Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-12-16
STONE WALK TRAILS.
CITY PEDESTRIANS MAKE FOOT
PATHS ALONG SIDEWALKS.
Their Peculiar Habit Is to Follow
in the Footsteps Of One An
other in Their Daily
-fl." Travels.

was u rluBe near the center OF the flag I
ging that ran in nearly straight line
from one end of the block to the other.
On each side of the ridge the stone was
worn down to depth of two inches.
The millions of feet that had passed
over that walk in the last few years had
all apparently followed in one track
going south and the other in going
/ north. The number of people who had
walked in the exact center we're so few
that wear on the stone there was scarce.
ly perceptible.
The corner policeman, ohad plenty
OF time and was gifted with great pow
ers of observation, had also noticed it,
says the Chicago Tribune.
Sure thing" said he. You'll find
the same condition on every walk in
the city where there are such large
crowds passing each day as there are
here. The stone will be worn in little
cutters near the buildings and near the
street, but few of them will show an
even wear all over the surface. Why
is it? I'll tell you. People are just like
/ sheep. They don't know it, but the same
| is true, nevertheless. They follow in
each others steps. They do, for fact.
It's year ago that | noticed how the
stone there was worn. wondered why
1t was and began to make observations.
Il was at a loss to find the reason for
some time. Then one day noticed a
fellow come around the corner and
swing out near the edge of the walk.
Pretty soon another man came and fol-
lowed square in his tracks. The next
/ man and the next did likewise. Then
1t dawned upon me that day after day,
week after week, and year after year the
! people going south along this street
have followed, without knowing it, in
/ the exact tracks somebody else made.
Look at that groove that's worn down
there. 1t isn't over foot in width. or
course the natural thing for anybody to
do is to keep turning out to the right
when walking, but if people were only
! guided by that they wouldn't step in
: the steps of the man who went before
them to the extent of wearing line in
the pavement only IL inches broad.
mo, 1 tell you, the fact is that there
is something primitive instinct, you
say it is?-well, don't know so much
about pri-about what you said-but
do know from what see from here that
every man, woman or child who comes
along that walk follows the beaten track
except the farmers You can tell a
man who is unused to the city by the
way in which he wanders into the mid
J die of the walk. They get out of the
two lines of people passing one way
and the other, and they really look lone
some in the center of the wolk, there,
by themselves"
Now watch" cautioned the police
man. There is no excuse for man
or woman following that worn streak
because of the crowd or anything else.
There is plenty of room for anybody
to take up the whole walk at once.
But do they do it? Watch" eaf
A man came around the corner at
good pace. He promptly found his feet
in the worn place and went down the
street following the same with diverg-
ence of never more than few inches
So soon as he had passed out of Eight
another came from across the street,
turned into the walk and, while the
policeman chortled silently with joy,
who had just disappeared. This was
repeated with too great frequency to
leave any question as to the facts.
Now come here" said the officer,
and he led the way to another street.
Here the walk was new and entirely
smooth and unworn in any place.
Watch 'em here" was the order.
"There is nothing for them to follow
here as there is in State street. But the
lack of we'll defined line In the stone
did not prevent the passersby from fol-
lowing in the trail of the one who went
before. And always this trail was laid
as was the one in State street.
How about it now?" demanded the
man in blue. "Aint | right. Amt the
people of this city, at least so many OF
them as comes downtown, just like lot
of sheep? Primitive instinct, or what
ever 1t may be-, and all. amt they like
sheep in this respect?" p.
The young man stood convinced and
ready to admit that 1t was true when
man came around the corner casual
inspection of the man from distance
revealed the fact that his neGktie was
under one ear, one trouser leg was
rolled half way up to the knee, and
what was once undoubtedly reputable
opera hat was now a complete wreck
The man sang joyously and went down
the street.
"Hah," said the young man argu-
mentatively, there's fellow that don't
step in the trail of the other people
There is one man at least that isn't like
sheep"
The officer moodily watched the man
wend his devious way from one edge of
the walk to the other for some time,
NO" said he finally, quite true But
should class him as giddy young
goat