A Wild Dash Down Fourth Street
A young, skittish horse sends a local merchant leaping for his life in 1876 Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
As Mr. Riley was driving along Fourth street distributing his roast beef around town yesterday evening, his horse, a young animal which was driven for the first time in harness, took flight at the corner of Spring and Fourth streets and ran away in the direction of the Central school house. Mr. Riley jumped out and escaped with a severe sprain, while the vehicle was smashed to pieces. The horse escaped uninjured.
“his horse, a young animal which was driven for the first time in harness, took flight”
A century and a half later, the intersection of Fourth and Spring remains a busy thoroughfare in the heart of downtown Seattle. While the 'roast beef' delivery has been replaced by modern logistics, the vulnerability of navigating city streets amidst traffic remains a constant rhythm of urban life.
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