Union Pacific Bites Dog

For personal damage done in grade-crossing and other accidents, U. S. railroads pay out over $20,000,000 a year. For damage done to them, they collect little or nothing. Average jury's rule of thumb: the carrier is always wrong. Last week the rule was proved by an exception.

Grey-haired Martin D. Wilson, a conductor on the Burlington, off duty, was motoring home alone with two geese, two turkeys, two hams last December. At a Richland, Neb. grade crossing he was surprised by a Union Pacific express. Pulling diagonally across the tracks, Conductor Wilson caught his left front wheel between rails, stalled, leaped out, fled. He was safe when the train, doing 70, smacked the auto and left the rails, derailing eight cars, tearing up 300 feet of track, killing the engineer and fireman.

To court for damages went Union Pacific. Conductor Wilson filed a countersuit, asking $300 damages to his ten-year-old sport coupe. Fortnight ago an Omaha, Neb. jury told Conductor Wilson to pay U. P. $40,025. Last week Conductor Wilson was back at his job, wondering whether to appeal.

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