The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-05-22
II Made a Lurch and Swung Around
In Front of The Coach.
WAS GIVEN A BUMP by FENDER
Rider Escaped Injury; President w.
L. Hixon Has Something to Say
To the Public.
From Mondays Daily.

L
A horse belonging to H. r. Kurth
sustained such serious injuries on the
street railway track yesterday morn
ing on South Front street that it had
to be killed later Mr. Kurth's fifteen
year old son has for several days been
riding horses close to the Years near
John B, Yager's livery barn, in order
ito get them used to the cars, or city
broke" in other words. He has ridden
them so close to the cars as to cause
remonstrance from several of the mo-
tormen, and when car No 5 went by
at about a. m, yesterday the motor
man is said to have warned him to
keep away from the ears to prevent
accident. The next car to come along
was No, I, but the young man was
still riding the horse close to the
track. The. horse appeared !lsomewhat
fractions and the motorman slowed a
little bat there seemed no likelihood
of accident until the car was within
ten or twelve feet of the horse, and
then the animal made sudden lurch
and swung around in front of the car
and was bumped by the fender and
thrown down, as the motorman was
unable to stop the car in time to avoid
collision. The horse was led away,
but Dr. Dodds found that it has suf-
fered internal injuries ,and advised that
it be shot, which was donea| &9'i =
- ~ Kurth Escaped Injury.
Young Kurth fortunately escaped un-
injured except for a few scratches. The
on car No, was not
the one that was on the caf when it
to1lidedd with William Rilsse1's wagon
1i! fact, no one lhnotofmaris has had
more. than one. accident thug far, and
it has happened that those Iswho have
had the accidents were thoselwho were
recommended to the company as be-
ing the most careful. The company
has carefully Investigated each accident
and has not found that it wasrojustir
fed in discharging any employee, which
it would do in case of what appeared
to it to be carelessness, for it's, own
safety, as it could not afford to have
careless employees who might be the
means of bringing on damage, suits. IL.
There has been talk on the part of
few that the cars go too fast, but
President Hixon stated today that the
cars could be run on longer schedules
if the people wish, but that the ser
vice would necessarily not be so good.
The cars, he said, do not go as fast
as the cars do in Winona, or in al
most any other city of the class of
Mankato, and not nearly SO fast as
cars in the twin cities.
Anent Air Brakes.
As to using air brakes, Mr.. Hixon
state that they are suitable for double
truck cars, that have steel wheels, but
not to single truck cars, with cast
iron wheels, like this in Man
kato. The sliding would wear the
wheels SO that in thirty days the cars
would no longer ride smoothly. By
reversing the power, the same quick
stop can be accomplished, but the mo-
tormen are instructed to do this only
to avoid accident, because there is a
rebound given the car, and it might
strick someone crossing behind. Mr..
Hixon says that the people should re-
member that street car can 90 only
on its track, and unlike the driver
of an automobile the motorman can
not turn out an inches or stop his
car as quickly. When people learn this
there will be few accidents.
Three trailers have been purchased
in Chicago, and a message received
by the company says that they were
shipped today. They will arrive this
week, SO that the company will then
have eleven cars, which will enable
it to handle crowd, such as is ex-
pected on May 80, when Gollmar's cir
Gus will show in the city ~