The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22

In npart1cular does the average horseman
if he suspects that he has done any dam
age by careless driving, deem his one duty
to be to get out of sight. It is seldom that
one turns back to render assistance when
he has been the cause of an accident
The driver who goes along main trav-
eied road" reading is the bette noir of the
highway. Such an act ought to render a
man liable to summary arrest 1t would
seem as if the commonest regard for pub
! lie safety would show any man the impro.
7 priety of reading while driving, vet when
ever take my drive abroad l am almost
sure to encounter at least one such of
fender. Indeed, was recently obliged to
turn to the left, across an electric track. to
avoid q driver who, perched upon the seat
OF huge wagon, was busiIy improving his
mind, oblivious of the fact that his team
OF great draught horses had strayed to the
wrong side OF the road and were entirely
out OF their right of way, while his whole
attention was engrossed by the newspaper
spread upon his leather-aproned knees.
The woman who takes friend out for a
drive and becomes engrossed in converse
ton, to the forgetfulness of her horse is
another offender against the equities, but
not more so than are the irresponsible
lads who drive our milk and grocery
wagons. Two such saw, some time
since, cut In across the way of lady who
was driving, turn their vehicles in such a
way that she could neither drive forward
nor back out, and then stop. She was
obliged to rein up and wait until the two
friends had finished the conversation for
which they had halted. Then they drove
on and allowed her to do the same.
The two men who halt their horses aud.
with their wagons side by side, proceed to
discuss the political situation are known
to every driver. They are as ubiquitous
nuisance as the man who goes through
crowd with his umbrella under his arm.
Then there is the driver who turns ont
to pass you, and having got his horses
head past your animals, Immediately
turns back into the road, to the imminent
peril of your horses legs. There is moth
ing discourteous in going ahead of an
other driver when the road Is wide enough
to admit of the maneuver, but whoever
does it should bear in mind that the horse
which he is passing is not standing still,
but moving forward. and that allowance
should be made, in coming back to the
middle of the road, not only for having
passed the slower equipage but for the
distance which the horse has probably
travelled while you were passing it. If
you turn back into your track too quickly
your hind wheels are likely to Craze this
horses forelegs.
Then, too, some drivers have way of
whipping up as soon as they realize that
they are passed and there is chance that
you may not hold your vantage after all,
n vu1H Ircf
collision with your neighbours wheels.
Now that the rains are with US again
tn ere are mud puddles to encounter every
now and again, and the woman who de-
slres to shine in the eyes of her fellows as
possessing some lingering ideas of cour-
tesy, even although she rides or drives a
horse, will never let her steed go splashing
through one of these, sending disagree
able shower of soiling drops up into the
faces OF passers-by.
Certainly there is no time when a gen.
tleman may so appropriately offer his
services or lady so frankly accept them
as when the latter is having difficulty with
horse, and no pride in equestrienne
skill or hesitation on the score of eti-
quette need proven her from accepting
them.
On the other hand, however, a lady will
never presume upon the general opinion
in which women drivers are held. in
claiming more than is her due in right of
way. / have seen feminine drivers hold
calmly on their way, up the wrong side of
a thoroughfare, making heavy teams and
light rigs alike make way for them, know
ing perfectly well that they were in the
wrong, but sure in the knowledge that the
average man will always turn out for
them.
should hate to see any accident. but it
sometimes seems to me that it might be
well could such drivers have one or two
salutary lessons. MISS RUSSELL.