Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-11
Iowa Newspapers
MAKING MISTAKES.
rSioux City Journal.l

4
The railway wreck at Volland. Kan
sas, in which thirty three persons were
killed and nearly as many more seri-
ously injured, was caused by an OPP
orators mistake. The operator had Or
ders to hold a train on the sidetrack
until two trains had passed by. The
train waited on the sidetrack until one
train had passed. Then the waiting
train pulled out on the main track and
steamed down toward the water tank.
The operator says he thought 1t was
going to take water and return. IN
stead, it went on. Then the operator
realized he had not delivered the order
to wait for the train. 1t was a mis-
take, and a serious one. The operator
Is under arrest, and may be punished
severely.
When that operator comes to trial
for criminal carelessness or man
slaughter, or wha tever may be alleged
against him, his lawyer can do no bet
ter ttan,to talk to the jury of the
proneness Of human beings to make
mistakes. Certain 1t Is we all do It.
The judge on the bench is wise man
and an expert in the law, but the su-
preme records show that he often goes
wrong on some simple little point that
involves the very essence Of an Inn
portant case. The doctor, with hui
man life always in his keeping, once
in a while names the wrong medicine,
not from ignorance, of course-merely
a mistake. The preacher in the pull
pit, who knows the bible from cover
to cover. not infrequently cites the
wrong authority and makes his audi
ence smile by naming David when he
means Soloman. The newspaper
writer, discussing subject with which
he is perfectly familiar, slips into a
little error that makes his readers
gibe. Every banker knows of the LA
bility of the most expert accountant
to have an off day and mix up the
figures Is there anybody who doesn't
make mistake occasionally in his
daily work?
The opposing attorney will argue
that mistakes don't much matter in
the case of an ordinary individual,
but that a man who has many lives
entrusted to his care must not make
mistakes True enough, but how is he
going to avoid it? To do his work he
has only the same fallible human
equipment which occasionally fails
the best Of US in our less responsible
employments. His work, responsible
as it may be, becomes a matter of
routine to him. How many clerks In
a wholesale house would undertake to
fill thousand orders without making
a mistake? Not many. What is the
clerk going to do when he'sits on a
jury which may mete out punishment
to q. telegraph operator for having
made one mistake in the acceptance
and delivery of thousand train Or
ders?
A mistake is always censhrable, and
in many cases its consequences are
lamentable, but we all, yes all, make
one occasionally in the best regulated
businesses. When that Kansas lawy-
er is pleading for the liberty OF his
client he can scarcely do better than
suggest something along this line to
the jury, and invite the man whose
own record is spotless to cast the
first stone.
MONEY AND MANNERS.
(Des Moines News)
We Of this blessed country have
more money and less manners than
any other people on earth.
The more money, the more neglect
Of manners.
We rush thru life in such a hurry