Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-01-02
Measured By Automobiles.

SAID man the other day, talking
through the telephone. He was
IN one of the booths in Cope
land county," and was talking to
a Topeka automobile repair shop
Odometer, was the answer.
Tell me how to read it, he
asked. The clerk at the other
end of the wire gave the imforma-
ton.
The man came back to his
group of. friends and went on
smoking his cigar.
What did you want to know
about that for?" asked one, who
had heard him ask the question.
So that I'll know, next time [
go West to look at land, how to
get a line on distance" he re
piled, with considerable show of
business.
Distance" was asked.
Yep" he replied.
We'll, tell your troubles.
You see, it's like this" puff
ing away at his cigar for a min
ute. went out to Western
Kansas to buy some land. Every
real estate agent out there has
from one to three automobiles
and has fellows to run them
and they know how to run those
cars at a lightning gait, too, L
can tell you The roads out
there are good, the country is
level, and they make regular
passenger train time-at least /
think so now.
/ went to real estate man in
one town in the western part of
the state and told him | would
like to invest in some land close
by. | asked him if he had any
thing He was promptly to re
ply that he had fine farm just
about thirty minute ride out
side of the town. That sounded
good to me. and after he told of
its wonders in glowing terms I
asked to see it.
Sure he replied. I'll send
you right out"
He took me outside where a
big red touring car was chugg
ing away, gave the driver some
directions, and in a second we
were off That red devil Just
tore up the ground. She went
kissing along at a great speed.
[ leaned back in the big leather
padded cushions and tilted my
cigar at an angle of about As
degrees and enjoyed myself
hugely. Gee [ felt good. The
air was bracing and | made up
my mind that [ was on the right
track sure. And sure enough in
thirty minutes | was at the farm.
/ looked the place over, and it
took me just about an hour to
decide it was the place I wanted
In thirty minutes was back to
town. l had only been gone two
hours, and half of that time
I had spent in looking at the
place.
[ thought I'd take the rest of
the day looking after some other
business, when [ happened to
think of something [ had forgot
ten to look at while at the farm.
I thought I would just go out
by myself, without the agent,
and see it for myself. | went to
the livery barn and hired a good
team and a road wagon and set
out. 1t was just 1 O'Clock. The
horses were good and stepped
along lively. Course / expected
to be back in town along about
4 O'Clock again 1 didn't think
much about it for awhile and
looked at my watch 1t was
2 o'clock, and I noticed [ wasn't
half way out there yet. I click
ed up my horses and got to
wondering Two thirty came
along, and then 3. Slowly some
thing begin to dawn on me. Il
whipped up the horses to still
a faster gait. They were sweat
ing pretty hard. Well it was
$50 when I reached that farm.
It had 4ken me just two and
one-half hours to make the drive
out. | drove my horses up to
the windmill and gave them a
drink, and then just sat and
looked at my watch
HIM a thirty minute d1ive-h'm
you bet by automobile
didn't get out of the rig.
After letting my horses blow a
while turned right around and
started back to town. It took |
me another two hours and half
to get back and pretty stiff driv-
ing at that.