The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-11
RUMBLING OvEe THE BRIDGE
Reporter Sits on the Bridge Banisters an
Sees People Violate the Law.


Sees People Violate the Law.
The county commissioners have given
ii out cold and fat that fast driving
over county bridges in this city must
stop.
A notice Of this fact was given in yes
terday's Eagle in an interview with
County Commissioner Harmon. A re-
porter for the Eagle had occasion TO go
down to the Douglas avenue bridge
yesterday and took out his note book
and sat down on the bridge railing for
few minutes to note the results Of Mr..
Harmon's notice.
The first rig to come was laundry
wagon drawn by a pacing horse which
was putting in good lick. The two
young men in the wagon were engaged
in earnest converse ton in utter disre-
gard of the big sign swung across the
bridge and which read: $500 fine for
driving over this bridge faster than a
walk"
beside him in the carriage going west
drove in a walk until he struck the
bridge when he clucked at the horse
and he struck a jag of trot.
Two men in wagon were engaged
IN earnest conversation while the big
round feet of a pair of Norman horses
on lively trot came down on the bridge
floor like pile drivers and the iron bra
ces overhead rung like an armored ship
hit with a cannon ball.
Two young men in shirt sleeves drove
a yew necked mare to a light rig like
they were on Their way to country fair
and near the east end OF the bridge they
met farmer and his wife in a double
seat sulky also on fast trot. The
farmers wife talked in loud tone to
overcome the noise of the trotting hor-
ses and rumbling carriages and after
they had passed her feet turned back
under the sulky heat exposing the bot
toms of new pair of shoes and snow
white skirts
A big fat man with the sleeves of his
black summer coat rolled up over his
white shirt sleeves and boy with an
oats straw hat, the rim Of which rest
ed on his shoulder and had other evil
dences of having been used as minnie
sein in some brook, drove in a slow
walk the entire length of the bridge.
A coal dealer sitting on the seat by
the side of his teamster drove in a fast
trot while after him came a prominent
wholesaler with several youngsters in
the carriage who drove in a slow walk
across the bridge.
A young lady driving a pony and
holding one line in her right hand on
a horizontal line with her nose drove
in fast trot followed by a man and
woman in a big farm wagon keeping
close behind
Four men in a delivery wagon on a
fast trot was followed by a carpenter
whose small horse had to gallop in or
der to keep up. These were followed by
a farmer riding on horseback who
came up to the bridge on fast gall
lop but held up and walked his horse
across the bridge.
Two men in a big coal wagon drawn
by powerful horses came on a fast
trot the driver using the whip while
the man on the seat had his feet swing
ing over the side Of the box dangling a
dinner pail against the side of the seat.
This team was followed closely by a
heavy ice wagon drawn by two horses
on a fast trot and the long bridge rat
tied like it had been struck by cy-
clone.
Shortly after these high wagons had
crossed a we'll dressed young lady came
tripping across the foot walk on the
south side of the bridge. She noticed
the reporter with his note book sitting
on the opposite side Of the bridge and
stopped, and taking hold of the front
part of her leghorn hat with her dainty
fingers said: isn't it against the law to
drive so fast across the bridge?"
"It is. Don't you see the signs?
Those men could be arrested and fined"
well, then 1 wish they would arrest
them. The bridge nearly shook from
under my feat and / do believe 1
should have fallen from the walk if it
had not been for the banisters," and
there was an expression of disgust on
her pretty face when she proceeded on
her way.
Two farm wagons came over the
bridge which seemed to contain the far
merS' whole families with the horses Of
each on a slow walk and they were
passed by a bakers wagon the horses
nearly on a run. Then came heavy
dray drawn by two big horses on a
fast trot.
And that is the way people and teams
and wagons cross Douglas avenue
bridge