A municipal corporation may require its citizens to clean the snow from their side walss ; Taylor v. Yonkers, 105 N. Y. 202, 11 N. E. 642, 59 Am. Rep. 492. A law requir ing the abutting owners to keep sidewalks in repair is a duty cast directly upon the prop erty owner and is in the nature of a police regulation; it is not a tax or municipal as sessment ; Wilkinsburg Bor. v. Home for Aged Women, 131 Pa. 109, 18 Atl. 937, 6 L.
R. A. 531.
Where the abutting owners permitted the sidewalk to be obstructed for an unreason able time in loading and unloading a truck with skids so that a pedestrian was injured in passing over it, the owner was held liable; Linehen v. Western Electric Co., 29 App. Div. 462, 51 N. Y. Supp. 1080. The temporary ob struction of a street or sidewalk for the pur pose of loading or unloading vehicles may be justified on the ground of necessity ; Math ews v. Kelsey, 58 Me. 56, 4 Am. Rep. 248; Gates & Son Co. v. Richmond, 103 Va. 702, 49 S. E. 965; Tolman & Co. v. Chicago, 240 111 268, 88 N. E. 488, 2 L. R. A. (N. S.) 97, 16 Ann. Cas. 142 ; so as to transferring baggage and passengers at a railroad station, but not for soliciting business there; Pennsylvania Co.
v. Donovan, 116 Fed. 907.
During building operations, materials may be placed in the street ; Callanan v. Gilman, 107 N. Y. 360, 14 N. E. 264, 1 Am. St. Rep. 831; Tolman & Co. v. Chicago, 240 Ill. 268, 88 N. E. 488, 24 L. R. A. (N. S.) 97, 16 Ann. Cas. 142.
Where the proprletor of a theatre invites an unusual crowd to occupy his sidewalk, he is bound to greater precaution and owes a duty to pedestrians that they are not injured through any lack of care ; Stewart v. Jermon, 5 Pa. Super. Ct. 609. See STREET ; thou WAY.
A lot owner in a city may use space under a sidewalk in front of his lot for hatchways and coal holes ; Stege v. Milwaukee, 110 Wis. 484, 86 N. W. 161 ; an electric light com pany, having the right to use the streets for its conduits, can use the sidewalks ; Alle gheny County L. Co. v. Booth, 216 Pa. 564, 66 Atl. 71, 9 L. R. A. (N. S.) 404 ; a city may plant shrubs on a part of the sidewalk; Dotey v. District of Columbia, 25 App. D. C. 232.
A city has the same control over sidewalks as over the cartway; McDevitt v. Gas Co., 160 Pa. 375, 28 Atl. 948.