Life — August 4, 1904 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

RS ASRS TEI TUNA OAL 7 EE - 109 An Open Letter. M 'y Dear Automobilist : No doubt the auto car has come to stay, but is that any reason why you should pull her wide open when you go over street crossings, and look daggers at me when I appear to impede your progress by in- nocently crossing the street about my business? Why, a banker's ‘thard-boiled dye" is not in the same class with yours. I would a word with you. Of course, I have plenty of money and can own an auto if Iwantto. But I have rides enough with friends who have them, and I tell you I select carefully those with whom I ride. Iam not particularly timid, and enjoy my share of excitement, but I do not enjoy excitement that risks the lives of other people. When I used to play baseball and football the field was clear of those not in the game. The risk was all on the players, who felt qualified to assume it. When I sail, the risk is shared only by those in the boat. The railroad alone has supreme right of way through or across streets where they happen to run in the city, but they take the precaution of having gates, or a flagman, automatic bells and signs, and further than that, they spend millions in altogether abolishing grade crossings. The street cars in most of our cities, while more or less independent in their supremacy, yet have an eye to the ubiquitous professional damage lawyer, and give careful a rule, to the crossings. The railroads, in early and the electric street cars when first ifaugurated, met with considerable public protest, but now we all recog- nize them as public necessities, and we gracefully get out of their way. You have not reached the proud distinction of being a public necessity, and never can, You have the free use for a carriage of luxury of the entire street from curb to curb. Now, don’t make trouble for yourself ; don’t, by riding a fréc horse to death, bring down on yourself public protest which may crystallize into your being relegated to the back streets. You are old enough to know a good thing— look out and don’t abuse your privilege. It does not mat- ter that you can control your machine quickly or that a miss is as good as a mile, because you might as well kill a man as scare him to death. Remember that the weight and force of your auto are as dangerous to me as those of the steam and electric cars, I take off my bat to them and pay my fare, but why should they bridge and abolish grade crossings to protect me, only for you to come along and bowl me over? And I able to own an auto as well as you! The average American ad- mits you are a good fellow—he would accept a ride with you, but he does not want you to abuse your privileges, nor to kill himself or his family. Calm down a little, old man, and slow up when you come to the crossings. Never mind if the dividends on your accident policy shrink a little; you will do much for popular favor toward auto makers and users, besides gain- ing the respect both of the man behind a good horse and the man who is ‘* hoofing it."” Yours in no great haste, Spartan, Modern Anecdote. UDGE PARKER was yoking a pair of steers in the cow lot at Esopus. “Do you think, Judge,” we inquired suavely, as we shoved the brindle steer up a little closer, ‘that Bryan will have any show at the inauguration ball, in case the light- ning strikes you in the right place?"’ “Well, yes, I think he will,’”’ he responded, ribbing his chin and speaking with judicial deliberation. ‘* You see, he will be there, and wherever Bryan is there is bound to bea show. But he can’t help it ; he was born that way.” Tumbling to the subtle wit of the silent man of destiny of the hour, we clamorously guffawed our appreciation of the same, and jumped out of the way of the hind foot of the brindle steer. PADEREWSKY MAKING A TOUR IN MIS PIANOMOBILE. comicbooks.com