Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-09
What the Furniture
Truck T aught Billy

miles, over a smooth straight ROAD.
"See!" exclaimed Billy. There Is one
of the cars just starting now.
Yes" responded his father. Mr. Hen
derson. 1--WE could catch it by hurr!liS
and ride in to Boston. But another VIII
start soon."
Billy, as he glanced about, seeing
everything, quite as bright wloe
wake boy of seven is likely 10 49, H.
ticed a heavy furniture-trucK nov
rolling heavily across the square on 49,
way to Boston. "See that big truck:
he said. What a lot OF things IL can
carry! can see chairs. and bedsteads
and tables, and stoves, and--Well tnere
IS almost houseful of things on IL.
1T must have strong wheels, sus
gested Mr. Henderson, Ito pe aple "
carry such a heavy load" .u, ~
why. I think that one trucK-an
autotruck they call it. father?-
Yes Billy"
Il think that they could put every
thing on for one load.
For small family. I really believe
they could" assented Mr.. Henderson,.
But how slowly the truck moves:
remarked Billy. There it goes, trund-
ling along. I know / could run faster
than It can go. See that trolley car,
now. How much faster it runs than the
truck!" \,-..s.. ..
Yes. that is So" agreed Mr.. Hender-
son. II suppose that the troliey-car IS
now running at about ten or fltteen
miles an hour, while the truck is roll
ing along at only well, perhaps SIX
or eight miles an, hour
Then Billy laughed, and he explained,
Il was only thinking that, II 1t We're
race between the truck and the trolley
car the poor old truck wouldn't nave
much chance
His father glanced at him. then ne
seemed to reflect, and presently ne
said: Come, Billy. Let's take this car
Just starting and see it we can eaten
up with the furniture truck.
mo trouble about that" declared the
little boy. laughing. I'VE could get to
Boston and half way back before that
old autotruck got halfway"
I'm not so sure of that, remarked
his father, quietly, with smile. ANY
how, let's take the car, Billy, ana
have a race to Boston with the truck
So they took the car. and In FEW
seconds it started; and Billy gleefully
pointed out to his father how rapidly
hey We're catching up with the truck
But at that moment the conductor
,ang his bell-one ring-and the motor
car stopped; a grocer's man with a
basket got on the rear platform. Then
he conductor rang--two bells-and the
notorman started the car, and it went
'aster and faster. But when Billy look
ID for the furniture truck it had got
ong distance ahead. Never mind ne
said We'll catch it in few minutes"
And they did Nearer and nearer they
drew to the huge load Of furniture and
the four double wheels under it trund-
ling slowly but steadily on: just as
they were even with it, and going at
twice it's speed, the conductor rang
a gain-ding!-and the car began to
slow up.
But the huge furniture van did not
STOP neither did it slow up-it simply
kept trundling and trundling one, like
some kind of an elephant on wheels;
and the trolley car waited for two Wo-
men and little girl to get on. One OF
them stopped to ask the conductor
question about where the car went.
That delayed things still more; and
still the furniture van went rolling
steadily on.
Again the car started. and went fast
er and faster: now they neared the
truck; now the were even with 1t;
now they passed it: and Billy could see
two men on the seat in front, half hid
den under the huge loSl of furniture
"Ah, l knew we could beat that
truck" Billy exclaimed joyfully See!
We're leaving it farther and farther
behind; and, you know
At that moment the conductor rang
the bell-ding! and the car slowed up.
A man on the seat in front of Billy
wished to get off and the little boy
sighed as he thought how much the
truck would gain on them while they
were stopping. He even half hoped
that the man would alight while the
car was still going-that would save
time; but he knew in his heart that TINS
was rash and foolish thing to do.
Finally the man was clear Of the car,
the conductor rang twice, and off they
sped. but as Billy looked back he saw
that the truck had nearly caught up
with them; it did not go nearly as fast
as the car did, butt kept on and on
without ceasing.
So again the race was on, and the
truck fell behind: now it was nearly
quarter of a mile in the rear, so Mr..
Henderson told Billy. So the boy felt
that big numbering thing again. But
wished to get on-and hardly had they
started when they stopped again. 1t
seemed to impatient Billy as if the
bell rang all the time. They were
passing through a thickly settled dis
trict, and people were continually get
ting on and off; and--all the time the
furniture truck kept rolling on nearer
and nearer. Though the car stopped the
truck did not: on it rolled, and now it
was even with the car. now it had
slowly crept past it. And Billy felt as If
he were an athlete in real race, and
were being distanced. .. *
Again forward. The car started, and
gathered speed. 1t caught up with the
van and passed 1T. Then again it obey
ed the conductors ring and slowed
down. 1t stopped wholly. Billy almost
wished to cry with vexation as he saw
the truck, never stopping, never even
slowing up keep steadily on It's way:
down an incline in the highway 1t
went. and it went a littlef aster.
But what was the matter with Billy's
car? All, yes. The wheel had slipped off
the wire overhead, and the. conductor
was obliged to try several times before
he could get it back on again; the wire
seemed to throw off the wheel each
time it came near settling down. Then
at last it was on, and the bell rang