Evening star., 1938-09-15
Letters to The Star
Tribute to . Faithful
.Forgotten Man.
-> tL Mia, - 49, n 49,

To the Editor Of The Star:
IN A campaign to promote safety IN
driving. proper credit should be given
to those who, by the very nature OF the
thing they are required to do IN their
daily work, expose them and the public
to constant danger and require like con-
slant watchfulness. To know that
duty was well done Is no doubt sum-
cient and proper reward. but to know
that that duty Is appreciated Is certainly
worth all that 1t may cost; this Is par
ticularly true where the duty 70 well
done has to do with daily and hourly
"hair-breadth 'scapes" from mangled
death.
Song and story have called attention
to the many brave deeds Of the pilots
who have saved the ships on the sea or
in the air. or the boats on the river.
where Mr.. Bludso said Of his burning
steamboat that IN hold her nose agin
the brink till the last galoot's ashore"
The stage driver Of old and the railroad
engineer of past and present, all most
worthy, come In for proper share OF
commendation for the known brave acts
and for the thousand others that will
never be known, but will, like the flowers,
blush unseen" But, my masters, there
is one, howbeit yet unsung and meek
and lowly, who is out and away from all
in point of avoidance of hurt from al
most constant danger; 'this Duncan
hath bourne his faculties 20 meek" yet
is he known, by daily contact Of the
politarai, and by sight 1T least by the
better element. as the motorman, or the
street car driver.
Washington is the city Of tourists:
some tourists may 60 other places. but
they all come here, where the street car
driver spots them at once for what they
are. and governs himself accordingly,
we'll knowing that he. who for the first
time sees the glory Of Constitution ave-
nue. in the morning sun, cannot give
proper thought to trafic laws, 20 he
jams on the air and stops his car less
than foot from the side Of the tourists
car, which holds the wife and family.
and where 1t should not be and where
the motorman had no reason to expect
1t would be less than q split second be-
fore; the license plate shows that the
car Is from Dewey, Okla, 30 he grins ut
the visitor and the incident is closed. A
taxi, slicing the danger line too closely,
passes the corner Of his car with space
between that would have smashed .
finger had it been between the two
bumpers. The look on the taxi drivers
face betokens fault. but to the sarcastic
query Of the motorman as to whether or
not ne owns the car or simply does not
care for it, admonishes him to stay on
the track as his sole duty. A hurried fat
lady rushes between two cars on the
opposite track directly in front Of his
car while it Is in motion; In time he sees
her and stops as she swings past to do
her daily shopping, giving no thought
to the incident which. but for the quick
thinking and acting Of the driver, would
have been her last bargain sale. In the
long trafic arteries where mammoth
trucks and vans and all kinds Of cars
with all kinds of drivers seem to strive
to vex his soul. he must keep up his
speed without let or hindrance and safely
take ON and discharge passengers. The
young lady school teacher from Illinois
holds up an anxious line of workers to
inquire the way to the Kosciusco Statue:
q country boy, without thought Of the
bother he Is causing, hands large bill
to be changed for q single fare. Scowling
at the driver of IN immense truck that
is threatening to cross in front Of him
out Of turn. he holds the road and
clangs the bell at bunch of small boys
playing on the track, winks 1T pass
ing motorman, answers q policemAnS
friendly salute and hands the boy the
correct change, reminding him to put his
fare In the box. ana all before he reaches
the next corner. y
Whsa soms committee makes anal