The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-07
(By One Who KnoWs.)

(By One Who KnoWs.)
! The newspaper man listened to the
siren song of jitney joy riding, was
tempted and fell. Today the reporter
is an apostle of the faith that the age
of miracles has not passed. He treas
ures his memory of that one night
stand in jitney society with recollec-
tions of a night assignment on Crane
street, an interview with Emma Gold
man and her ferocious looking secre-
tary and a joint debate with an insane
patient as to whether the patient or
the reporter ought to jump off a seven
story office building.
When the reporter first came to To-
peka from a little country town in
the green grass district, Kansas ave-
nue. wore blisters on his feet. Then
the reporter graduated and rode on
bumpety- bump bump street cars when
he covered an assignment. Once on
a state occasion, he went in a sea-
faring hack to interview a society
queen about a choice morsel of gossip
and scandal. But up to this time the
reporter had accorded the jitney car
the polite, dignified respect that be-
comes an innovation. He respected the
jitney just as he bowed to the new
gowns and dances that dazzled his
eyes and sent him to his rooms for a
sleepless night.
Real Friendly Friends.
Then came the night when the
newspaper man was to really ride in
one of these new conveyances. 1t was
a quartet of kindly disposed and we'll
meaning friends who engineered the
outing-the word outing being used
with brakes set and lamps lighted.
The friends were really friendly. The
reporter refuses to believe there was
the slightest reconciliation or malice.
1t was lovely evening and the big
touring car owned by member of the
ma rtV in hn will
sort of intestinal trouble-that was
the reason for the jitney.
1t Wasn't a Ford.
In a telephone order for a car, it
was specifically stated that Ford
was not desired A voice at the other
end of the wire purred reassurances.
The jitney company had just the thing
the party desired-and it wasn't a
Ford. 1t was delivered for use by the
rubberneck party at $3.50 an hour.
AT that time no one suspected that
the harmless looking driver was born
to create a new Interpretation of the
Jekyl and Hyde drama. He was SO
soft spoken. so tender, so thoughtful
that even the ladies in the party de-
posted their lives in his keeping with
out controversy.
Where would the party go?"
That was right. No one had thought
of that before. They parleyed for a
minute. But the driver of that inno-
cent looking devil wagon had looked
at his watch and the reporter remem-
bered that it was costing S1.50 an
hour for debate.
"Oh, just anywhere-just slant
around town awhile" was the reply
The driver smiled and bowed and
helped the ladies enter the car. He
was regular Nat Goodwin, that driv-
err
Ripping, Roaring and Groaning.
Out Sixth avenue the party started.
Just at the start, things didn't go
quite right. There was an awful rip
ping and roaring and groaning some
where inside the machine. The report
er thought of the happy days back on
the farm when someone dropped a
monkey wrench in the threshing ma
chine. But the driver had more con-
fidence than a bush league pitcher.
Everything was all right. 1t was ex-
planned that something wasn't work
ing just right. but would run like a
new sewing machine after it started.
Then the car got under way-g-gr-
grr-klump-just like
that. Out Sixth avenue the jitney joy
riders started-slx miles an hour.
Three blocks on the way, the report
er was certain that the car was of the
vintage of 1904. Eight blocks from
the start, the driver admitted the
newspaper man had placed the date
line two year ahead.
Jog-ety-jog- jog-jcg-
The party rode nearly to Mulvane
street when the chauffeur tickled the
thing in place. 1t jumped and cried
like a night proving cat chat had
been hit with a shoe. The reporter
grabbed the side of the car The
driver had bumped the speed of the