Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-12
Headlights for Baby Carriages.

"A certain city in the West IS con-
idering the adoption of an ordinance
hat will make it compulsory for
very vehicle, whether motor driven,
!orse drawn, or hand or foot pro-
9elled, to carry a light of some sort on
/ when traversing public thorough
4res after dark. Under the ordinance
ven baby carriages would have TO
arry lanterns or some other lights
hat would make them visible TO auto
rivers and drivers of horse drawn
igs,o explained a New Yorker inter-
sted in the regulation of street traf-
ic.
IF New York should adopt such an
ordinance what a wonderful and PIC
curesue sight would be presented on
:ome thoroughfares in certain sections
If the city, Can you imagine walk
-ng along a thoroughfare after DARK
md being confronted with a score OF
baby carriages with lights attached!
Probably the first carriage you met
would have bicycle lamp attached TO
the front of the carriage body. the
next carriage would have tiny IAN
tern swinging from the centre OF the
forward axle and the third carriage
would have a Japanese lantern dahs
ling from some part of 1t.
Such an ordinance, l am sure,
would create some excitement in the
section in which / live on Washington
Heights. There are probably more
infants on the heights than in any
other part of Greater New YORK. not
excepting Brooklyn, caricatures OF
which usually contain an abnormal
number of baby carriages. On
pleasant Sunday afternoon a walk
along any of the prominent thorough
fares. Edgecombe road, Audubon ave
nue., st. Nicholas avenue and Wads-
worth avenue, will convince you OF the
truth Of my assertion.
I'm the early afternoon there is
parade of carriages and peramuoula-
tors along these popular thoroughfares'
The trend is in one direction, to the
north. for the land slopes upward
gradually and the parents anxious TO
give their infants the benefit of the
best air procurable endeavor to reach
the highest point of Washington
Heights. This point Is in the Vicin-
ity of Fort George.
when the objective point is reached
the happy families daily for a while
until the oncoming nightfall makes IL
imperatiye to start homeward. Dusk
comes before many of the families
reach home. If New York had an
ordinance requiring the lighting OF all
vehicles the fathers and mothers, or
whoever was furnishing the propul-
sion. would have to stop in the middle
of the road and light up the lanterns
With the carriages and perambulators
Illuminated a great spectacle would be
furnished.
1T is characteristic of the people In
this section, to bow to the current
STYLES. They religiously follow the
STYLES in baby carriages and the
chances are they would be just as
susceptible to the styles in lanterns
If Mrs. Jones appeared some night on
st. Nicholas avenue with japanese
lantern swinging from the carriage
which she was pushing it Is certain
that Mrs. Smith would follow suit.
Then Mrs. White, Mrs. Black and Mrs.
Green would fall in line and in snort
time the procession of carriages would
be decorated with Japanese lanterns
1t would be an odd sight.
Lighting baby carriages is cap1tal
idea from a decorative standpoint, but
unnecessary If for the purpose OF
warming chauffeurs and drivers. The
occupants of carriages furnish enough
vocal warning for the most exacting
driver"-New York Sun.