to give
rise to q metaphorical expression still
in vogue, in rural districts, by which
we describe an old-tempered or ill.
trained fellow as " q kind off-ox any.
wv"
Being then on the left of his cattle
the one next to the walking teamstel
was naturally called the near or nigh
and the other the off, or farthermost
one and these terms were readily
adopted by the mounted teamster OF
postilliOn, from whom they passed t.
the driver, or reinsman. In the
mouth of the latter, however, they
lose their aptness, and become mere
ly arbitrary designations, inasm-'ct
as, in reference to the reinsman
seat, the near-horsen is a little the
farthest Off
Being on the left, the walking Oh
mounted teamster, by excepting tt
the right" could best see that hi.
vehicle passed a meeting-one with.
out collision, and could "sheer off
to a proper distance. Hence come.
our rule of the road, and it has re
manned unchanged, although (excep
in limited sections and sparsely-set
tied districts) the teamster, walking
or mounted, has long since givel
way to the reinsman.
The latter, Notwithstanding the OBJ
legation to turn to the right, takes hi.
seat on the right of his vehicle. Why.
That he may have free use of hi:
right hand in swinging his whip
with no such impeachment as there
would be if he sat on the left will
any one beside him. But, seated OF
the right, he is farthest removed from
the side that is exposed to contact in
passing others, and is less liable t.
judge (say in narrow roads where he
must pass close, or in a fast-drivine
crowd of the proper distance to sheer
off, while, if he sat above his Ief
wheel, he could pass within a fingers
breadth in safety.
If, however, he sits on the left, and
still turns to the right, while he gains
one point, he loses another; for his
right arm has not free swing. But
seat him on the right, and let him
turn to the left, and he has all the
points required.
Herein lies the need for change
in our law of the road. And that
this need is not faDcied one, is evil
denced by a silent protest against the
present rule, which is now frequently
to be seen in our streets and in our
promenade drives-in this shape. In
drying with a lady, it may be no
ticed that many gentleman now take
the seat on her left despite its awk-
wardness for using the whip, and the
exposure to a possible blow from
the elbow in some sudden emergency.
Now, this position is not taken
from mere within of fashion by its
originator, although it may have i'm
itators who know not its wherefore.
1t is an acknowledgment of the need
on crowded drives, in our confined
streets, and amongst fast drivers, of
being placed where one can best see
to pass others safely-and thus is a
demand for a change in our rule.
The same general principles-pro-
lection from contact in passing, and
the free use of the right hand-may
and should be applet to the side
walk as well as to the ride or drive.
We should turn to the left there, and
a gentleman should, as rule-eXcep-
tions excepted always take a lady
on his left arm (gallantry says, next
to his heart in walking. He would
then have his right free for service,
and his person would be interposed
between her and jostling .throng.
This, of course, implies a dropping
of the nonsensical fashin of changing
the lady from one arm to the other
every time the pair take the other
side of the street, and with as much
formality as if they were " going
about on their tack" - Appleton's
journal.