The Washington herald., 1908-08-03

automobiles recklessly endangering my
I lie Self-pr0tectiOn IS the first law o-
nature. and TO myself and ny family that
protection is due And scores Of people
have told me they have likewise suffered
and felt Out in Indiana. a few years
ago. fve human beings were left dangling
rom trees one day for less criminal Of
fense than the automobile fun-ruaring
over people With such crack Drained
persons among rs. Is IL strange that II IS
unsafe in civilized WASHINGTON for a
woman TO walk alone in the light OF day
from Georgetown TO the navy yard2 In
strong contrast is the seventh century
so-called pagan days Of unciviIized Anglo
Saxon England. when "a woman with her
babe might walk scathless from sea TO
sea in EadwiEe's day
From Florida avenue 70 Clifton street
IS a three-sqUare stretch Of smooth sur
face, without house on east side. On
this stretch autonobiIists make great
speed and 90 not slow down for stopping
street cars. but recklessly rush BY at
a dangerous rate. imperlling the lives OF
people. paralyzed in fear. slighting in
the narrow space. and maintaining equ!-
lbriUn between the vhirring auto and
starting street car The dangerous posi-
uon OF passengers must be witnessed 10
be understood and appreciated.
1 protest against such condition The
law IS violated. II Is openly violated
every day I suggest a remedy. Place
bicycle policeman at the corner Of
Fourteenth and Clifton streets from $50
70 $50 ?. n, daily; that q regulation be
made requiring automobiles and auto
bicycles following stopping street cars TO
halt thirty feet from street car, stopping
place until passengers have reached the
sidewalk. that only sane people De given
automobile licenses; that a record OF
complaints by license nuAber be kept:
that offending aut0nobnists be notified Of
such complaints. and that when a certain
number OF complaints have been fled
that the license be revoked
From my many years experience in
travel by passenger train. freight train.
handcar, steamship, sailship, skin, canoe.
buggy. wagon. sleigh. horseback. mule.
bicycle. tricycle.. automobile. merry-go-
rounds. shUte the chutes and otherwise.
I have acquired some skill in making
time and speed Of vehicles. and in nv
Judgment. It is q common thing TO see
twelve 10 fifteen miles an hour automo-
biles speed in pleasure-seeking- reckless |
abandon Of human life and limb and prop-
erty, and in utter disregard OF the right
)f way OF pedestrians and street car let
ing or and on passengers on business
bent
Autonobilists reap a death harvest. In
the Safe Roads Automobile I
Association Of Massachusetts shows for
ust three months from June q to Sep
ember p. 1901, that Al persons were /
1iiied and 5l3 injured in III collisions. or
y daily, besides 345 other serious col
isions reported by the State press within I
he same tine-aII IN Massachusetts \
Enormous, indeed, must be the death rate 1
md the human mangling and mutilating 4
n the whole country; yet there Is not I
he hue and cry against 1t as against
he little boys July celebration-25 800 4
iurt year.
The automobile with its crack-brained
'ngineer has become q nuisance on the
'ubiic streets. Some automobile engineers
lave an utter disregard for law and or
Ter and human life. and their attitude
eacts against all who use the machines
The responsibility OF automobile engineers
3 greater than that Of railroad engineers
the railroads Own their tracks and have
he right OF way; the former have neither.
automobile engineers take the whole road
? street as in private ownership. de-
everybody TO get out Of the way
hey have no such right. Automobile en-
1neers should. therefore, consider their
to the public Common
ense dictates It The law requires IL ,
'eath and injuries from automobiles are /
ally occurrences Peoples frights. heart
hooks. nervous prOStrations by autOmo-
lie reckleSsness are Of minute. even OF I
econ6 occurrences daily. Every person /
Ding upon the streets takes his life fl !
IS hands The automobile nuisance is !