Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-02-26
JUDGES DECISIONS.
Some Novelties Of the La,u.

A Chicago boy, only 4 years old,
whose father had gone to his days
work, and whose mother was sick abed,
slipped out of the house and wandered
along the street, where he fell in COM
pany with older boys, who coaxed him
to frolic with them on the "swine
bridge" over the South branch of the
Chicago river. A swing bridge answers
the purpose of drawbridge, but turns
on q pivot instead of being hoisted.
The men in charge of this one had just
let vessel through and were swinging
the bridge back into place, when the
children began jumping back and forth,
and the little 4-year-old fell over the
narrow space between the bridge and
the abutment, and his right arm, which
hung down, was crushed. The city was
sued for damages. The judges said
that they did not consider the family tc
blame for the child's being ut play in
the street; working people cannot al
ways keep governesses. But neither
was the city to blame. A city must
keep swing bridge in reasonably safe
condition, and, if person crossing it
properly is hurt by defect of the
bridge, he can recover. But persons
who use swing bridges must be careful.
The city is not bound to keep gate or
Waterman for preventing persons
stepping upon the bridge at an improper
time. Bridges are not Fairgrounds for
children, and if children wander from
home unattended and are hurt while
playing about bridge, this must be
called pure accident.
A Maryland girl wrote to the Presi-
dent Of Illinois Female College applying
for situation as teacher, and was at
length engaged at salary of $500, be-
side "home and washing" The Presi.
dents letter stated that each teacher
would have well-furnished sleeping.
room, but did not say on which floor il
would be. The teacher wrote asking il
she might have room on the second
floor, and the President answered al
first that it would be on the second ffooT.
Subsequently he wrote again, saying
that he found he would have to assign
her to room ON the third floor. She
declined this, because cher people were
very much opposed to Ter rooming OF
the third floor" Then the President
engaged another teacher in her place
and lastly she suJd him for damages il
losing the years employment. The yer
dict was againsther the court SAID that
as the letters forming the original con
tract did not express or stipulate 70
second-hoor room, the President wa!
only bound to award o comfortable
room. And he had right, if neediul
to move a teacher from one room to an
other; because he assigned her to a sec
ond-foor room at first, it did not follov
that she was entitled to keep it tn
whole year.
The constitution of Illinois authorize
free schools in which all children "ma
receive a good conmon-school edncO
ton )" and the Legislature has directe
that the instructions shall be in readin
English, in English grammar, and sue
other branches rs the directors sha
prescribe. The Board of Education {
one school district introduced German
to which some economically. dispose
taxpayer objected, saying that this wa
spending money outside "commor
school education" The court said this
} instruction in the common schools mus
be given in English, but it is lawful I
introduce the study of modern Language
if English text books and Englisl
speaking teachers are employed.