Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-21
DAILY KENNEBEO JOURNAL WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 81 1912

over and over again for weeks before
they are actually "opened up wide
But the tester" with picturesque
abandon, takes out new, roughly-clad
machines and sends them hurting over
terrific stretches of roads at mile-a-
minute speed to prove that a wheel
will not come off here, nor a part there
where holes and other obstacles APP
pear intent upon wholesale destruction.
A newspaper man, who had never
heard of the motor car tester-had
never known the birthplace of the
speed-geIm of the racing pilot--took a
ride with a tester recently and came
to realize more thoroughly what a
wonderful bit of construction an au-
tomobile is. For the motor car stands
more abuse than any other piece of
machinery in the world.
1t was raining hard when the news
paper man reached the plant. He
knew nothing about testing and sup
posed that the weather was too fierce
for any road work.
The newspaper man had been invit-
ed to take a ride, but didn't count on
a swim.
"Will they go out in this repeated
the head tester with plying look.
Why, son, they go out every day in
the year, regardless of what the wea-
Their is
The newspaper man asked: Don't
you think L might get a better and
more comfortable idea of testing if
=
THE car will be ready in just mo-
ment and we have a suit of oilskins
for YOU" broke in the tester Wen
put some chains on her and she ought
to stay upright. I'll caution Stralow
not to try the bottomless mudkole
down the back road today"
Finally the newspaper man was in
a hard seat and the tester had jumped
in beside him.
"Bang-br-r-r-"
The car shot out of the shop back
wards. Then the tester" skidded the
machine around until it faced the de-
sired direction and it fairly leaped out
OF the yard. The tester" always
skids on wet day when he wants
to make a turn. It is the shortest
way around.
The scribe was thankful for The
gauntlets. For once out of the yard
the car dove into the quagInire of
mud where the holes of varying depths
were filled brimful of water.
The air seemed to be filed with fly
ing mud and water. The car plunged
ard see-sawed by turns. varying this
performance from time TO time by
crashing and splashing in some par
ticularly bad spot until the water
dubbed half way up to the seat. Then
would follow a series of corkscrew mo-
lions that almost twisted the news
paper man out of his hard seat.
Once a wheel went completely out
If sight in a mudhole. The car shud-
Tered for a moment, then the tester
.hrew the speed lever into second
,rinned, and the wheel came out again
Al the same time the newspaper man
iropped hack into the seat from which
le had not risen voluntarily
Down the road was the end of
pole-a murderous looking
The tester hit it. The
newspaper man reached his seat from
the bump. Just trying to find out
how the wheels are-theytre all right.
| guess remarked the tester.
He was putting comfortably at
cigar. but how he got it out OF dry
place was n mystery to the newspa-
per man. How do you like it, the
tester asked.
Removing a piece of caked mud from
his lips, the scribe replied that he had
been over smoother roads. Then he
grabbed madly at his seat as the car
slid dangerously near to fence.
mounted vicious looking bank ana
for an instant seemed to stand on It's
bind legs and paw the air.
~There are worse stretches ahead.
the test man encouraginsly
The mud was only ten inches deep
at that point. The car began II speed
un-and began to get over the road
in a hurry.
How do you know all those water
holes have bottoms" queried the
man.
II don't know that they have, was
the reply. II find cut by taking the
chance. We have to. If we wasted
time investigating the ROADS, tue boss
wouldn't waste much time showing US
the shortest way out. We just make
this circuit at the best speed possible
and let the car fight it out with them
The bottomless pit did get fellow
one day But he tried to wade IN
stead of jump it. He was a good
sort, but he was foolish to try to
wade that day"
Then the test man told a story of
a tester who used to run up alongside