Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-01-01
A STORY TOLD TO Us BY ONE OF THE
HONORARY MEMBERS OF THE
: = CITY AUTOMOBILE CLTR.


ssTo have or not to have-an automo-
bile? That is the question. Whether
it's not better to endure the ills we have
lin Staunton) than fly to those we
know not of lin Mt. Crawford and
Harrison burg and in our flight, to
land upon the stony highway of a
stern J. 2. or further on, bump up
against cold and heartless circuit
court
But to our story.
One soft, sweet afternoon the menu
beers of our city automobile club, to
drive dull care away, and ease the
throbbing of their or'er worked brain,
arranged 'sspin" into little town,
nameless here forever more-some six
and twenty miles away, and 'mongst
exhileration and the Zest of motor
ing, our object was to fill our lungs
with country air, and quatf some beer,
or stout, or ale per chance, or if needs
be some Steiner stuff, in that nameless
little town, then supper we would take
at its best inn-retrace our rubber
tired steps, unto our starting point,
when each his chauffeur would di-
rect, to place his car in its garage.
So on that pleasant afternoon, some
fortnights back, gay and happy
throng assembled here, and midst the
clang of bells, the ''honky-honks' of
home made and imported horns, the
'ssmell that kills''-the ''cranking"
and the whir that fills-our hospitals
with so many nervous wrecks from
'mongst the passers by-in ''tourlsts
togs," with floating banners, we lifted
up the dust along our streets, and
higher made it rise when'eer we hit
the pike.
Away we flew as darts the hare, or
as the roe-buck, or feet footed hound,
a honk-a whir-a siz-as if q cata-
pult had sped along, shot from can
mons mouth, By farm house, over
pausing, oh ! so many times
to pay the toll, and write our names
in that Internal book-our numbers,
and we do believe, state our complex
ion, and our age, to satisfy the laws
demands under the "Churchman act.
These things performed, we sped again
away, merry music making, with our
bells and horns, watching the lazy
fow too long neglect to move, and
thus fall prey to pleasure-the herds
go pell-lnell cross the fields, affrighted
at our quick approach-some dogs run
after us, IN vain pursuit, and now and
then too near the treacherous wheels
Of some swift moving car, they came
to join their comrades who had gone
before into We dead and dreary past
TO watch some Reuben's team, unused
TO twentieth century ways, rear, plunge
and suddenly oYerturn the wagon,
driver, pumpkins, and the corn, strew-
ing them along the highway here and
there, mid peals OF laughter, hand
clapping, and the 81 outing of us all.
Through villages tao we sped. The
gaping women at the windows held
The children. The me- where any such
there were, retreated to, to vantage |
ground, and with enron 7Ieters in hand
nodded their heads biddI us, as we
the time of day
Twas jolly fun to reach that little |
aameless town, some six and twenty
miles away, twas just like iailing off
a log. We turned the trick before the
sun went down, at steen miles al hour, (
as shown by the high priced Speedone-
ters we had with us, or they are the
verist liars in the world. Our Coming
we foreteld by frequent honks, not
wholly trusting to the odor Of the gan
oline, because they have tanya fo
there, and many olfactory nerves are
not in working order, in that town.
AS we went through the street
there is but one-the people sought the
inside of their homes, the boxes at the
fronts of stores, where many sat, grew
lonely, no soul was seen along that
street, they gave it all to us. Soon we
came unto the Inn, appropriately NAM
ed "The Carve and Snaw,h from
whence in time the host appeared,
trembling as If he knew not what to do
or say, the scene so puzzled him, as
car after car came putting up, the
dusty occupants alighting, our women
merrily. At last as if by mighty
effort he did say, "walk in" and then
in went, the company, our city auto
mobile club, laughing, chatting, cough
ing, a perfect babel of tongues and ex-
cited sounds,each telling of his strange
for each kept tab on what
he killed, or what had nearest come to
killing him. Twas a great run, great
fun, great day, an exciting day, a
day indeed OF joy and mirth. The peo-
pie of that nameless town somewhat
assured as time rolled by, came round
at last to look at US, and at our motor
ears. They stood about in seeming
awe, each looking at the other as he
said, swell, did you ever ?" some hold
ing their noses all the while. But
what seemed strange to us, and yet
seems strange to all our club, is that
these villagers looked more at us, than
at our touring cars, and when some of
us passed them by, they laughed a
coarse and horsey laugh, what some
would call-''guffawed." But we di-
verge just here, and will not tell more
r1o -