The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-07
DON OWN
THE STREETS

Pains tramcarS and their mongrel
steeds travel too fast. SO says Judge
Wilcox, who has decided that one of
these cars and it's two small mules
went the pace that kills" for yesterday
afternoon he fined one of Pains drivers
SIS and costs, amounting to $3.50. for
having violated the rule which says that
fast, furious and needless driving"
shall not be allowed.
That one of these rattletrap arks
could be drawn at a speed which any
one could term fast, furious and heed
less" seems beyond the conception Of
the ordinary mortals who suffer them
selves to add their nickels daily to the
fare boxes in the ends of these cars. Yet
it has been officially decided by a Po-
lice Magistrate-and none other than the
Solomon of the local jurists, Judge Will
cox himself-that such an event took
place few days ago. The driver who
was able to make his beasts work to the
extent that any one could call the pace
fast and furious" should be given a
vote of thanks by the community Judge
Wilcox donated a $25 reminder to keep
the young drivers memory fresh on the
incident.
1t all came about In this WISE The
driver of the tramcar, a young Hawaii
an, says he was driving on King street
toward Palama. One of the big buses
on that route, driven by a man named
White was also heading in the same d.
rection. The driver says that White
tried to play tag with him; first the
tram was ahead and then the bus, and
so the fun continued until the curve
was reached near Liliha street. The boy
says that White knew the space between
the curve and curb was too narrow for
him to get through, but he nevertheless
made the attempt, with the result that
a., fl,,,. t.. ~ L,
knocked the car off the track. The boy
says that he attempted to stop White
from crowding in by striking his horses
heads with his whip.
White, who is an old man, says that
the whole trouble arose from the fact
that the driver wanted to be funny"
and did the collision act maliciously. He
says that the boy did not strike his
horses heads with his whip but that
he struck them on the rump, while they
We're in front of him and not behind
him. His evidence was corroborated by
other witnesses. The boy said he could
not put on his brake because he had the
lines in one hand his whip In the other,
and therefore the car and bus came to-
gether with a thud. Both admitted that
they were travelling pretty fast.
1t was alleged in the defense that
White was intoxicated at the time of the
accident White jumped up, raised his
right hand solemnly and said:
II was not drunk, sir; no, sir. And
defy any man who can say that l nave
been drunk in the past ten years; and
the affirmation was duly recorded.
IT know how you boys drive those
cars out Palama way" said Judge Will
cox, addressing the defendant. You
boys think you own the streets because
You drive cars. Just because you hap
pen to be driving a tramcar is no reason
why other people haven't got any rights
on the streets. This thing OF 'ting-a-ling.
ting-a-lngr with that bell OF yours and
expecting people 10 jump out OF your
way, has got to stop. Other people have
just as much right on the streets as you
have with your cars. It's the same with
these newfangled machines, the automo-
biles They come buzzing along, and IL
anybody happens 10 get In their way
they ring their gongs and expect them
to get out OF the way. They don't own
the street yet either, suppose when
you drove that car the other day you
wanted 20 race with the bus. and when
YOU came 20 that curve you thought
you'd try to squeeze the old man out.
suppose You had some chums behind
you who said, 90 onl 90 ont and you
went on l ind YOU guilty and fine you
IS and costs"
An appeal was noted,