Evening star., 1926-02-21
TRAFFIC HAD TROUBLES
WHEN GRANDPA WAS LAD
Speeding, Hit-and-Run Drivers, Reck.
lessness and Immunity, Even Parking
Problems, Existed Back i'm Horse Days.

Traffic problems. traffic accidents
and traffic deaths do not belong en-
tirely to the post-horse era. They
existed in the pre-automobile period
as well-if not better in some respects,
particularly in the Technology used
in recounting them.
Mrs. M. o. Eldridge. whose interest
in her husbands work as traffic d.
rector has carried her back via The
Star to traffic conditions in 1864, has
learned that there were furious"
speeders, "bit-and-run" drivers, reck-
lessness and diplomatic immunity
even in those days. To make the pic
ture natural as well as complete, fair
defendants were not above smiling
their way out Of trouble in spite of
the often heard remark of grand
mothers that girls didn't do that in
my day"
Files Of The Star for that period are.
gold mines of information on traffic
conditions, Mrs. Eldridge found. In
the issue Of July 80, 1854, for instance,
over-awed a policeman and got away
with the theft of another mans right
Of way. The Star recounts:
Talks Down Policeman.
yesterday about pm, as a Gov.
ernment wagon, laden with wagon
poles, was passing II street M. a
coach containing a lady and two chill
dren was driving along Fifth street.
At the intersection Of the street the
coachman, though near the wagon, un-
dertook to pass ahead OF 1t. The con-
sequence was that the pole of the
wagon came in contact with the top
OF the coach and tore 1t from the body
The lady and children were alarmed,
but not injured. A policeman was
about to arrest the coachman. but be
ing told he was the servant Of the
British Minister, he declined to make
the arrest"
Eleven days later in the same year,
butcher with a speed complex Gre
eted no end Of havoc at Center Mar
ket by his furious" driving.
The Star OF that date, thus describes
the event:
CARELESS DRIVING. - SERIOUS
RESULT.-This morning while Center
! Market space was much crowded, and
ladies' were constantly passing and re-
passing at the crossings OF the streets,
a man named Christopher Witmayer,
butcher. drove furiously with his
horse and wagon toward the crowd
| and in his route knocked a lady down,
and the wagon passed over her. She
away insensible. Capt J. r Stone
OF the Seventh street barracks, o. r.
| c., followed Witmayer and had him
arrested by Officer J. o. johnson, third
ward, who carried him before Justice
Giberson. Witmayer was fined $5.5S
| for fast driving, and was held to bail
| In IL 900 to appear In court to answer
the charge Of recklessly knocking
down and driving over the lady. The
name Of the lady has not been ascer-
Street Cars In Trouble.
| Even street cars figured in the traf-
! fic accident picture Of that period. The
| damage. however. seems to have been
considerably less than In this day
| when a street car collides with an
other vehicle. On August is, 1864
The Star says:
This morning a Government wagon
came in collision with a street car
through the carelessness Of the driver
Of the wagon. The pole Of the street
car penetrated the wagon"
The advice given in the head over
this story Of August 20. 1864, seems
to have borne fruit:
SHOULD BE CORRECTED
| Some of the street car conductors and
drivers have a bad practice of compeIl
! ing passengers to mount upon the car
while II is In full motion and many OF
the accidents happening can be traced
to this cause. Yesterday a lady was
thrown down in the mud by the negE
gence Of the driver or conductor to
stop the car and was bruised. besides
having her dress ruined"
| This doesn't sound plausible. but II
The Evening Star printed 1t, It was
true-they had a parking problem
too. Mr.. De Meyer seems to have
been excessively infuriated by the
dearth Of parking space. Here is
how he acted. according to issue OF
| September 8, 1864:
! Saturday q man named Edward