Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1918 — PRACTICESHOULD BE STOPPED [ARTICLE]

PRACTICESHOULD BE STOPPED

Before Some Boys Are Seriously If Not Fatally Injured. The lhabit of young boys catching onto automobiles and trucks as they are passing through the streets of Rensselaer is one that is going to result in a fatal accident one of these days unless the parents of the children and the local officers see that a stop is put to this dangerous practice. Only a couple of years ago a young lad who had caught hold of a touring automobil© w&s run. ov6r and, fortunately, escaped with a crushed and broken limb. Although in no wise to blame, the owner of the car paid the expenses of the surgeon in setting the broken limb, and it is probable that this boy learned a lesson that he will remember for the balance of his days. But it has" been forgotten, evidently, by the boys of "%ix to twelve years of age today, and the practice has become almost general this spring, it seems. The driver of a car cannot see what is going on back of him, and he is no wise at fault should he run over and kill one of these boys who grab onto the side or rear of his car unnoticed by him. The practice should be stopped at once and for all time. Another practice that is very annoying to drivers of cars is for the small boys who play marbles out in the middle of the streets to scarcely move out of the way when an automobile comes along, seemingly to dare the driver to strike them, and barely getting out of the path of the machine at the last moment. This is another practice that QUght to be stopped, as it is almost impossible sometimes to keep from striking one or two of the more reckless of a bunch of these young marble players. They have no business whatever in the street and their parents and the officers should see that they do not play there.