El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-28

J
| The Right of WAY.
| WHY should the motorist consider that
| he always, and under all circumstances
! has the right Of way? 1t is because h,
possesses the force majeure, and nobody
| is in a position to dispute with him. By
no means let it be said that a maloritJ
| of automobile drivers are indifferent Il
! the rights of others; but certain it j:
| that large percentage of them are so
the trait being most strikingly exhibited
by the Individual who, as the represen.
tatives of a type only too common, has
come to be known as the road hog.
He cares for nobody. If he makes ar
accidental" killing, his conscience does
not trouble him in the least What bus
mess had the idiot to be in the way
If practicable, he runs for it, leaving
the victim to take his chances, and
I usually escapes.
Only few weeks ago, in the outskirts
of Manhattan borough New York citv,
a couple of men in a touring car, ace
companied by three or four women,
after dark in the evening going at great
speed, ran through a group of four men,
knocking them down and killing two
When policeman, standing near by.
tried to halt them, they kept rioht on
the women yelling back with jeers of
derision. OF course, they got away, and
were never caught or punished
Drinking and Speeding.
Drunk? Doubtless, yes. But this is
one of the principal causes of automo-
bile killings. People go out in automo-
biles for pleasure; they stop, quite as
a matter of course. for drinks. The
alcoholic refreshments they imbibe make
them reckless, and, on their way home
the feeling on board is that it matters
not whether school keeps or not. But
it matters quite a good deal TO the
iuckless victims whom they run over.
This sort Of thing is unquestionablv ac-
countable Tor a considerable percentage
or the deaths from motor accidents.
Most remarkable it is, however, 20 Oh,
serve how the sober and sane minded
everyday citizen is affected morally 5y
the habit of driving an automobile. His
customary caution, in MANY instances,
gives way TO a recklessness altogether
astonishing. Ordinarily most consider
ate of other people, he becomes, as a
motorist, grossly Indifferent to the
rights OF his fellow beings When his
attention is called to an obvious viola
ton of such rights by himself, he laughs.
and looks upon it as Joke When one
Is driving an automobile, one is too
busy with the business of getting
tHeIe 10 DOIner with ethical obstacles
Many Are Killed.
Well, he pays the price himself, to
large extent For every person struck
ana Killed by motor car, two automo-
olIlstS die. They perish in a great va
rlety OF Ways-most Of them through
lmpudences OF one kind or another. One
OF these, not uncommon, is the prac-
tlce OF rushing road crossings which
are more or less concealed from view.
Inns saves much trouble, as well as
time which might be lost by slowing nm
TO see II wagon, a carriage or another
car IS coming. In a majority of in
stances the other vehicle is not there.
and there Is so much gained But eyery
new and then it happens that the wagon
or car arrives at Just the wrong moment.
and a collision results, with a loss Oh
one or more lives
Danger in Turning.
Another frequent cause or fatal aoci
dent IS turning at high speed. of course.
IL IS a bore TO slow up at "a twist in a
road, put TO do so is only ordinary prud-
ence. II this be not done, the wheels
are liable to shp-the process is tech
nlcally known as 'Skidding''-and all
control over the direction of the yehi-
cle's course is lost until the wheels orin
the road again. Incidentally it is more
or less likely to be upset-perhaDs
turning turtle and pinning its occu-
pants beneath it.
Yet another way of getting into trou-
DIE Is TO coast down hill at full speed.
III one Wheel strikes a soft spot, the cal
is liable to upset There NAV he =
patch OF rain-washed sand near the bot
tom of the declivity quite capable of
causing the automobile to turn a som.
ersault- Lots of folks are killed in sucli
wavs.
1t Is really quite interesting to find
how many ways there are in which peo-
pie may be killed by automobiles. The
more the merrier, say the farmers-or.
rather, they did saw so until they began
to acquire motor cars for their own nse.
It fatigues them even now to be Obliged
to haul their wagons almost into the
itch Tor every auto that comes along. |
FOR 1t IS undeniable that country roads |
n these days are commonly utilized as
'acing tracks by motorists, who. travel |
ng at 40 to 90 miles an hour, will take !
tlm at an oncoming vehicle at distance |
II half a mile or so, with the idea of |
Missing it by possibly a foot. This sort
If thing Is calculated to render the ru- /
alist nervous-especially as, from time (
% time, funeral in his family is the |
consequence.
The Auto Races.
In the automobile races, however, it |
5 case of Greek meets Greek" The |
innocent agriculturist can really enjoy |
hese exciting contests, when it falls to J
is lot to witness them. When under |
AIKEN under proper and fashionable aus |
'iees, they take place in the open coun-
ALL IT, %