The Washington herald., 1912-11-02

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F6ams = szsssdinsiy dansssous sse bseh
I4o1neoeyeo AAd the per6ons In the anteGt
- o66le1p0 p causing . lot Of unnesss-
| Isaxy an1oey % the driyg. Ny huShand
/ y vsy cessful driver. never sxcssds
ths s6ssd Hmat anA avoids streets whsre
chu6fen ~ p1aytng. yet IN spite Of aIl
Marrow escapes. One Instance would
dts clearly illustfstss my argumsnt
While Artvtng along Ninth Street. >nsas
o Street Nofthwe6t. . boy Of about ten
years stspped out on the car tracks
(Wh1re ~ Wege running). waved his
hands. danced up and down. and dared
us to oouna on. We had practically no
tims to dow down. although running at
. eight or nine mile rate. because Of
the short distance from him. and just -
my husband was about to turn to the
right q street car coming on the left
side), ths boy Jumped back to the right
side and Il was almost . miracle that
my husband could control the machine n
time. Both my husband and were quite
shaken up from the shock. and the boy.
realixing his narrow escape. began to
cry. Can you imagine what would have
happened had my husband turned? On
the left We would have struck the car
perhaps have been killed-and at least
traflc ON the line would have been tied
up for some time. II no one on the street
car had been hurt. Had my husband
turned to the right, a. he expected to,
he would have caught the boy. A. It
was, going straight ahead. he came very
near striking him.
Do you not think there should be some
argument for the tormented autoist also?
He pays for his pleasure in every way.
including three separate taxes. and for
this reason should have some right to
other vehicles travel at a rate some
times forty to six miles per hour and
the pedestrians must stand aside. II being
held that the street Is for vehicles and
the sidewalks are for the pedestrians.
Consider this speed and that observed
in Washington. ] do not believe it right
for any autoist to run fast in the city.
In fact, believe a ten-mile rate entirely
too fast In the downtown sections for
safety, particularly as regards children
and old people. What l should like to
suggest is that parents insist that their
children do not attempt any fun by run
ming in front Of moving vehicles. and
that mothers with small children under
the age of discretion keep these In from
the streets except when accompanied by
older persons. I saw one little tot of not
more than two years out on the street.
not the sidewalk-when our machine was
coming in one direction and another ma
chine was going in the other, and the tot
was bewildcred. My husband stopped
and requested a passing woman to please
take the child in. I believe carelessness
on the part OF parents in taking care Of
their children is more responsible for
the death OF little ones killed in acci-
dents than faults Of the drivers Of vehi-
cles. I am a mother. and l know that
could not risk my little one the way !
see many tots are risked every day.
Another thing which l should like to
see is some law whereby children DELHI
erately risking themselves and others
could be punished. Until such law Is
passed there is no likelihood that the
nuisance I speak OF will abate. Why
don't some other autoists come forward
and explain why matters are not better?
Surely We are not altogether to blame.
and il matters were a little better known
better results might be obtained through
cooperation.
Ny statements are facts which I am
willing TO attest by notary II 20 de- |
sired. Mrs H. l. "oop"AkD.