The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-01-16
VOL. %.
BE CAREFUL.


We wish there could be some contri-
vance TO ring the above words in the ears
of the public in trumpet tones at every
railroad station. Be CAREFUL. How
many lives would be saved if people
only exercised judgment and had their
wits about them when they go about
railroad train or station. The utter
heedlessness of people in danger is
matter of aslonishment when we come
10 reflect upon il. We take no stock in
the statement OF the Fatalist, that what
is to be will be-" We believe II is nearer
the truth To charge halfihe accidents
which beiall men and women to either
their stupidity or carelessness.
On the eth AN estimable lady aged
sixty years was run over by the switch
engine at Parsons and had both her
legs crushed, one of them being en-
tirely severed from her body. She was
hard of hearing and was walking upon
the railroad track. A little rejection
would have told her she had no business
upon the track of the road knowing, rs
she must have known, that the switch en-
CINE was making frequent trips back
and forth upon the track. II would have
been Il hazardous place for her even had
she been possessed of acute herring.
In our own city two valuable young
lives have been lost by accident in the
past six weeks. One stepped between
freight cars to make IL coupling. His
head was caught and crushed between
projecting limbers. Had he but simply
looked about him he must have seen the
danger and could easily have averted
il. This week our community has been
saddcned by the loss of young man
much esteemed, who started to make Il
little run on hand car. He-knew that
freight trains were passing over the track |
almost constantly. The hand car met one |
and the result WAS his death, lac cvi- /
IDENTIFY knowing litl!c o. the manage |
mcnt of the chr. Not long ago We were /,
at the Santa Fc depot and saw a lady ut |
least sixty years old enter Il car eagerly /
to seek an acquaintance. The train /
started and by the time she reached the |
door 10 jump oil was under good head |
way She jumped and was thrown vio- I
lently to the ground, and it WAS a won
der % us she was not hurt. Fortunately |
she escaped. Now we are oi opinion |
she had no business on that train, and |
had she been injured she alone would |
have been To blame. This getting upon
trains and jumping off ut depots is u
very common occurrence. One scarcely /
ever makes u trip of fifty miles by rail /
that he does not witness such perform
ances, and it is a matter of surprise that
there are not more accidents occurring.
One of the leading railroad men of
Kansas. one who has been at the business
all his life, told rs some years ago that
he never gets on or off train when tits
in motion. He considers this the only
safe rule and he is undoubtedly ri ght
If everybody would adopt tins rule, and
keep out Of danger there is no occasion
for accidents. 1t is the needless and in
eXc.:sablc rushing into danger that
causes the loss of 80 many lives and the
Of cripples throughout the
country. Accidents are incident to hu-
man life, and We have them the best We
can do \ man knows not when
he goes To his avocaiion in the
what is 10 befall him before
night. He may be in hIs long home or
a cripple for life. His home may Ice
suddenly swept away from hun, or snme
other dire calamity bcfall him, but we
do maintain that a proper degree Of
lhoughtrulness and caution ought to be
exercised by all, especially in places
which are extra hazardous, and we be-
Iievc that half the accidents Detailing
humanity could thus be avcfted BE
rdrCfUl! BE CAREFUIi