The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-12-23
Finding the Other Side.


and even the much worn railway track
and crossing protection has its two per-
tinent angles. One is the continual
tight to get the railway companies to
properly protect their right of way and
crossings in order that the train whiz-
zing by may kill as few people as pos
sible. The other one, and it is just as
pertinent, IS to teach the people that
walking along the tracks of a railway
company is trespassing just the same
as cutting the street corner or walking
through the lately graded front yard
OF the neighbor. Of course the neigh
Dor may set the dog on the trespasser.
He may even load up an old musket
with bird shot and salt and let 90 at
you but you can pick the shot out, you
can kick the dog and the salt in the
anatomy of a human being is more irri-
tatlng than dangerous. The danger of
trespassing on the tracks of railway
company is more pronounced. 1t is
what a physician would call acute. If
Ia railway engine hits fellow there is
no chance of picking out the bird shot
and the injury is usually lot more
| than an irritation. Of course the rail
way is always blamed for such acct
dents. Most people never consider the
railway company as having any rights
that the public must respect. A rail
way company is regarded as something
that the people may make all possible
demands from without a single come
back. Recent legislation in Wisconsin
has made trespassing on Railway tracks
a misdemeanor. The man who gets on
be arrested and brought into court and
fined. However it can also be said
that the railway company wants to
keep away from the courts as much as
possible and for this reason the officials
of the company are slow to enforce the
law by arresting people who walk
along the tracks The railway tracks
do not make good walking and there
is no intention on the part of the rail
way company to maintain them in any
boulevard condition. IF the company
could it would make it's right Of way
even less inviting to pedestrians. The
fact that a person can save walking a
few feet by trespassing on the railway
tracks does not warrant the chance that
he takes. He not only becomes a vio-
/ lator of the law but he takes his life
in his hand. The Northwestern Railway
company is now giving especial atten-
ton to discouraging trespassing on the
tracks Of the company. Its statistics
| show that more lives are lost every
year by people being killed when tres
passing than in any other sort of acct
dents connected with the railways. The
railway track is not built with view
of having it used by pedestrians. In
lot Of places people will climb over
protecting fences to walk along the
tracks. These people are just as foolish
as the men who push up the gates at
crossing in order to rush over ahead
of fast train The chances taken by
one are just about as great as those
taken by another. It's good plan to
remember that the railway track is
Just as much private property as the
dooryard of your home and just as much
entitled to be kept free of trespassers.
The elimination of trespassing is one
way that the people of Kenosha can
furnish aid to the big safety first move
ment that is growing in Kenosha just
as it is growing all over the country.
One of the first and the biggest ele-
ments of "Safety First" is "Trespaes
Never.