The Washington times., 1919-03-05
BOYS
AT REED TO RACE

The Come Back, the newspaper pub
lished by and for the soldier-patients
at Walter Reed General Hospital in
its issue of today, prints this:
You giddy birds who sail around
corridors on one wheel Of the OLD
rolling chair, pin back your ears now
and sit still while this fellow throws
! challenge in your teeth. Yes, sir
right in the teeth! He's a bad man
and a railroad man, he is-first cousin
| to Casey Jones, and built for speed.
Any patient on the post who thinks
/ he is the Eddie Rickenbacker o.
wheel-chair chauffeurs is invited 70
| trundle up to Ward 20 and state his
case to Charles Archibald, eighth bed
Oh the right and high private on
both wheels. For when IL comes To
things that roll, this Archie never
stays behind nobody, no, sub! He's
the original human locomotive, geared
high on both sides, and he hereby
and to wit claims the rolling chair
championship of Walter Reeds army.
Comeback to Give Cup.
Now the Comeback has a cup, a
bee-you-ti-fuI silver cup, for the man
who can show his tail lights to
Charles Archibald. To prove that ths
cup is all that we claim 1t to be and
has no holes in it, it will be placed
on exhibition in the Red Cross House:
Roll around and have a look at II.
Off-hand we should say 1t holds about
a pint. What's that? No, the cup did
rot come from Baltimore.
The way we got the cup Is almost
story by itself. When a Comeback
reporter told Mrs. Rae, the Red Cross
field director, Of our needs, she imme-
diately offered to furnish the trophy
herself, and the reporter thereuDon
nimbly hoped on the first car down
town Git was going at least three and
a half miles an hour, and in thu
course of time arrived at Goldsmith
& Co, 1905 F street northwest, Bit
a difficulty arose at once, for Mr..
Pearson. the manager, did not want
to sell cup to the Walter Reed boys.
You see, he preferred to give 1t. Oh,
well, anyway, the difficulty was adj
justed without a fist fight, and Mr.
Pearson Is out one cup. He il going
to engFave that cup something like
this for the winner:
Comeback Wheel Chair Champion
Walter Reed General Hospital" with
the winners name and date Of win-
ming it.
According to HOyle.
In order that everyone may have a
fair chance at the trophy the cham
pionship will be decided strictly &C
cording to Hoyle-or Spaulding. The
course or speedway will start on the
paved roadway in front Of the Red
Cross house and continue around the
circle before the main building. You
are permitted to practice all you Ike
in advance OF the race.
Now, perhaps, you think there Is
no real sport in driving a wheel
chair. Just try 1t. Or, IL you want
to see a demonstration, walk down
the corridor of the seventies some
day and watch Archibald and his side
partner.
Zippety, .clippety, Zippety. clippety
that's Archibald heading south.
foot, foot, toot!" and the cham
pion puts down the brakes hard on
the right and spins about to a full
stop. The signal man is Willard
Smith, Archibald's buddie in the next
bed and also a railroad man. foot,
toot"-full speed ahead. and Archie
Is off again with Smith trailing along
as the caboose.
"SOme" Railroad Men.
"Some" railroad men, that pair.
Archibald has two amputations. one
at the right ankle and one at the left
thigh, and Smith has lost his right
foot. But a railroad mans a rail-
road for a that. And built for speed
don't forget that. First cousin to
Casey Jones: second cousin to Bar
ney OldheId; third cousin to Glenn
Curtis You'll have to go some to
pass Archie.
II you like the looks OF that cup
and have a sneaking notion that you
are some pumpkins on a wheel chair
yourself, send your name to Sergeant
Lecky. care the Morale Office. A list
of challengers will be published next
week with further announcements.
Let every MANNED soldier yOu sec
he a reminder that your Income tax
la due.