TARRANT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TRAFFIC MANUAL [wrapper title]

[N.p., likely Fort Worth, ca. 1953-1959].. 73pp. including in-text illustrations and advertisements, plus another [45]pp. of advertisements, including notice to retail merchants. Original printed blue wrappers, stapled. Wrappers faded, significant edge wear, small chips to spine. Interior slightly tanned but otherwise clean. Good plus. A very scarce illustrated 1950s traffic guide from the Fort Worth area. Automobile fatalities were on the rise in the period, and this manual lays out the importance of learning the rules of the road in no uncertain terms: "A more pitiful sight does not exist than that of the broken body of a child lying in the road, stricken down while riding a bicycle or playing in the street...remember, this could be YOUR child." Otherwise, the manual prints general advice, the rules for right of way and hand signaling (with illustrations), and prints the text of relevant laws.

At least two thirds of this booklet, however, is filled with hundreds of printed ads for all manner of goods and services. One particularly unapologetic ad from the Texas Wine & Liquor Company reads: "Somewhere along the line the Splash Publicity given the Drunk or 'Hot Rod' operator has been ballooned way out of proportion to the true facts...let's be fair, it is more than that few who are the blame for our constantly rising fatality across the country. It is small like failure to dim your lights, refusing to give the right of way, passing on a blind curve, failure to signal, and all the common garden variety violations that are causing the steady climb in fatalities." Also contains a notice from the printers "To Our Retail Merchants" warning businesses to be on the lookout for fake checks in accordance with "KNOW YOUR ENDORSER" campaign of the U.S. Secret Service, which began during the Second World War. OCLC locates only one copy of this manual, at the Fort Worth Public Library. OCLC 28013666.