The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-02
DO NOT WALK ON TRACKS
IS WARNING OF D. & H.
THEY ARE MAKING SINCERE Eff
FORTS TO PREVENT LOSS OF
LIFE FROM TRESPASS.
Casualties During Past Year Reach
ed 1924 From Trespassing-
Warning Given to Boys Jumping
on and Off Trains.


on and of Trains.
Approximately 400 persons are
killed, and an equal number injur-
ed, each year in this State, as a re-
suit of thoughtlessly or wilfully
walking upon the railroad tracks, in
disregard of the fact that it is illeg-
al for them to do so. This is about
four times the number of persons
killed upon all of the grade cross
| ings in the State. This number also
represents about half the total num-
| Der of people killed by railroads in
the State under all circumstances.
Much of this trespassing is
thoughtless and all is of an inexcus-
able nature. People walk upon the
track and permit their children to
do so, without considering the seri-
Gus risk which is being incurred.
Others use the right-of-way as the
nearest and most convenient route
| to and from their homes, or other
objective points. Among this class
are many mechanics employed in in
dustrial plants. Some trespass upon
the tracks and in the railroad yards
| for the purpose of stealing, and do
much damage to the commerce of
| Cue country
These trespassers jeopardize not
only their own lives, but also the
lives of thousands of passengers as
well as railroad employees upon the
trains. Persons MANNED while tres
passing upon railroads frequently
| become a public charge and thus
needlessly increase the burden of
| taxation. The loss to the commun-
| ity from such deaths and mutilations
in the reduction of human efficiency
is a grievous one, though not sus-
ceptible of exact statement in dol
lars. While the laws of the State
provide penalty of Imprisonment
in the penitentiary or county Jail for
not more than one year, or a fine of
not more than $500, or both, for
such trespassing, the effective cor
rection of the evil can be secured
only by proper appreciation by the
public of the dangers involved,
which we hope to obtain through the
aid of parents, school teachers, man
ufacturers and employers of labor in
general.
The Delaware and Hudson and
other roads have tried to deal with
the trespass problem alone for
years, but in spite Of everything
they have been unable to handle it
properly. One of the most serious
obstacles is the fact that people have
become so accustomed to trespassing
that they resist every effort to stop
it. Another is the apparent indiffer-
ence of the public and the failure of
police magistrates to enforce the
law.
The interstate commerce commits
sion gives, for the year ending June
| 80, 1912, list of 5,2S4 trespassers
killed, not passengers, but trespass-
ers, and 5,6S7 injured, on American
railroads. That's one years record.
In the past twenty years 1000 peo-
pie under eighteen years were vic
tins of trespass casualty; 36,276 ho-
boes and 123,103 others, good citi-
zens, most of them wage earners,
showing that the greatest loss is
among the class of people who are of
the most worth, and among chill
dren, who have every right to live.
Little boys and girls like to play
along the tracks. Severe discipline
and restraint by parents would help
materially. They jump on and off
cars, try to operate brakes and start
the cars moving, unmindful most of
the times because of their youth, of
the grave danger they are in.
So far as the car thief is concern
ed there need only be mentioned the
motive for his presence on railroad
property to be condemned. 1t is a
strange fact, however, that the ex-
perience of the railroads with the
car thief, the man who is beating his
| VIC NJ hn tot,
has been discouraging from the fact
that here and elsewhere it has OBJ
tained little or no cooperation from
local magistrates, upon whom de-
wolves the duty of disposing of cases
where offenders have been rightful-
| ly arrested.
Railroads are convinced that the
trespass evil and the relations be-
tween the magistrates and the rail-
roads in the matter of the enforce
ment of the trespass act affords a
fertile field for the delving of the
psychologist. The view of the To-
cal magistrate and good part of
the public, is has found in the past,
is apparently that to trespass is an
inherent constitutional right that
must not be interfered with, or when
slight reprimand to the offender and
frequently eXcoriation of the rail-
road making the arrest, whereas,
from the railroad point of view, the
arrest of trespasser is for viola
tion of law almost solely for the
benefit and conservation of human
life.
Trespassing may be placed under
four heads:
Walking on tracks.
Stealing rides on freight trains.
Playing on car tracks.
Car thieves or others who may be
on tracks or property with criminal
intent.
Railroad tracks offer a convenient
highway and often furnish "short
cut" Employees of industrial plants
walk along tracks and through yards
| m n N s..lk IN