The San Francisco call., 1910-03-05


was ideal being nearly half block in
area, and the streets bounding its sides
Z were all of slightly higher level.
leaving a natural depression in the
ground, which could be flooded. thus
forming a fine ice skating rink. But
the man who owned it wanted a rental
price that looked impossible to. Joe's
resources.
Il guess there's one thing you haven't
thought Of" remarked Frank after Joe
had gone over all the ways he had Of
earning money.
WHAT'S that?" asked Joe.
What about the zlp?"
How are we going to make any
money out of the Zip? She couldn'r
carry enough passengers to earn
months rent Of that block in a yeari"
objected Joe while Frank began to
chuckle. A few days later Frank put
his idea before the public in the form
Of an "ad' inserted in one OF the daily
papers, incidentally there had been a
heavy fall of snow during the previous
night. Here is the "ad":
ZIP. GOES THE SNOW.
The Great Auto Snow Plow,
ZIP
Will Clean Off Your Sidewalk In Five
Minutes, Prices Reasonable. Phone or
write
WILLIAMS & FISHER.
SO Grove ave. Phone 721 Park.
L
business on the strength of that an
nouncement, and they deserved to, for,
as Frank observed, they delivered the
goods" The auto snow plow' con-
sisted of the Zip equipped with a big
wooden plOw which Frank had nailed
firmly on the front in way that would
not interfere with the steering ap-
paratus.
The Zip, as you'l remember. had a
great deal of what Frank called "trac-
tive foreeD She seldom slipped as
she was 50 well equipped to travel in
the snow. The heavy 16 horsepower
blackboard motor which was boxed in
on top of the rear of the double run
ner" revolved the chain wound wheels
at the back of the sled by Chain
drive" and drove the plow through the
drifts. And q few turns up and down
the sidewalk to be cleared, with the
aid OF the "shoyeling squad (con-
ssting Of four or five of their closest
chums) usually polished off the walks
in short order.
A handsome profit was made from
every contract. Frank and Joe worked
out a set of prices, charging so much "a
front foot of sidewalk. which Frank
measured beforehand Thus "25 foot
front" cost more than a go foot front"
L could give you many other details
of the new business, and some of it's
adventures were very exciting, but 1
must remember that it was but the
means toward an end--the Crystal
skating rink.
And ii succeeded beyond the firms
fondest hopes due in large measure to
the continued succession of snowstorms
In less than two weeks the Zip had
earned enough money to pay the first
months "ground rent" and put the
young promoters in line to execute
their plan. Thus the Zip "plowed" q
way to the successful accomplishment
of half the work
But what about the second half? 1t
looked easy enough. All they had to
do was to food the lot, and a high
board fence inclosing it stood all ready.
to shut out trespassers. Yet something
happened that greatly disturbed Frank,
who felt that lie had not been as secret
about his plans as he might have been
Ben Jordan commenced a mighty
snow fort on the property directly ad-
joining the skating rink site!
What could be his idea? AS the walls
rose Frank began to realize what a
serious menace Fort Jordan Gas IL was
calied) threatened to become. Ben may
have been a bad boy but he was a
clever one, as his new fort testified. for
by the time Frank was ready to begin
work on the Crystal rink a regular
citadel doomed up not six feet outside
the fence inclosing the rink.
But If Frank had been uneasy before
he became thoroughly alarmed now as
Ben's fort steadily rose until it's walls
showed above the high board fence.
"Why, it's a double deckerl" he ex-
claimed to joe And this turned out
TO be true For Ben had planned his
fort so that after the four walls