Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1912 — Dangerous For Boys and Giris to Ride Behind Sleds. [ARTICLE]

Dangerous For Boys and Giris to Ride Behind Sleds.

Marshal Mustard called at The Republican qffice Monday afternoon and suggested that a warning be given to children and their parents abou. hitching their sleds to wagons and bobs. He spoke of one or two instances where children had almost been killed within the past week by automobiles and thought that all parents ought to understand how dangerous the practice is. It is probable that about all the adults of the present age in looking back over the pleasure periods of youth can recall nothing more pleasurable among the sports of town in the winter time than hitching a little coasting sled back of a vehicle or a bob or a sleigh and being pulled over town. As boys we had every farmer in the country spotted about as to his disposition, and there were all kinds for the boys to deal with. Some would patiently wait until all the boys in sight could fasten the!’ sled ropes behind and then give all a pleasant ride. Some would whip behind in the meanest manner, just as though a boy and his sled could do him a particle of harm. Some would let the boys fasten their ropes and then take them clear out in the country before letting them loose and some would stop and help a fellow when his rope had caught so that it would not release. Sometimes bobsled drivers would catch the ropes of the sleds and jerk them aqd try to throw the boys off and if they succeeded would pull the sleds Into the wagons and keep them or cause the disheartened boy to run several blocks to recover his sled. There were*not many of this kind of men and it is hoped there are fewer today. Some times reckless drivers wotild threat to run their horses over the youths attached to a vehicle in front and frighten the boys on the sled half to death. Thank fortune there were not many of this class of men either. Another class of men would run their horses at almost full speed to prevent some fleet-footed boy from attaching his sled. We knew men who did this by the terrible term of “stingy” and we have no doubt they were just as mean and grouchy at their homes and wherever they were known as they were to we boys. Sometimes the ruddy faced farmers would take as much interest In oyr welfare as we did in our own ands we knew those men as “good men’’ and our bpinions "were doubtless borne out by the daily lives these men lived. Only today the writer saw a man with a powerful team of horses hitched to a bobsled. Two boys with sleds ; attached him at the corner and when he saw them he started his horses at a run. The boys set opt in pursuit

but were soon outdistanced. The man looked back at them with venom in his eye,'just like he bated boys, and when he saw he had “beat them out of a ride" he brought the horses down to a trot Gee, I would hate to §o about all day with a disposition like that for a companion. But that is getting off the subject. There were a few dangers in the old to beset the boy with the long rbped sled. But today a new menace has come up that makes the sport quite dangerous. It is the automobile.* The drivers are generally muffled up in an effort to keep warm, the machines make alot of noise, they are cold and can’t more than half see and they are Infrequently not quite as careful as they might be. They forget the time a few years back" when they had sleds roped to the back of bobs. And sometimes they ,go a lot faster than is necessary. t But it is a menace and parents should know that it is not very safe for their boys to be chasing bobs. Marshal 'Mustard has determined to forbid the use of Washington street from the Makeever hotel to the bridge by boys with their sleds fastened to wagons or other, vehicles. They will have to take their chances on other streets. It looks like the automobile is goIng to almost break up one of the most buoyant pleasures of youth.