The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-06-28
RULES OF THE ROAD.
The EDglishman Turns to the Left, tn,
American to the Right.

The EDglishman Turns to the Left, the
American to the Right.
The rule of the road" is curiously
different in different parts of the
Anglo-Saxon world. When, for in
stance, an American who is riding or
driving meets another rider or convey.
ance on the road, he turns to the right.
The Briton, on the contrary, turns to
the left. But if a walking Briton meets
another pedestrian on the road or the
sidewalk, he turns to the right.
The rule of the road has become
crystallized in England into poetic
forms, one of which is as follows:
The rule OF the road is paradox quite;
For In driving your carriage along
II you bear TO the left you are sure to &C
right,
you turn to the right you go wrong
But In walking the streets It's different
case;
To the right 1t is proper to steer;
On the left there should be enough OF cleai
space
For the people who wish to walk there
Another reading of the same rule is
more epigrammatic:
The rule OF the path.
To get well along
Is keep to the right"
And you cannot go wrong.
The rule Of the road
Is q paradox quite,
Hyou keep to the left
You are sure to be right.
The requirement to turn to the left
Is O matter of statute law in Great
Britain, having been made part OF
the highway act of 1885. In the
United States, the exactly opposite
rule has been enacted into law in
several states, and in the other states is
80 much matter of common usage
that a driver who violates it Is re-
sponsible for the damage caused by any
collision.
On the continent of Europe il " the
general rule to turn to the right Turn.
ing to the left seems to be an i1sular
popularity of the United Kingdom.
Why opposite rules should prevail in
England and in part of the United
States which, like New England, de-
rived all its ordinary customs from old
for turning to the left is perfectly
plain. 1t is the custom, not only in
England, but in America. for the
driver to sit on the right side OF
the vehicle; and the driver who sits
thus can keep his wheel in view, and
also that of the passing conveyance,
m UGH better if he passes to the left,
and keeps his right shoulder to the
other mans right shoulder.
The practice of turning TO the right
when on foot is assumed to have grown
out Of the necessity, in rude and vio-
lent times, of keeping free the hand
which must. in case OF necessity, handle
the sword or other weapon. Bat this
consideration mast have applied tc
horsemen as we'll as to pedestrians.
1t may be, therefore, that the prac.
tice of turning to the left with vehicles
has grown up since the times of peace
and security on the road have made
weapons unnecessary. In America we
may have preserved the earlier usage
Of England itself, as has been the case
with other customs that have been
dropped there but carefully preserved
here.-Youth's Companion.
NINE. DE- staers wit.
Nine. De Stael had fallen out with
Viscount De Choiseul, owing to certain
malicious reports circulated by the lat
ter. One day the lady and the viscount
met in company, on which occasion
good manners required that they should
speak to each other. Nine. De Stael
commenced.
"We have not seen you for long
while, M. De Choiseul."
"Ah! Nine l'Ambassadrice, l have
been ILL.,"
seriously, monsieur"
~ had narrow escape from being
poisoned
"Alas! Possibly you took a bite at
your own tongue"
This joke fell like thunderbolt on
the viscount, who was a notorious back
bitter and mischief maker. The lesson
was a severe one, but he richly deserved
II. and had not word to say.