South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-19
Seeing America
First
By Fred Kelly.


Western people are an accommo-
dating lot In San Diego one day
l stopped a man to inquire a street
number. He began TO tell me how to
set there, but his directions became
so complicated that he saw l would
never be able to figure it all out So
he said he would just go with me.
don't know how much business he was
obliged to shirk in order to steer me
Alright, but he persisted in walking
with me to within half a block of my
destination.
The most accommodating person
have met, though, was a traffic po-
liceman in Los Angeles. l paused in
crossing the street to ask him what
car to take to find a certain street
number.
He gazed off into space, thinking
intently, and remarked: Let me see"
Then he took a little book out of his
pocket, and began to thumb the
pages. 1t took him a good while to
find the page he was hunting, and
traffic began to pile up waiting for
his whistle.
Il thought it was right here in the
front of the book" said the cop, as
he wet his index finger and started
through the pages again. Mean
while automobiles, trucks, and wagons
rection with all possible haste to join
in the blockade. No matter where
L looked, L saw nothing but vehicles.
Maybe you'd better let a few of
these automobiles pass" / suggested,
for a number of able bodied chauf-
teurs were giving me savage looks.
"Oh, I'll find it in just a second, 3"
replied the accommodating cop. He
Gid not intend TO delay giving infor-
nation to a stranger within his gates
simply because street or two was
getting blOckaded.
Feeling that l was the real cause
of the traffic tie-up, ! could not help
surveying what l had done with a
sense Of pardonable pride. For nearly
two blocks in four directions not a
wheel was turning. Everybody was
waiting on me to finish my talk with
the traffic cop. My bosom swelled.
Twas indeed one OF the big moments
OF my life. After proudly staring at
my work for a brief space l decided
TO let traffic resume, so L patted the
policeman sOothiLT!y on the shoulder,
said: Il guess l can find it," and
dashed toward the curb.
AS l looked back l saw him putting
away his little book with a hurt eX-
preston on his face because l had not
waited any longer. But a moment
later he gave his signal, and soon Los
Angeles traffic had once more re-
gained its normal ebb and flow.
To one who has just finished paying
a $50 coal bill it was a real adventure
TO hear this story about the fuel prob
lem that confronted a Los Angeles
man who moved there last fall from
the east.
I was assured" he related, that
would not need more than a ton OF
coal. if that much. After l had
bought my coal for the furnace / be-
gan to think about the item Of kind
ling wood. | went 10 the fuel place
where ! had bought the coal, but they
told me they did not handle kindliEg.
And they could not say offhand who
did handle IT, l looked about. but for
the life of me 1 was not able to find
ANYBODY who sold kindling. As |
stood on the corner in front Of a
grocery, wondering what TO do, L
glanced in n window and saw display
OF old-fashioned wooden clOthespins.
That gave me an idea. | went in and
asked the man what he would take for
a bushel Of clothespins. He quoted
me a price that seemed fairly reason
able and I bought them for my wood
box. That proved TO be a cheap and
satisfactory form OF kindling and, sup
nlemented by Sunday supplements.
lasted me all winter. l have few of
them yet"