The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-10
Should Mules Be Required To Stop
AT Railroad Crossings.

Columbia, August 5.-A suit of unusual
nature has been filed at the County Court
House. W. W. Dowdy, of the EastOver
section, is suing the Atlantic Coast Lin
for having killed a pair Of his mules n
broken up a wagon, when one OF the Coast
Line trains struck the team his son was
driving last fall. There is an ordinance
passed by the town council OF EastoVer,
making it unlawful to RIM trains at rate
OF more than twelve miles per hour
through the city and providing also lor
stops at railway crossings.
1t is alleged that the that struck DowdyS
team was going t~hirty-five miles an hour
and that box ears blocked the vision or
the driverof the team, so that the ap-
preaching passenger train could not ne
seen. The allegation was also made that
no signal was given by the engineer. Inc
suit is for 81. 600.
II is a wonder the railroads do not sue
individuals for blocking the right OF way
with mules, wagons, automobiles allu
things of that nature. The blocking OF
the right of way at road crossings is a
very dangerous thing. Besides endanger-
ing the property Of the railroads it IS a
constant menace to the life OF passengers.
'Twelve-year old steer or q tough old mnle
is enough to wreck an entire train, and
and how the long suffering railroads a
every day and constantly be knocking
things off of their right of way without
looking for redress is something remark
able. At least it shows great patience
and ~magnanimity.
It is a question of which has the right
of way, the mule and wagon or the train
with it's United States mail, it's express,
it's human freight, its perishable goods, ect'
There ought to be a clearer understanding
under the law which really has the right
OF way. The stop! Look! Listen" Of the
crossing sign board fall on sightless eyes
so far as tho fellow with the mules and
wagon is concerned. He drives across the
of way of the railroad with as much nom
chalance and indifference as he would drive
in crossing a spring dream, i'll fact there is
usually no effort IN his part or Diligence,
unless there be a train approaching, in
which event he goes full speed ahead to
see if he cannot beat the train over the
crossing. That is is true. You have seen
lit done.
Now how the long suffering railroads
have permitted their right Of way to be
thus blocked without bringing the oflen-
ders before the court is something very
stran ge indeed. 1t looks like the rail-
roads would at least pass a law requiring
such persons to stop just before entering
their right of way, so that when the noise
of the wagon and the janggling of the har-
ness ceased the individual could tell
whether or not a train was approaching,
and thus reduce to the minimum the dan
ger of wrecking the train and killing the
mules.
We know nothing about this case
against the Atlantic Coast Line. 1t only
serves to remind us that trains carrying
the United States mail and probably
scores Of passengers should not be endan-
gered by a wagon and mules. A wagon
and mules can go any where, across fields
over gullies thru woods, but a passenger
train can only follow its track. Seeing
how this is the case it does look like the
railroads should take some steps toward
protecting their property and the lives OF
those who are in their hands by dint OF
their charge as common carrier.
The mule should be required by law to
every crossing. No mule has any right
to wreck q train.