The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-13
BUNDY GIVES BACK "CAH"
And He Didn't Ask Former
Owner for a Cent Rebate on the
Original Payment.

While motorists generally are boast
ing of the mileage they get out of
! tires, mileage they get out of gasoline
and the cost mileage on the upkeep
of their vehicles, let one Vernon E.
| Bundy step forward and submit his
testimony. Bundy. an erstwhile re-
porter for The Topeka State Journal
and now assistant secretary and pub
| licity agent for the Chamber of Com
| merce, celebrated his advent into
wider fields by the purchase of a mo-
tor -so-called-several weeks ago.
| This past week he announced that he
had again Joined the ranks of the pro-
testing pedestrians. At the same time
he announced his bill of particulars
! and expense in the case.
The "cah" purchased by the ambi-
tious newspaper man was of the
vintage of 1915 or earlier. The man
from whom he purchased it guaran-
teed it would run, but that was all,
and optimistic on the subject Bundy
negotiated a straight purchase on the
installment plan, tho the owner, who
had sporting instincts, offered to make
it double or nothing on the flip of a
coin.
Having an equity in the "cah."
Bundy threw himself into the job of
rejuvenating the machine. He first
oiled the horn. These important items
looked after, Bundy filled the radiator
with water and the tank with High
Test and put his foot on the starter
button only to find that the machine
lacked a storage battery. 1t took him
several days to negotiate the purchase
of the needed juice box, but it was
finally obtained and installed.
BY Gosh, 1t Ran:
First footing the horn-at the sound
of which all the street cars on Kansas
Il 17afV- fv~.aO L
Bundy once more clamped his pedal
extremity on the starter and-Hurray,
hurrah and three cheers-the engine
turned over, caught the spark and
roared for work to do. Proudly, he
unanswered the machine out of the
junk yard where it had been stored
by it's owner and started toward 'her
house bent on showing off his latest
acquisition. But he had not gone far
until he found steering was dif1lcut
and probed the reason with all tne
energy of state board that has run
out of a job in its regular line. he
found the trouble all right, all right
1t was in that his two front wheels
tho properly attached to the steering
wheel, were of different sizes ana the
front axle was bent.
A new front wheel should have end
ed his troubles temporarily but AFTER
it was installed he found that 1t did
not take the old tire and a new tire
was necessary This obtained. the
"cah" ran just as the former owner
said 1t would do, barring several oc-
casions when It wouldn't. But BIndy
had no garage in which to keep his
pet His landlady said ne could run
it into her back yard over nights and
this had to do. Bundy. who, having
spent two years in the war. should
have known better. bought pup
tent" used it for covering the vital
0f the machine
But the '-ersatz' (substitute) garage
had its drawbacks. A large brick and
mortar trash burner was located in
the 1andlady's back yard and week
ago, when coming home at night,
Bundy failed to remember the exist
ence of the obstacle. The conse-
quence was that he and the trash
burner mixed and the back yard next
morning resembled one of the devas-
tated regions of northern France. In
addition TO other things the "cah" had
a flat tire Bundy left it that way
until last Monday night. when. secur
ing help of sympathizing friends AMI
borrowing a tire pump. he inflated the
tire for another try at motoring. The
tire inflated. the horn footed, the gas
tank filled, and with the radiator
overlooking. the engine baked. Moth
ing ne could do would make it forget
its strike. Bundy got out and walked.
Tuesday he walked some more, this
time into the place where the former
owner of the "cah" is employed.
You can keep what I have paid il
you will just come down to my place
and take that thing away" were his
only words. Then he did a perfect
bout face" and walked out of there.
He is still walking and some of the
time he thinks of the sixty-five miles
he rode In the "cah" and at the same
time thinks of the s65 it cost him.