Railroad companies are liable for any in jury accruing to the person or property of another through any want of reasonable care and prudence on the part of their employes.
A railroad company operating its road through the streets of a populous city is bound to observe extraordinary precautions for the safety of the public, particularly at street crossings; Curley v. R. Co., 40 La. Ann. 810, 6 South. 103 ; Gulf, C. & S. F. R. Co. v. Walker, 70 Tex. 126, 7 S. W. 831, 8 Am. St. Rep. 582 ; Norfolk & W. R. Co. v. Burge, 84 Va. 63, 4 S. E. 21; Shelby's Adm'r v. R. Co., 85 Ky. 224, 3 S. W. 157.
It is the duty of the company to use on its cars, etc., all the modern improvements in machinery commonly used ; Costello v. R. Co., 65 Barb. (N. Y.) 92 ; Forbes v. R. Co., 76 N. C. 454 ; Georgia P. R. Co. v. Propst, 83 Ala. 518, 3 South. 764 ; Metzgar v. R. Co., 76 Ia. 387, 41 N. W. 49, 14 Am. St. Rep. 224. See SAFETY APPLIANCE ACT.
Railroad companies are not required to transport the traffic of independent express companies over their lines in the manner in which such traffic is usually carried ; or to do more as express carriers than to provide the public at large with reasonable express accommodation. They need not furnish all express companies equal facilities on their passenger trains ; St. Louis, I. M. & S. R. Co. v. Exp. Co., 117 U. S. 1, 6 Sup. Ct. 542, 628, 29 L. Ed. 791, Miller and Field, JJ., dis senting ; Pfister v. R. Co., 70 Cal. 169, 11 Pac. 686, 59 Am. Rep. 404 ; Ilwaco R. & Nay. Co. v. R. Co., 57 Fed. 673, 6 C. C. A. 495. But it has been held that they may be compelled to admit the agents of express companies on their trains, with their safes ; Alsop v. Exp. Co., 104 N. C. 278, 10 S. E. 297, 6 L. R. A. 271. An early case held that a contract giv ing exclusive privileges to one express com pany is void; Sanford v. R. Co., 2 Phila. (Pa.) 107 ; and in Maine a statute provides for equal facilities to all ; International Exp. Co. v. Ry., 81 Me. 92, 16 AU. 370. It may grant to an individual the exclusive privilege of entering station grounds to solicit passen gers and baggage ; New York, N. II. & H. R.
Co. v. Scovill, 71 Conn. 136, 41 Atl. 246, 42 L. R. A. 157, 71 Am. St. Rep. 159 ; Kates v. Cab Co., 107 Ga. 636, 34 S. E. 372, 46 L. R. A. 431; or to furnish lunches to passengers on its trains at a given place ; Fluker v. R. & B. Co., 81 Ga. 461, 8 S. E. 529, 2 L. R. A. 843, 12 Am. St. Rep. 328 ; or to a corporation the exclusive right to supply drawing-room and sleeping cars for the use of passengers ; Chicago, St. L. & N. 0. R. Co. v. Car Co., 139 U. S. 80, 11 Sup. Ct. 490, 35 L. Ed. 97.
Hackmen have no right without permission to use station property to solicit business ; Oregon S. L. R. Co. v. Davidson, 33 Utah 370, 94 Pac. 10, 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 777, 14 Ann. Cas. 489 ; the company may confer the right on whom it chooses ; New York, N. H. & H. R. Co. v. Scovill, 71 Conn. 136, 41 Atl. 246, 42 L. R. A. 157, 71 Am. St. Rep. 159 ; Barney v. Steamboat Co., 67 N. Y. 301, 23 Am. Rep. 115 ; Oregon S. L. R. Co. v. Davidson, 33 Utah 370, 94 Pac. 10, 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 777, 14 Ann. Cas. 489; Kates v. Cab Co., 107 Ga. 636, 34 S. E. 372, 46 L. R. A. 431; Boston & M. R. Co. v. Sul livan, 177 Mass. 230, 58 N. E. 689, 83 Am. St. Rep. 275 ; [1897] A. C. 479; Donovan v. Penn. Co., 199 U. S. 279, 26 Sup. Ct. 91, 50 L. Ed. 192; contra, Kalamazoo H. & B. Co. v. Soots ma, 84 Mich. 194, 47 N. W. 667, 10 L. R. A. 819, 22 Am. St. Rep. 693 ; Indianapolis U. R. Co. v. Dohn, 133 Ind. 10, 53 N. E. 937, 45 L. R. A. 427, 74 Am. St. itep. 274; Cravens v. Rodgers, 101 Mo. 249, 14 S. W. 106 ; State v. Reed, 76 Miss. 211, 24 South. 308, 43 L. R. A. 134, 71 Am. St. Rep. 528; McConnell v. Pedigo, 92 Ky. 465, 18 S. W. 15. See notes in 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 777, 14 Ann. Cas. 489, and 13 L. R. A. 848 ; but a hackman employ ed by a passenger must be admitted to the station ; Godbout v. Depot Co., 79 Minn. 188, 81 N. W. 835, L. R. A. 532 ; New York, N. H. & H. R. Co. v. Scovill, 71 Conn. 136, 41 Atl. 246, 42 L. R. A. 157, 71 Am. St. Rep. 159 ; Griswold v. Webb, 16 R. I. 649, 19 Atl. 143, 7 L. R. A. 302.