The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 10, 1905

Red Lanterns Are Being Taken

Lanterns Put Out as Danger Signals Are Being Stolen.

It Almost Causes Runaway

Farmers Run Into Projection on the Street and is Thrown Out of Buggy – Practice is Dangerous One and Should Be Stopped.

A dangerous practice that has lately become a frequent occurrence within the city is that of removing red lanterns form posts where they act as danger signals to pedestrians and teams.

As is usual at this time of the year there is a great deal of sidewalk and similar buliding [sic] going on in the town. At places where walks are being put in or where the street is torn up for the purpose of laying sewers and gas mains it is customary to hang a red light out at night to warn drivers and perons wlaking by such places of the danger.

The purpose of these lights have always been observed in the city and they have been left unmolested  until a short time ago, when reports began to come in at regular intervals tot he effect that nearly every morning a lantern or two from over the town would be found missing.One night last week this practice came near resulting in serious injury to a farmer living near Carbon, whose name is given as E.C. Wigman. Mr. Wigman ran into a projection on the street in the eastern part of the city from which the danger signal had been removed. His buggy was tipped over and he was thrown out onto the ground. Fortunately his team remained still and all was soon righted. Whether the acts are those of mischievous boys, drunken persons or whether the lanterns are taken by thieves, it is hard to say, but in any event it is a practice that should be stopped before a serious accident results.

Tags: 1905, Wigman