Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-23
PROTECT THE GIRLS.


rom lie fDf4E&tEAfCAA
There ia a case coming up before a
CHIC 20 court taat win be of ereas in
tres: to thousands IF people who have
long 9esi- ed DECISION on some OF ne
POINTS that wiii be developed. IL seems
h4t Young man, a rrefnoer OF one oI
he Chicago clubs. y geltleul ~ OF wealth
and refinement, Is to be sued by tas Ia
Their of young woman for sJo,ust dam
ages for injuries received whiie IN ms
society. The young people hao been
keeping com pany for some years, and the
carriage of the young man was OFTEN
seen In front OF the Michigan avenue
residence of the young lady. Last De-
cember he ceased visiting her, and since
that time she has been IN invalid, and
has been treated for spinal difncuity, and
tue father Will go into the courts, IL Is
said, against his daughter wish, 10 have
the matter of responsibility settled IL
seems that the young man Is bo~-legged,
so much SO that II has always been con
sidered dangerous for any one To SIT In
ms lap, for fear they would fali through
On the floor and break some bones. II
~ said that the young man KNOWS MS
falling, and that he usually holds ai.y
person who may be IN his lap Win MS
arms, SO that there Is no danger OF Iail-
ing through; but III this case he iorgot
the danger and let the giri slip. The
father claims that the young man, Know
ing how fearfuily and wonderfully he Is
made, should have adopted precautions
and III his complaint lie Will swear that
on several OCCASIONS he has warned the
,oung man that he should placs a ooaru
across his lap, or some day his paren-
thesis legs would let somebody through.
in hls answer TO the complaint the young
mar will say that his legs are Jast as na'
sure made them, and that anybody VINO
SITS III his lap takes the Chances. lie
adds that If the girl had taken ali tie
precautions that one III so dangerous IA
portion should use, and thrown her arms
around his neck as others have done,
there deed have been no danger; ana
shite lie sympath deeply with hef
and her family, owing to the alleged IN
Jury, he cannot consider himself Tespoh-
slbIe. Of arse there are two sides to
every questiu and both sides VIII nave
sympathiZerS.
While We do rot wish to take sides on
he question, tn, 9 are some things con
uected with Il l.. y II seems uusy oi
tho pious press to 1tats. The couatry
Is full of bow-lcgged young men, going
about seeking whom they may hold III
heir laps. and the wonder Is that more
SUCH accidents do not occur. ihefe
should be some law to protect girls from
Dpy-Iegged men. We throw safeguards
tround our trapeZe performers by com
pelling the managers to place nets under
them, and why should We not provide 10y
law that the bow-le2ged young mali
should string hammock under his
boomerang legs TO catch those who may
lose their spring balance, turn a sonnet
sauit aud fall III the winter of their dis
content.
1t would not be pleasant to the bow
legged young man TO be compelled TO
carry hammock when he went to see
his girl, but il would be safer for the girl.
We have known careful young man
Who WAS bow-legged to lay a pressboard
or chessboard, or a sewing machine leaf
icross his lap before he would let a girl
sit down among him; but where one
young man is thus careful there are hun
dreds who never think of the other hearts
that are liable to ache.
Inventors have studied in vain on de-
vice for protecting people from the dam
gers Of bowlegs, and doctors who have
Strengthened cross-eyes have tried to
straighten bowlegs, but nothing seems
to avail. Hundreds of girlsand women,
| as they read this, will shudder at tire
narrow escapes they have had from fall
ing through man-traps, and they will
unite with us i'll the hope that the law
will protect them. OF course, there are
some who would never fall through,
though the legs were bowed twice as
much as they are, but many are 50 care
less they are never safe.