The Parker post., 1918-06-01
FL|vVER|NG
FROM COAST

preliminary trouble as warning of
! what was to come. Had we played
the ''hunch" at the proper time, sold
nix from Los Angeles we would have
been 'all to the merry" but since we
did not know that, we embarked gaily
upon the return trip.
Back to the beginning. Outftted
with everything the law allows, in
Guiding four good tires on the wheels,
two extras all blown up and ready for
use, and two spares not so good and
quite airless, four huskies, all auto
men, and self started for the coast
Huskies came along as ballast and to
do the hard work in case of trouble
They had hard time, for, aside from
one puncture, the car never whimper-
ed in the two-day run to Los Angeles
Consequently huskies slept most of
| the way over, slept audibly with
sounds like punctured tires.
After happy month, the return trip
dawned on the horizon. Once more
the car was freighted for the trip
with the same number of "blowed up"
tires as the baby said. Morning dat
ed for the return came and car found
peacefully reposing in garage with
| two fiat tires-tires which had I'D to
that time had Phoenix air in them
Getting them fixed delayed the start
day. 1t was sure enough warn
ings but fell upon deaf ears.
Have you ever gone over the pass
northeast of San BernardinO? It's a
wonderful boulevard to the summit
and a view of magnificence from the
top. Having gotten thus far in fine
time, We paused to admire the out
| look.
| Sweeping in almost all directions
lay the range, here and there streak
ed With the handiwork of man-rail-
way tracks climbing up and up. From
the west comes the gentle breeze of
kissed air Of the desert. Bang went
the left front tire-a rip seven inches
long in casing which had done a
thousand miles.
Il told you if we stopped when the
car was going good we'd have
! trouble" said the peevish man of the
party.
You suggested stopping YOURSELF"
retOrted the wife.
Ten minutes, and with one of the
two spares the trip was resumed.
They have comprehensive garage at
Victorville. 1t is generously equip
ped with Ford-sized tires. Not hav-
ing a Ford, this did not do much
good No, the man could not repair
casing. He thought they could do
it at Barstow.
On to Barstow. I'VE had a "a by
only yesterday. We don't repair
castings. Did you ever try putting an
old casing over busted One?"
We never had, but we did Two
dollars and spare weighing about as
much as the hind foot of an elephant.
On to Ludlow. Winding over the
| desert roads in the dusk with the sun
just out Of sight, the mystery of the
great waste lay all about Wraiths
OF men who had wandered the sands
i'll search of gold, water, seemed to
whisper on every hand, while the
sparse desert fora swung gently to
the slightly stirring breezes Bump
ety-bump, Right hind tire fiat and
Ludlow but two miles away.
Tried to put on the newly created
two-tire spare. Found why it is not
done this year. Damphool thing
stuck out so far over demountable
rim would not slide over wheel. An
other two dollars gone to-Barstow.
Tried other spare Half hour late in
Ludlow, the beautiful, with garage,
hotels, express company, two kinds
of bathing water, cold and colder.
No, the garage man did not have
"a by 4 tire. He could and would
fix punctures. Investigated and found
nail had punched five ore more holes.
He vulcanized five and called it a day.
1t was-and a night also. We did
not count the remaining punctures
because it was cheaper to buy
truck tire tube for about ten bucks
than to have him vulcanize at over
time prices. Of course, the tube was
not for "a by casing, but what's
that among friends.
Hotel at Ludlow has splendid out
look and all modern conveniences. in
Guiding steady stream of arrivals by
auto, freight trains, passenger trains,
on foot and horseback. Business does
not really become CoOd until mid