The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-11-27
Keep TO the Right.

Persons going about in public places
should remember to keep to the
right" This is almost everywhere the
rule, especially for persons riding or
driving. In England. it is said, drivers
pass each other on the lett. They pre-
fer this because it enables each one to
see how near his wheels are going to
the other carriage. But throughout this
country the custom and law for vehicles
are, to drive ON the right side. When
one is driving along a country road,
with no carriage approaching in front,
he can choose the best part of the road;
but as soon as another comes to meet
him he ought to drive well over on the
right-hand side. If the other vehicle
does the same the two will pass in safe
ty. Yet one cannot always trust that
the other will do this. Suppose it is
flock of sheep or drove eff COWS which
one meets, or house which people are
hauling along the road by means of
oxen, as is sometimes done in this coun-
try. Such things cannot be expected
to keep to the right. Whoever meets
them must do the best he can to avoid
accident. He must not drive to the
right, obstinately. but must use common
sense. For drove of animals good
way is to stop ones wagon entirely and
let them go past in their own way.
Sometimes one meets an ignorant or
rude person who will not turn out to
his right. 1t is not the law that one
may drive into his carriage and break
it, and say, .. drove to the right and
he ought to have done So" One must
drive as wisely as he can to avoid doing
mischief. But If person driving care
fully runs against another. who did not
keep to the right, all the blame will be
on the other driver, and he will have to
paw damages. Therefore it is particu-
larry important to keep well to the right
when turning sharp corners.
For foot passengers on sidewalks the
rule is not so positive. In many country
places the sidewalks are not very dis
tinct, or it is considered good manners
to allow a lady or old person to walk by
the wall. In all large towns, where
there are established sidewalks, the best
rule is to walk on the right-hand side.
A bow who crowds along on the left
hand side of the walk shows that he does.
not understand the custom, and seldom
gets along as fast.
In cities foot passengers should keep
on the sidewalk except when they cross
the street at a crossing; they have no
business to be ON the street between
crossings, and if they go there it is
at their own risk. Horses and car
riages have no right to intrude on the
sidewalk A boy in Troy was walking
along the sidewalk near livery stable
when horse came walking out of the
stable with no one to lead him. His
owner, inside. had allowed him to come
out alone. believing he would go straight
to the drinking trough. Instead, he
strayed along the sidewalk. He was a
horse which had bad habit of kicking,
and coming near where the boy was,
he kicked him, though the boy did
nothing to provoke it. The boy was so
badly hurt that a lawsuit was brought,
and the court said that the owner of the
horse must pay damages; his horse had
no business to be upon the sidewalk.
Any one who lets an ugly horse go loose
upon the sidewalk must pay for the
mischief it does to persons who do not
modest it. 1t is no answer to say that
the owner supposed the horse was
trained not to 90 upon the Walk
La,oycr, in the Christian Union.