Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-18
WITH A TRUCK DRIVER.
RECKLESS LODGING UNDER HoRSES'
 FEET AT EVERY CROSSING.

Al CvGhb ShSSShNSs A Reporters Experience on the Seat
 with Drivers Of Heavy wagons-People
 on Foot Seem to Be to Blame for Most
 Accidents.
 A reporter was sent out to spend day or two on the drivers seats. The heaviest trucks were selected. After negotiations with several drivers he finally struck a bargain with a young man named Jimmy, and SC. cured a seat beside him for a ride up Broad way from Rector to Canal street on load of canned tomatoes Broadway was not un- usually crowded, as it was early in the day, but the ride developed several startling in- cidents. Asked if he had met with many mishaps, Jimmy replied: Mot very many. It is pretty tough to keep from doing it some times, though, and I make close calls for people crossin' streets, but never run over nobody Women are the worst. They'll stand still and look up am down the street as long as it is all clear, and then, just when half Q score wagons come in bunch, they'll try to give their husbands another chance by lodging right in among the hosses."
 ''Whoa-up" yelled Jimmy, as he nearly fell backward in his efforts to stop the team, and there was an exemplification of his re- mark At Cortlandt street an old lady had taken too many chances for her feeble limbs and was nearly under the horses feet, but an athletic, quick witted young man seized her as she fell and assisted her out of danger At Fulton street there was, as usual, a great jam, and Jimmy, as he expressed it, "had to keep his eye peeled" A number of people had not another second to lose, and rushed pell mell across Broadway. All of them escaped, however, although an old gentleman of robust build moved off with the conviction stamped upon his countenance that he would have been seriously damaged, if not entirely ruined, but for his foresight in raising his umbrella for protection from a threatening milk wagon.
 Opposite the postoffice a lady who looked like stage schoolmarm, and who escaped danger by at least fifty feet, halted on the curb to threateringly shake her sunshade at the drivers collectively, while two men with law books under their arms calmly pursued their way, notwithstanding their shoulders were grazed by the noses of an Adams ex- press team, while a furniture van left axle grease on their coat tails. It was not rare thing during the trip to see people rush right under the noses of horses, when a mis- step or the slightest contact with another equally rash pedestrian must have thrown them under the animals feet. Near Duane street, owing to collision of truck hubs, a crated sewing machine was dumped from the top of load on to an empty truck, while on the opposite side, about where it would have fallen had it gone that way, stood a lady and two children. The accident caused a gen eral stoppage, and the pole of another wagon smashed ore of the boxes and opened up two cans of Jimmy's tomatoes, which were
 
 imminent risk of their limbs A little way to the rear a beer wagon caught the preced- ing wagon on the hook with which the for ward end of the poles of such wagons are provided, and backing became necessary, which caused the horse of a following cab to shy Thereupon the two young ladies who occupied the cab precipitately fled, sought the sidewalk that was furthest from them and narrowly escaped being run over.
 The profuse vocabulary of the truck driver is painfully circumscribed as to the number of phrases in vogue but unlimited as to ve- helnence. It is a fact, however, that there is very little profanity recklessly cast adrift. The drivers, as a rule, rarely give it expres- sion, but allow it to accumulate for particu- larly trying emergencies. A driver who was interrogated on the subject explained that ga good solid oath liShtens a heavy load wonder fully sometimes" and some of them seem to have faith in it's accomplishing many other things.
 The return trip was made with a grizzly bearded, shaggy eyebrowed old man, whose slouch hat seemed determined to outslouch all Of its competitors. He said he "had been twenty years tcamin'. Used to be more aris- tocratic and drive two spankin' horses in a red wagon for big dry goods house, but the swells had no use for him now, and he had to haul lime and horse hair for plasterer." Near Franklin street a truck coming up street struck a drunken tramp, who was staggering across West street, and but for the fact thGt the stagger he was at that mo- ment ii,dulging was from instead of toward the tltlcl, he would have been crushed under the wheels, but the impetus added by the contact with the truck deposited him safely in the gutter, where a policeman captured him.
 It was now nearly o'clock, and from the altitude of the lime wagon seat West street in both directions appeared to be solidly packed with teams, and it seemed impossible that all could reach tho warehouses and rail road by5 o'clock. Yet the army assembled was not all, for every side street was con tributing enough to fill any gap that would admit another team, and away up the side SUISct.,. ttS lul tiiS iSetSLy phS cession vas moving steadily toward West street. In addition to the thousands of trucks and wagons there were scores of street cars crow,ling their way along West street, the several drivers seeming to be engaged in Q championship whistling and yelling match.
 It looked as if certain death must result from an attempt to pass through that mass of animals and vehicles, and yet, presto! all is chan.-y,i \ lane across the street. wide enough to admit two teams abreast appears as if by magic, the horses standing neck and neck in straight lines on either side and not a driver swearing. Why this transformation? A voun:s lady on crutches is crossing the street and sic is unanimously accorded the right of way, without even policeman's in- terfcrcncc. The lady reached the sidewalk and cvery team was again ill motion.
 But few people attempted to cross the street until the Cortlandt Street ferry was reached when the first incident was fur nished by half dozen cmigrants, evidently returning from the West. They plunged boldly into the vortex and did not appear to realize their danger until they reached the middle of the street, when one of them w;c: pinioned between the sides of two horses going in opposite directions, and he gave grunt that startled his companions, who fled in all