Tensas gazette., 1916-09-22

army enlisted men, detailed drive the type of
truck tentatively adopted. The others are chauf
feurs of all sorts, adventurers from all over the
country. college men in search of experience and
even ex-taxicab drivers from New York city. With
some of the trucks under probation men from
the factories.
1t Is more picturesque body than any
sembage Of mule skinners. The types are more
varied and the views upon things in general are
more interesting. Moreover, the army chauffeur
In the aggregate is naturally more intelligent than
the mule skinner. whose close association with the
mule has given him some of the traits of that noble
animal.
To the average army chauffeur the stolid-looking.
numbering auto truck is q beautiful and living
thing
On the road to NamiQupa listened to a colored
sergeant OF the Ninth cavalry who had been de-
tailed to drive q ive-ton truck. He was addressing
his vehicle.
"Yes. Betsy, old GIRL" he was saying "Ah knows
that this here cheap government gasoline amt the
proper nOurishment for a high-toned lady truck
like you But when we gets to Corallitas Ah'm go
ing to put some of that nice cool spring water in
your radiator. Thatll freshen you up whole lot.
Betsy.
Does you-all want little more oil in your bear
ings Betsy? II you does jes' say so. 'Tain't
trouble at all for me. All jes' thought you might.
because your pretty engine was breathing little
hard on that last hill. All don't want any of them
planning Betsy, because me and you knows that
you don't complain"
The colored trooper adjusted some pink and
green ribbon which tied to the truck radiator.
The whistle Of the truck master blew. The SER
geant whirled the crank. listened solicitously for
an instant to his motor and swung Betsy into line
with her mates
One Of the difficulties which the captain of
auto truck encounters is In maintaining discipline
n m Of
Civilian drivers have their own notions to how
auto trucks should be driven. 1t is the theory of
the captain that the auto train should have per-
feet alignment, with the trucks a hundred yards
apart.
The civilian drivers cannot see the necessity for
this. Some Of them want to show that their trucks
can travel the fastest. Others insist that their
trucks be carefully handled The result is that the
captain, fuming inwardly has to be diplomat
when he is in command of mixed train of trucks.
One of these trains started out at the rate of II
miles an hour. A short distance out of Columbus
1t encountered bad roads, truck slowed
down and began to pick the going.
The captain shot 'crOss-cOuntry from the In
his standard runabout to see what was cutting his
train in two.
whats the troubleY he demanded of the ci-
william driver.
"NO trouble at ALL" replied the driver. But
eight miles is all that am going to do with this
load and over this sort of road. You can go ahead
with those Barney Oldfields if you want to. I'll
catch up with you after half of those trains
wrecked"
The captain was trifle angry. He reminded
the driver that all trains ordered kept intact
1t was no cross-country race. 1t was military
truck train. The driver was obdurate, and the
train had to slow down to a reasonable pace The
driver right, though very unmltary. The
loads which the trucks carrying not
needed in a hurry. But if he had happened to be