Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-12-15
DEATH ROLL Of
THE RAILROADS

IHH iiilOWfuU interesting Hnt ffu"t
~ article. wtittrn tv D. h. MeNett.
past master carpenter OF Grange So
llt was read before the Lycom 'na
county Pomona aud printed Ia tre
ronnsy ylvauia Grange News
Much thought Is being given ty
statesmen aud philauthfopist, To- the
large death roll caused by tuberculosis
and every effort Is being made to stamp
out or greatly reduce tie large mum
ber Of deaths from the great white
plague but another great death roll.
entirely prveutable. is passed hy IN
silcnce-nn warnings are sent out TO
the people, no Rcd Cross stamps are
sold to help fight this agency of the
grim reaper, yet annually hundreds Of
Our fellow men are hurled in the midst
of life to instant death hy thi, means
and no steps taken to- peeveut No. This
is the death crop of the trespassors on
our railroads; men who violate the
right of private property and trpspa.,
ON the railroad and are RON down Uy
some passing train. % is tIa rrrur of
every engineer and uatumau. Daatl
rides with them ON every tr.u and
they are ever Uu iGr lookout fu saw.
their fellow men from their folly. ,
train swings around % curve and "a
person wdIkIug ON the tIara is. will.
out au instant ., notice. buried out u.
the world 4 train lis Ou a.sluiue wait.
ing tor fast line tn pass uu 20 u,rk
and stormy night; e party az vuuur
and joyous people returning from some
social event HIp passing and f'r faeI
line da-hes through them crushing ont
their fair young lives. 4 freight train
stops 10 do some switching i'm tine
night and tine engine backs down bee
side its train and some upIp.frHau
steps IN ahead of the backing engine
and IS ground TO pieces. These are pv.
cry day occurrences. and no comment
Is made. 1t is a strange fact. vet one
which thlrty-siX years experience on
the railroad proves to he true. that
nine out of ten people will. when a
public road and railroad run patal-
lei, walk on the railroad in preference
10 their own roads. Notwithstanding
that notices are posted furbidding the
same. These notices are posted for the
benefit of the people and solely to PIE
vent tins awful needless loss of life
and limb. in the old countrie, no one
Is ever allowed to walk on the roads.
and 1t would be far better if the rule
was enforced IN this country, but rail
road companies are loath TO enforce
the laws as it is to their interest To re-
tain the good will of the public. and
1t Is only by appealing to the common
sense OF the people that the situation
can be improved. Can we citizens of
Pennsylvania allow this loss of life?
Few realize how great is the trail of
death from this cause. On an average
three people, tres espassers Weld IN their
lives each twenty four hours on the
pennsylvania system alone. Only by a
correct public sentiment can we expect
to check this evil. 1t is not all tramps
and knights of the road who suffer,
but It Is largely farmers and the mem
bers OF their families. Much can be
done by the Grange to remedy the
evil. II, III every Grange the members
would pledge themselves TO use only
the public roads on which to walk the
battle would be half won and if thew
40 not DO so they need not complain
II more represslve measures are used.
trespasseI on state lands can be and
is arrested by the warden without a
warrant, and heavily fined, and yet
his only offense is perhaps the killing
of bird or beast or fish. Why should
their lives be so much more sacred
than those of the people, and should
not the people be protected from the
fruits of their own folly. If each track
foreman was authorized to arrest ev.
cry person walking on their tracks
what a howl would go up from the
people against the railroads. vet il is
no more than the forest wardens are
doing. Let the people give thought to
the matter that they are trespassers
every time they walk on the railroads.
Let crusade against the habit be car.
ried on through the Grange and much
can be done to alleviate the evil. "