The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-10-08
PROTECT THE GIRLS.
PEEILs OF SITTING on THE LAPS OF
Bow-LRaGED MEN.

There is case coming up before &
Chicsgo court that will be of great in
terest 10 thousands Of people who
have long desired decision on some
OF the points that will be developed.
1t seems that a young man, q mem
Der OF one Of the Chicago clubs, a
gentleman of wealth and refinement,
is to be sued by the father of young
woman for $50. COO damages for in.
juries received while in his society.
The young people had been keeping
company for some years, and the car
riage Of the young man was often
seen in front of the Michigan avenHe
residence OF the young lady. Last
December he ceased visiting her, and
since that time she has been an in
valid, and has been treated for q
spinal diff Guilty, and the father will
go into the courts, it is said, against
his daughters wish, 10 have the mat
ter OF responsibility settled. 1t seems
that the young man ia boW-legged,
90 much 60 that it has always been
considered dangerous for anyone to
cit in his lap. fer fear they would fall
through on the floor ana break some
bones. It is said that the young man
knows his failing, and that he usually
holds any person who may be in his
lap with his arms, 30 that there is no
danger Of falling through, but NTH is
case he forgot the danger, and let the
girl slip. The father claims that the
young man knowing how feartully
and wonderfully he Ia made, should
have adopted precautions, and in his
complaint will swear that on several
occasions he has warned the young
man that he should place q board
across his lap. or some day his par
enthesis legs would let somebody
through. In his answer to the COM
plant the young man will say that
his legs are just az nature made them,
and that anybody who sits ia his lap
takes his chances. He adds that if
the girl had used all the precsution
that one in go dangerous a position
should use, and thrown her arms
around his neck, as others have done,
there need have been no danger; and
while he sympathizes deeply with her
and her family, owing to the alleged
injury, he cannot consider himself
responsible. Of course thare are two
sides to every question, and both
sTI mill a M eTJYla Il ia
While We do nes wish to take sides
on the question, there are some things
connected with it that it seems q duty
of the pious presa to agitale. The
country is full of boW-legged young
men, going about seeking whom they
may hold in their laps, and the won
der is that more such accidents do
not occur. There should be some
law to protect girls from boW-legged
men. We throw safeguards around
our trspeze performers by compelling
the managers @te place nets under
them, and why should we not pro-
vide by law that the bow'legged young
men should string hammock under
his boomerang legs to catch those
Why may loae their spring balance,
turn someraault, and fall in the
winter of their discomfort. Il would
rot be pleasant to the boW.legged
young man 10 be compelled to carry
a hammock when he went to see his
girl, but it would be safer for the girl.
We have known a careful young man
who was boW-legged, TO lay a press
board, or chsss-board, or sewing
machine leaf across his lap beiore he
would let a girl sit down among him;
but where one young man is thus
careful there are hundreds who never
think of the other hearts that are La
bic to ache.
Inventors have studied in vain on a
device for protecting people from the
dangers of bow legs, and doctors who
strsighten cross-eyes have tried to
straighten bew-legs, but nothing
seems 10 avail. Hundreds Of girls
and women as they read this will
shudder at the narrow escape they
have had from falling through man.
traps, and they will unite with Us in
the hope that the law will protect
them. Oh, OF course, there are some
who would never tall through, though
the legs we're bowed twice as much
as they are, bat many are SO careless
they are never safe. - Burlington
Hawksye.