The evening world., 1904-01-27
STUPID NEAR-SIDE LAW
DRIVES WOMEN IN SLUSH
Storm and the Foolish Car Ordinance
Combine to Bring Discomfort and
Danger of Disease to Thousands of
9 Passengers Public Hearing Soon on
Repeal Agitation.

The most exasperating experience
since the foolish near-side rule was put
into effect by the Interurban Street
Railway Company followed the snow
and rain yesterday afternoon. The
thousands of men and women on their
way home from the shopping districts
and from their work were forced to
endure conditions little short OF crlmi-
nal.
An inch OF snow followed by a down
pour of rain left the streets covered
with siush ankle deep. and through this
pneumonia-breedlng mixture the pa
irons of the cars were forced to walk
fifty feet from the crossings to the rear
platforms. l.ny to wton the thought
lessness of the new rule haa not before
appealed realized 1t then to the full
extent. GEsP
slush.twas Ankle Deep.
Business women and shoppers who
had come from their homes in the
morning when the sky was clear and
the weather. IDEAL were entirely unpre-
pared. fhelr rubbers had been left at
home irfttho expectation OF few days
of pleasant weather.
Complaining women struggled in the
crowds waiting to take the street cars.
their skirts dragging In the cold slush
of the street. Few, indeed. waded their
way through the snow and water from
the croshnE to where the cars stopped
withouts getting their feet wet. The
slush WIS .arkle deep.
The Street fCleaning Department made
some etprtIto relieve the conditions.
Men weyss4ent to clean the crossings
in the QDEntown district. They we're
far too fSW p cope with the unexpected
conditlon4 Id they made no effort TO
clean badk 1Hbm the crossings. The dis
tance frohf the narrow pathway across
the street, cleaned by the white
WIGS, To the point, where the car
Omcial% pt, the Interurbnn knew of
the condn@ns. II the state OF affairs
a week nAF escaped their eyes they
Tse Tsee s TnS ESesnS sd s. WSra aoa
with ppaSmonf9 patients, many of
whom weres aeut there because OF tfioy
id!otic r1ft. kfet no effort .was., mado
by the d6tnpahy 70 protect Its bdtronR
Illness lin Conscquencc.
The. ysielSaesss soaased by the terrible
experiences in &, Ing to their homes
suffered by wohien and men alike last
evening can only be estimated. Hun
dreds are absent from their places of
lsineSs te-uay.S Win skirts wet Ill
most to the knees women were forced
PRorS Sp Sy Gars the tlme dar"s warns s4s
ck1fVslgswas available, they were chilled
% Oh. 6eie ans The seeds of disease
When the ice in the streets to-day
,reits the same conditions will exist.
No preparations have been made 10
ctean' the streets back from the cross
sM9p@ r. w9msn fs s,,sb wt' onS H more Sick
nessy VIII t,fes,ilt. The only hope Is In
the, early repeal Of the silly ordinance.
g1lhe, stpeets to.iay are glare OF zoe,
ing, After the near side rule had done
It's deadly work u cold wave froZe the
snow and ice, making the conditions
even .wqrse than they were a week ago
= : az Iiorses the Worst Sufferers.
:. AZ Before. the. worst sufferers were
tis,r hofses. Trucks are being moved to-
dhy with difficulty and all deliveries are
holirf6 'rate..s Everywhere in the streets
lfbrses are down and 1t is almost I'M
possible to get them on their feet, so
slippery are the payenents. The so
Animals has slsecn called upon in sew
eral instaurrs-stp. saoot the suherins
The slinnrrS eefdition of the side
walks waa The cause of many accidents.
especially to the elderly persons whose
steps ara unsteady. The hospitals re-
ceived nTsffy. hrnbulancc calls Tor peonle
injured byfaflIng. and there were scoreS
who fell whv. were able to get up with
PUBLIC Hearing Next.
within sew days the Railroad Com;
decide unqn q date when public hear
ing will be given on the suggested re-
peal Of. the near side ordinance. That