The San Francisco call., 1898-04-17

they occur don't think that we should be blamed so much as we are by the public. Now, the other day a little child between and 4 years of age ran across my track on Folsom street, be- tween Steuart and Spear, and fell flat right in front of me. I managed to stop the car before the wheels reached it. though 1t was clear under the lattice work. and those who saw the occur renee or learned the facts from eye-wit- nesseS praised me for my coolneSs and quickness Two reporters, however, got on the car and wanted me to break the rules and talk to them about 1t, and because l would not they said very wrong and unkind things of me the next day, and made me feel very badly, for l wouldn't have hurt the baby for the world, and even coming near doing so gave me great shock.
 L. SWEETMAN-If people would wait till the car stops before they get on or off it would be a great deal better for all concerned, but it is a general practice to jump on and off before a car Is under control and if anything happens the blame is laid on the motorman. We are not clairvoyantS, any of us, and it is hard to tell by the looks of folks what they are intending to do. Take, for instance, what happened to me on Bryant street not long since. man sitting on the front end wanted to get off at Fifteenth and he got up and stood on the forward end of the step and then, not waiting for the car to stop, swung himself off in such a way that he fell right in front of it. It was a wonder that he wasn't killed. and cases almost as bad happen right along Men and women both persist in get ting off the wrong side of the car, and getting off and running around in front c ct o ri inc again, to get across the street. If they happen to be short the first we know of them is Seing their hats just in front of us through the window, and it gives a fellow pretty hard start, too. Then women have way, down in the busy parts of the town, of getting out into the middle of the street right between the tracks when they want to take a car, and that Is taking chances that they ought not, and some people seem possessed to promenade on curves. I've seen dozens snatched back by other persons just as a car was coming around, and they never seem to realize what they escaped.
 w. J. WAITES-During the nine years that have been on a car have seen accidents nearly happen almost every day through simple carelessness or recklessness of pedestrians and driv- CTS. Children are continually running into danger and keep us car men on the jump. One of my frights was when two boys on Mission street. near Six teenth. started to chase each other across the street. I was going not over seven miles and rang my gong as hard as 1 could, thinking to turn them back, but they paid no attention. The first one got over the track all right, then turned and came back, and though he saw me he seemed to get confused and ran right toward me. I turned cold, for l have children of my own. and couldn't bear the thoughts of hurting one but I knew that it wouldn't do to lose my head I remember of deliberately count ing in my head the notches of the con- troller lone, two, three, four" so as to make a good stop. and though the little fellow was knocked down and his head was under the pilot board, he was not hurt at all to speak of, only frightened and dusty, and I tell you I was thank full I am the man that ran into that laundry wagon over on Alabama and Twenty sixth streets-that Is, I didn't run into it. but 1 came so near it that there was only matter of four feet be- tween me and the four children who were driving it. We have to look out particularly for such wagons anyhow, for the drivers are so walled In that they don't look out for themselves very well, and so I slowed down when I saw 1t coming, but they had the horse go-