Evening journal., 1906-08-02

for figures has estimated that the average
man or woman living In a big city escapes
death 1000 times during the revolution
OF the clocks metal hands once around
tho dial Viewed from his standpoint,
the unfortunate individual under the
thread suspended sword OF Dnmocles
had a tenure OF existence, the certainty
Of which compared 70 that OF the twenti-
eth century citizen Is as frnil as the deli
cate mesh OF spiders web opposed 70
the strength or 10-ineh cable.
The average man IN going to and from
his work, II has been figured out, has 20
chances Of being run over by team,
l3 chances OF being run into by an auto
mobile takes 81 chances Of being In
trolley wreck, has something Ike 70
chances Of being hit by a falling brick or
overhead sign, has three chances IN 10
OF being caught IN n falling building, has
onehalf chance OF being burned tol
death. has about chances Of being
shocked 10 death BY fallen electric
wire. escapes falling into a cellar-hole
on an average OF once In block and has
81 opportunities 70 stumble on de-
fectlve sidewalk in every mile. In addi-
fion to this there are the possibilities
acter. OF being bitten by mad dog, Of
being blown up by an exploding man.
hole, OF being caught by a sewer cavein,
OF being stung by some poisonous in
sect OF being overcome by heat or cold.
or OF being stabbed by mistake with
hatpin In the hands OF an enrnged female,
as was a man in Chicago recently. Blood
poisoning set in and be died 10 days
later.
Heroes there are in the daily walks Of
life, who 60 unsung 70 an unmarked
grave. The driver Of a fre truck in New
York city who swung his horses against
a telegraph pole and killed himself TO
save his team from running over a little
child Is not one whit braver than the
little newsboy who went without eating
for three days ia order that his sister
might have food. The fireman who climbs
a ladder amid smoke and flame and car
ries a weeping woman 10 safety on the
ground is not one bit more a hero than
the girl who feeds your cuns TO the
mangiing and ironing machine at the
common steam laundry around the corner
Hardly a day passes but that one Of
these machines somewhere does not
squeeze" the hand OF some poor opera
tor and make a cripple for life. There is
applause for the soldier who goes march
Ing behind music 20 the scene OF battle,
but none for the army OF grlmy toilers
who. some thousand strong, march every
day into the big steel plants Of the coun-
try. One of these big plants, year IN
and year out II has been estimated, kills
a man a day and Injuries so many that
the list is never given 10 the public. In
certain Eve years OF American history
our railroads killed over 10000 OF their
men and wounded 100000. Compared with
that record the list OF casualties OF tn,
Spanish American war fade into mere
nothingness. Substantial contributions, oi
course, would be made 10 these agurel
II the list OF killed aud injured by trolley
and other vehicles were added.
One Of the pecuIaritles OF the indus
trial situation is the fact that men seen
to ask no more for their services be
cause OF the danger attendant upon the
work The man who takes death for
companion every time he dons hts work
ing clothes gets no more than the mai
whose occupation appears much safer
The $1,000 per day paid the man whl
takes the dip OF death at the clrcu
dwindles 10 a mere SIS per week whei
the pay envelope comes around. Deatl
is ever with us. and the dangers OF ou
daily toll but give the grim reaper al
additional chance 10 cut down the mum
ber OF our allotted days.
The average citizen. used 10 the sur
roundings in which he moves. pays so M
tie attention 70 the possibilities OF
violent death that to suggest to him tha
he Is 10 danger would cause a smile
Every soldier realizes that an unex
pected bullet may lay him 10 an oh
scure grave at any moment; the sailo
is at the mercy OF the tempest and rock
bound coast: the policeman frequent
gives battle 10 the foes OF society. an
the fireman takes ais life In his hand
on every run that be makes. These ar
the recognized heroes Of society. Thou
sands-yes. miliions-of laborers ther
are who face foes rar more subtle tha
that which beset the soldier and III
sailor. These heroes battle for thel
daily bread and for the daily bread I
others. They battle that out Of Ii
bowels Of the earth may come the coal I
keep alive slIvering thousands 10 th
months OF winter; they battle that Il
world may have light and heat and con
fort; they battle that their children ma
not starve and that the children OF Il
rich may have loxurics. They expo.
sAssaselTes to the deadly fumes Of ay