The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-21
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.)

Hagerstown, Nd, Sept. 16.
These are to be vagrant and frRg-
mentary notes of a journey into the
heart of the country. Except in the
respect that they are to be brief rec
ords of the usual and the common
place. there WIFI be nothing unusual
about them. I do not intend to write
anything about the scenery along the
route. do not intend to pretend that
I have rediscovered America or that
the Eastness and grandness and un-
dreamed potentialities of this great
country have made new man of me.
Nothing like that. 1 have gone so
far now that can no~longer reason
ably expect a new birth in this exist
ence, and I have been entirely cog
infant of America for a number of
years. Tt would be practically impos-
sible for this countryw to slip me much
of a surprise. Neither is there any
thing new and original in my idea
of riding across the country in a
motorcar and writing my impressions
of it The thing has been done before.
1t has been done by practically every
writing man who get money enough
together to keep>a Henry car in gas
during the life of the contract. But
I don't mind saying that this trip is
propaganda of the most subtle kind.
There is nothing of which I grow so
tired as looking at the same desk every
day. In order to get away from it
now ana Iucn L am WlillIlS 70 ~
all the horrors and privations of travel
and to submit to the conversation of
strangers, who bore me with the small
change of their mental processes. If
1 get by with this-if the stuff gets
overt may be that the chief will
permit me to make other unpleasant
and annoying journeys. 1 am the type
of reporter who doesn't care much
where he goes so long as he can ride.
In addition to my refusal to write
of the scenery or the hitherto unsuS-
are other things I shall not do. Il
as an instance, we do not reach WASH
ington, Pa, tomorrow night, likely
we shall reach there on the day fol-
lowing, or at some future time. I have
no intention of driving 265 miles in an
attempt to reach a given point on
given date. So far as a stranger is
concerned, one town is about as stupid
as another. And 1 positively refuse to
tinker with the car. When I have a
puncture or blowout shall sit down
| by the side of the road and wait for
succor. 1 have noticed that If one Is
willing to sit long enough somebody
who knows how to change tire and
| is proud of the fact is sure to come
along. And if the car needs repairs,
I intend-to employ an automobile me-
f~chanic to do the work. Today We
passed seventeen cars hauled up by
| the roadside Seventeen gentlemen
but in pursuit of a good time were
spelling the day for themselves by
doing their own work Tinkering with
his motorcar is about the only thing
an American of the present generation
| is willing to do for himself. If it is
anything else, he hires somebody to do
| it for him. There will be many dis
comforts and annoyances, but antici-
| pate but one thrill on this journey.
That will be Marion, o. I have never
been in Marion and I am going.
AS you may have suspected, we are
| travelling light People who go
away on motor trips always travel
light" Everybody in the party
agrees that he will take as little bag
gage as possible-just a change of
| linen. and a toothbrush. Sometimes
they talk about it for months in ad-
vance, repeatedly assuring each other
THAT they expect to take practically
nothing. Adelaide and 1 anticipated
possible social functions in the old
home town by expressing a trunk
| filled with sartorial investiture. We
had almost nothing left to carry along.
| In fact, when we loaded up this morn
ing we had only two suit cases, two
| travelling bags hatboX Adelaide's
sports coat, my topcoat, three sweat
ers. my golf clubs. my new stick. a
| couple of rugs, a couple of boxes of
cigars. one pillow. the antique Rem
| ington and the Blue Book. Practical
| ly speaking, the car was empty. 1t
| will surprise those who know me best
| to learn that I am carrying only four
pairs of shoes. I have other shoes. of
| course. but they are in the trunk. De-
| spite my fears Adelaide and 1 did not
| engage in controversy before We got
to Overlook There was, so to speak,
no break in the cordially of our rela-
| lions until we reached Lancaster. Up
| to that point they were as amicable
and pleasant as those between persons
| who are not married to each other.
But there was some argument at Ian
caster and things were none too genial
! at Columbia and just outside Waynes-
| boro. I did my best to maintain the
| entente cordiale. This afternoon I got
| out of the car and looked at the
brakes three time, treasured skep-
| ticlSm on the point as to whether we
had plenty of gas on five or six diff
| ferent occasions and inspected the
radiator number of times.
a guide at Gettysburg told us bust
ness in his line was better than 1t had
been for number of years First
! and last, the guides of Gettysburg
probably have exceeded the armies of
lice and Meade in numerical strength.
1t must be a lucrative calling, too.
Years ago was at Gettysburg. I en-
gagged a weather-beaten, carelessly
Igarbed and none too prepossessing
| gentleman to convey me over the bat
/ tlefield in what might have been, by
courtesy. described as a car. He was
4 sad specimen, and had it been left
to me I should have appraised all his
worldly possessions at a valuation of
not more than So. I received money
from home that morning. having
cashed a check in a Harrisburg bank,
and I had no insignificant currency.
And so I apologized when rendered
him a $50 DILL to change. He seemed
unlmpressed and said he Guessed he
could change it." Thereupon he drew
from his right-hand trousers pocket a
roll that would have choked a horse
He could have changed a $1,000 bill
right on his own premises. Gettys-
burg Is worth the trip to any one who
cares to take it. I have seen a num-
Der of the big battlefields of the Civil
49, - - &. IL, in