The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-06

welfare of tourists and welcoming
them to this town and seeing they get
started right going out And Mr..
Traffic Cop laid himself out to make
himself agreeable and usful. He
provided US with directory. of the
points of interest in the city, showed
US where to eat and the best routes
out Leaving us stunned at his
courtesy and pOiiteness-not TO men,
ton service-he asked our names. Ii
| developed that he was confirmed
reader of The American Magazine and
so greeted US as old friends. He
made us get out-at least | did-and
come with him up to the office of the
local newspaper and meet the bunch
AL OF whom had read the brain
storms occasionally promulgated by
your humble servant in the popular
periodicals. 1t was the paper on
which Twain served his apprentice
ship and they were all questions
about the editor of The Paris Tele.
graph and the rest of the Office
force. They have plant of The
Barre Times stamp-Hoe rotary.
small-size, and three old linotypes
wheeling badly Otherwise they are
all right and wanted me to come
down to the Commercial Club that
noon and meet the city fathers. But
things were getting altogether too
notorious, so pleaded dirty-shirt and
got out before they had me elected
mayo.
speak of it here, however, just to
mention the difference between east
ern and western hospitality. We
camped last night on this hillside on
land whose owner we knew not, and
In full cognizance that we were gross
ly spassing. This morning the
wife went to the nearest house to get
milk and eggs for breakfast and
walked into a hornets nest of owner
ship. The lady of the house knew
we were up here and said she wor-
ried her head off all night over us in
the heavy windstorm that came up
around midnight, thinking our tent was
going to be all ripped to shreds and
leave US shiYering in our shirt-tails in
the great outdoors If the same thing
happened in the east. instead of
worrying over us and then selling us
eggs and milk for breakfast, the own
ers would call the dogs and the hired
man and take after us with shot
CUR.
At Kansas City in accordance with
our plans. we purchased q tent and
camping equipment. Hitherto we
had spent each night in hotels rang
ing all the way from fifty cents apiece
to three dollars. Since leaving X. c..
we have been in the opening-with
the stars overhead and the coolies
crawling up our male and female
trousers We have one of those
patent tents which hitch to the side
of our machine which is 10x12 inside.
We have a gas stove and ample blank.
cts and are enjoying il immensely
The most beautiful sight ] have ever
seen was waking up night before last
in the early morning with nearly
full moon shining over the Kansas
wheat-felds and prairies. 1t was
superb Before you get another let
ter from me shall probably have
/ passed a few nights in the deserts OF
the southwest and they say the stars
there are worth mentioning
I Last night as | said. along about
midnight baby tornado struck us
bang. The old tent whipped fearful
ly and ! had visions of waking up
down in Louisiana 1t pulled up two
stakes and If 400 pounds OF mother-in.
/ law hadn't been seated securely on
/ the flap I'd have had my old shirt
I ripped off and a clean one bound
around me long before Id gotten the
gods of slumber out of my eyes and
made up my mind whether | was in
4 Europe or Coney Island.
We count on being in Denver to-
morrow night-that is. If ! cut this
letter short within reasonable time
We have entirely used up and blown
two tires to smithereens so far and
had four ordinary fixable blow-outs
beside. Owing to the fearful roads,
mud aud grades | am only getting
about 10 miles to the gallon of gas
and have burned close to 259 gallons
thus far. But the little old boat is
holding up pretty good considering
the load it's carrying The funny part
OF It is that folks laugh at us when
we say We are in the west" out here.
This Is no more west to these folks
than Vermont Is. The west is still
over the skylne-on and on and ever
p on, The roads out here all run either
east and west or north and south. |
suppose this Is because they don't
want 10 spoil the square wheat fields
haven't seen q road that runs any
other way for days. The corners are
pretty sharp, too, and hidden by
brush. They have no stone walls oui
here for there isn't any stone. Every
thing IS harbed wire or prickly hedge
$ I've several times tried to get through
+ one of these hedges. 1t can't b,
J dCnc.
S Kansas Is as full of hills as Massa
l. chusetts. This is another brainstorn
c that got punctured on arrival GU
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