The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-27
The Rule of the Road.
fNew york Times Edi.orial.I


fNew York Times EditorialJ
Throughout this country the general
rule of the road, for persons meeting up
on street or highway, is, that each one
.'shall keep to the right. 1t is not as
well settled for foot passengers on side
walks as for vehicles. In. many country
places the sidewalks are not defined OF
continuous, and in others many persons
will cling to the old-fashioned idea of
complimenting a lady or old person by
giving them the wall. In the cities, the
custom of keeping on the right hand
side of the sidewalk should be unvaring-
ly observed; any one who persists In
taking the left hand may be deemed ig-
norant or rude, unless there are very
special reasons for his conduct. For We
hicles, the right hand side is the right
side, alike in town and country.
Some of the States have statute
laws commanding this. In others
the rule rests upon custom. Yet it is
not an absolute rule which every driver
is to follow under all circumstances.
There is a higher duty, that of using
common sense to avoid injury. If driver
A sees that driver B, approaching, will
not turn to the right, he himself may
and should turn to the left, in that par
ticular instance. This might occur
through perverseness, or through igno-
rance. By all accounts, the English Gus
tom is the reverse of the American; ve-
hicles pass to the left. The English
practice is recommended by one consid-
Grafton; as the drivers, sit, by custom,
on the right hand seat in the wagon or
chaise, they have, by keeping to the left,
a much better opportunity of watching
the wheels which might collide. An
Englishman driving in this country, be-
fore being informed of the American
custom, might persist in driving to the
left, in the belief that he ought to do so.
The American driver cannot, in such a
case, justify himself in doggedly keeping
to the right and running into the other
carriage. The rule is given for avoiding
collisions, not for producing them. 1t
only means keep to the right unless You
see special reasons for doing differently
There was a man in Nashua, n. H., who
| undertook to haul his wooden dwelling
house through the streets to another lot.
The Surveyors of Highways interfered,
| and he appealed to the court. One of the
| law points against him was that the house
was SO large it would fill the street; he
could not keep to the right" as the
| law directed. The court said that in
that part of the country it was common
to move buildings, and man had the
right to do so if he did not occupy the
road unreasonably long; and that It was
nonsense to apply the statute abont keep.
| ing to the right about house moving.
The same thing has been said about the
horse cars. An Eighth-avenue railroad
car met cart The cart attempted to
turn out to the left, and there was
smash. The RAILROAD company complain
ed because the dartman did not turn to
| the right, but the court said that the rule
does not apply to street cars, but only
where both vehicles can turn out. A
cart which meets horse car may turn to
/ either side where there is the best chance
to pass. In Michigan the proprietor Of
a steam threshing machine was travel
ing In it lit ran by steam power) along
| the road when a horse and wagon ap.
/ preached. The threshing machine man
| steered over to the extreme right side,
and stopped his engine to avoid frighten-
ing the horse. But the horse took fright
| and ran away. His owner sued for dam
| ages. But the Judges said the owner o.
the machine had the right to travel with
it, and had done his whole duty. Othel
very common cases are where one of tht
travellers can turn out much more easily
than the other. If man on horseback
or pedestrian, or light, easily man
aged carriage meets heavily laden
clumsy team or wagon, the duty of turn
ing out is almost wholly on the frs
named But there is no cast-iron rul,
for all cases; each traveller must do tn,
wisest and best thing indicated by cir
cumstances to avoid mischief.
There is a law of Congress whicl
makes it an offense for any person t.
stop or hinder q vehicle carrying tn
mail; and the usefulness of having th
mail wagons which run to and fr
through the city streets so gorgeousl
painted and gilded as they are, no doub
, is that it prevents cartmen from gettin
, in the way and then saying they did nc
: know the concern behind was maj
, wagon. No one can mistake the big re
: and yellow affair, having the shape of
: hearse, the size of an ark, and the color
of a circus chariot, which flashes alon
the streets of this metropolis, for am
! thing but United States mail cart. Til
r courts have said that these must not /
/, stopped, but they have no other priv
! lege; they must obey the law of the roa.
! as other vehicles. In Pennsylyani
years ago, man in wagon was joggin
along, when a stage carrying mail ba,
came up behind and wanted to pass.
) turned out as far to one side as the widt
i of the road allowed, and the stage migl
4 have passed by turning out on the 9th
!. side. But the driver drove straight G
e in the middle of the road, and the hea,
! stage crushed the wagon and severely i
: jured its occupant The court held Il
k stage-driver responsible for lawle
It driving.
d The rule of the road as to foot passe
8 gers who want to cross streets whe
vehicles are passing is somewhat perple
= ing. While pedestrians are walking
e the sidewalk they have the best right;
: vehicle which should come upon the sid
walk and injure walker would be O
most sure to be cast in damages. A ms
= in Troy allowed kicking horse to con
4 out from his stable unattended, and Il
y horse strayed along the sidewalk, al
kicked boy who was walking there. III
h court said the horse ownerm must pay dar
e ages as matter of coure; he had no bus
q ness to let such horse run loose on Il
II walk. Along the middle of the block,
IS the street, the horses and vehicles ha'
d the best right; foot passenger who tri
a to cross takes his risk, and must look O.
a for himself; he could hardly recover dal
q ages for being run over, unless it W
IS done almost wiilfully At the crossing
~ neither has any distinct right of wa
- walkers and drivers have equal pri,
lege, and each must take all reasonab
! pains to avoid run over. Foot passe
y gers can generally stop, or turn aside,
hasten forward more easily than car
and carriages; this is some reason wi
they should take more responsibility al
. care against accidents.
- TIRED MEN.-The Cotton Semi IroE
. contains the following paragraph, whi
IS is applicable to great many localiti
i on the Pacific coast: We have no roc
/. for men who are too proud or too tir,
is to work We have now large surpl
of Resting men" who would be frigI
ened to death if they found job
n work These we certainly have enout
"a Of But men who can come with sms
a amount of ready money, and who a
d able and willing to work and economi
y. as they do in other States, we can safe
i promise them good living and coz
NJ petence in the near futnre. To be su
ir there is the same depression existil