The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-09
fiAYsEED MoroRisr ABROAD
krasdiok or Sumter Tells of His Elk.
pcriences in New York.

When I left home in my self-pro.
pelling wagon to travel in. strange
lands anticipated all kinds of trou.
BILE by losing my way. travel through
some wooded lands where the compass
and the Indian trails, or cowpaths
would be my only guides; through
crowded streets in the great metro
politan districts of the East, where
wagons and carts and street cars and
trains and pedestrians Of all kinds are
oozing hence and forth in innumer-
able droves, where traffic rules of ev-
cry description to be complied with
from a plain policeman on the center
OF the street to all kinds of mechani-
cal devices. which tells TO- stop. turn,
back up, 30 on. pass, halt danger. slow
down. be careful, no speeding, hurry
up, etc. Every town has its own
rules and regulations, their different
colOrs In denoting the meaning to 20
or stop. 1t is quite confusing for a
provincial country boy like me to so
through all these evolutions and con-
tortions and come out without a
scratch In some respects was for
tunate on being a stranger and while
1 have committed several infractions
OF the traffic rules here as elsewhere,
was let off on the ground Of being
unfamiliar with the rules, with the
notice that in the future I shall be
careful. the first offense being excus-
able.
In order to give you some idea OF
the great travel on the congested CEN
ters. and for the information of those
who may find themselves in my po-
sition, and thinking they know how
to handle car. SO they should not be
self-reliable, want to point out the
immensity Of the travel and the diff
ficulty Of those who are not used to
crowded thorughfares. Last Sunday
the f3-st Sunday 1 spent in New York,
I taken spin "around town."
starting from Borough Park, Brook.
lyn. via Eastern Parkway to Coney
Island and back, over Bedford Ave.
nue.. over Brooklyn Bridge, through
and Fifth Avenue to Central
Park and Riverside Drive, through
Boston Road b.. way of New Rochell
to Rye Beach, a distance Of about A.
miles. These are the main thorough
fares OF pleasure and traffic travels
and through the entire trip the line
OF cars going and coming both ways
are two and three abreast and fol-
lowing each other no more than 100
feet apart. You can not pass or 60
by one Of these cars as the roadway is
always full. You simply have to fol-
low one another unless there is some
break down or falling out of the line.
or anything else. Every one is trav-
cling about the same speed. between
IL and rs miles per hour, and It is
just as hard to slow down as It is to
speed up, because you will soon get
a good calling down. either by the DO
lice or your co-traveler behind you.
If you are somewhat of a mathe-
matician. 1t will be a good problem
to figure out, taking the number Of
autos on Sunday trip on this A
mile run to be about 400 to the mile
going both ways. and granting that
each driver owns his own car is able
to subscribe about half q dozen reg.
istered Liberty Loan Bonds, how much
or the bonds could be subscribed on
trip like this.
The greatest popularity about the
travel here. despite the speed and con.
gestion there are very few fatal ac-
cidents on these thoroughfares, a great
| deal less than in our roomy country
and slow travel. I know on our Sum.
ter streets there are very few children
on the streets and yet the mothers
are getting hysterical when they sec
car two blocks away while her chill
dren are playing I'm the yard, while
here in New York. the cars are run.
ming at a 20 mile speed through tho
streets while thousands of little chill
dren are playing on the streets-th,
only play grounds they have-especial
ly when the devilish little boys are al
ways ready to play tricks on you an,
run right into your cars but very sci
dom fail to get out OF your way whe,
you think there IL absolutely n,
chance of avoiding Il catastrophe. !
Keeps tho uninitiatcd always on tn
ltips Of his courage and your hear