The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-25
Vagabond
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Indiana
ERNIE PYLE
WILMINGTON. N. c., Feb. Is

I
w The other night I was in the
editorial room of The Wilmington
Star talking with the boys. when
policeman walked in.
He seemed to know everybody,
and came over and started talking.
and the managing editor introduced
us and said to me: Maybe here's
story for you. Officer Davis is
becoming the best-known police
man in town"
So said: "All right Davis, what
have you ever done that's worth
listening to? And make it snappy,
I haven't got all night" Sure,
that's what I said. Only not out
| loud.
So Officer Davis said he was the
traffic specialist in Wilmington. He
sees that the school kids get across
the street without getting knocked
down by autos. I said, us that SOP"
But Officer Davis was talking:
TIME corner of 18th and Market
il is about the busiest crossing
in town. There are $500 children
who have to get across there twice a
day. I've been there eight years. and
not a single grammar school child
has been hurt
One high school boy was hurt, it
is true, but 1 gathered that Officer
Davis sort of feels that when high
school boys are hit it's their own
fault.
I'VE were figuring up the other
night" he said, land 1 figure that
in eight years, seven million chill
dren have crossed that street with
out getting hurt. 1 don't mean seven
million different children, but $500
children twice day for eight years.
lone day I had one of the school,
boy patrolmen count the cars that
go past that crossing just before
school hour, and he counted 701 cars
in an hour.
I've been knocked down twice,
grabbing children out of the way of
autos. And I've been brushed and
bumped SO many times I couldn't
count 'em. But wasn't hurt any.
ct GUESS everybody in the coun-
i ty knows me. It's got so in the
morning I almost wave my arms
off just saying good morning to
people in cars Good morning,
good morning, good morning. First
one side and then the other.
I'm more interested in those
children than anything in the
world. I love 'em. I love every one
of them. I haven't any use for a
man who doesn't love children.
Have you?" Officer Davis glared at
me. It was challenge. Did love
children? And if not, how soon
was I going to get started loving
'em? The truth is, children affect
me the same as hives. I itch when
they're around. So I just looked
at the floor, and said That's right"
and Officer Davis went on:
every Christmas and New Years
and Valentines Day get whole
bushel basket full of cards from
school kids. Nearly every one of
them has some kind of a picture of
a policeman on it. I love the chill
dren, and they love me.
1.-THE other day we had a big
snowstorm here, six and half
inches, the first snow here in sew
eral years. Some of the children
had never seen snow before. They
made snowballs and threw them at
me and knocked my cap off. So
I made snowballs and threw back
at them. -
GONE woman saw us, and wrote
- letter to the chief about it.
She thought it was wonderful to see
a cop snowballing with the kids,
when up north the cops try to keep
kids from throwing snowballs.
Sure arrest people. Lots of them.
I've got all the records at home, and
I don't remember offhand just how
many, but think in the last three
years I've arrested 300 people at
that corner"
The managing editor broke in to
say that Officer Davis had even ar
rested the superintendent of schools
once.
Eyes, sir" Officer Davis said,
High or low, it's all the same to
me-"
THE policeman who loves chill
L dren so much has four of his
own. They're all grown now. He
has two grandchildren, too. He's So
now.
Officer Davis goes through a little
ritual every night. just before he
gets into bed, he gets down on his
knees, and shuts his eyes, and asks
4l,n ord 70 Get l.; L.. 41..-..-i-