Arizona republican., 1920-04-09
EDITORIAL
The Oasis
c. G. H. Editor

Bang,
 Now, isn't it just like tire to blow out just at the inconvenient moment? ? Midnight, out on a desert road-a mil lion miles from nowhere-that's a com bination of inconveniences
 It was but a few minutes work to peel the cripple off and take the spare tire off the rack.
 Lucky I got this new tire when did. Well. baby, here's where we change. Climb on to this wheel here and start travelling
 In spite of the lata-h hour three cars loomed up over the crest of the hill near by and passed us at work-with- out batting an eye. A fourth car, a fiivyer, slowed down and the driver in- qMred, How va making it?" Fine. thank you." And he drove on. That kind of an autoist must have felt lonely in the crowd
 On the level, is it the usual thing out in this country to pass a man working on his car out on the desert late at night, without inquiring if any help is needed?
 We contemplated this aspect of the Arizona auto driver as we were putting on the new tire. Suddenly a pair of lights mounted the crest of the hill and
 
 from one side of the road to the other. As the driver managed to straighten out his car we observed that in spite of the warm clear night, the rain cur tains were all up. 4 mixed chorus of voices-male and female-burst out with shouts and laughter as the car disappeared into the darkness.
 Joyriders The curse of the so- called pleasure car. The cause of many a fatal accident. Injuries not only to themselves but to innocent people who happen to get in the way thrive best in the early morning hours. You have seen pictures Of their cars being fished out of rivers in large cities. Ran into a bridge that was open. And the mor-l bid crowd hanging over the bridge rail the next day watched the police dragging for bodies that weren't pinned under the submerged car. Weep ing mothers mourning lost daughters good girls; and they had left home the night before to go to some local church function-so they said.
 Joyriders-out on the de-ert at mid night.
 So we ruminated, until we woke up to the fact that we were letting the car down a new tire that was getting flatter with the increasing load. The sinking sensation around the heart was directly proportional to the falling of the tire. A leaky valve was the cause or the lire failing. A little adJuStment remedied the trouble. but not until the tire was unfit for use. And we had DO pump. The significance of this dawned on us as another car passed. IL was too late to hail him. Between the choice of riding in on the rim and panhandling a pump from the next autoist we pro- posed to waylay, we chose the latter. | Not many minutes passed before the | hum of big motor and haze of light | over the hill announced the approach | of a prospect. Taking position in the 1 road, Jagged him down.
 Gotta pump?" we asked. A swell | big car like that ought to carry a | pump. "A pump?" the man at the wheel l echoed trying to vizualize such an un- usual tool. "No, by goliy. I haven't | sorry" And as he drove off we recognized l him as one of the merchant princes of i our fair city At the price he gets for l his goods he ought to carry q car full | of pumps-gold plated, etc.
 Back to the seat on the running board and the comforting pill How quiet the desert is at night. And so !