Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1935-02-08
''Chiirps" ~
from the
Democrats Pen

~811OS4 SS - - u ~A@
Well, Sir, maybe you have read in
the news columns of the Democrat
today about that car load Of POGO
,noke sports lovers who started on
Saturday last to aye Anciente Cite
Of Annapolis" to enjoy program OF
athletics at the Governmental Reser-
walton commonly known as the
Naval Academy.
Rafe Ross, Ape Parker, Jeems Dry
den, and two young Rosses made up
the motor car crew, and they set out
last "Sad-day" morning for the Mata-
peake ferry. Blest if they didn't get
so enthused over the prospect of the
days doings, they just determined
they would indulge in a few stunts
themselves on the way. Consequently
first thing you know, they were show
ing the passers by how to stand on
their heads, do bob-sled act, go on
skiing flights, rassle with each 9TH
er, slide further than Kelly ever
could and wind up in championship
four-mile walk. Best of all, they did
this and came out alive.
In all these contests they had a
panicky automobile as an opponent.
Looked like the contraption had got
ten something beside gasoline at the
last station where they halted. Pick
ing out a nice smooth spot on a
woods road, the machine proceeded to
do a tap-dance, a highland fling, a
hoochy-koochy and a triple hand
spring all at once. Before the boys
knew where they were at, they were
already there. Eddie Ross was play
ing a tatto on the back of some Of
his elders. Jeemy Dryden was look
ing out the back window of the car
and wondering whether it was big
enough to provide an exit for his cor
porosity. Ape Parker was rassling
with the door handle, Rafe Ross was
calculating whether he could bust thru
the top, and the six-footer, young Ross
was standing outside looking like the
Eiffel Tower asking those inside to
come out where there was more room.
With all the skill of these born ath-
letics, it is needless to say, the demon
car came off winner. It just lay
there, grinned at the boys and asked
them what they were going to do
about it. 1t assumed sort of i'm
pudent air as if to say: "You can
take me or you can leave me-" They
had to do both. Rafe and Ape start
ed off on their four-mile walking
match to Denton, leaving the others
to cuss the machine. The two pedes-
trians say they were enjoying the
tramp, but somebody was cruel
enough to say they enjoyed better be-
ing overtaken by state road machine
which had tackled their obstreporous
gas wagon and was taking it for a
ride. They got aboard and history
will probably never know who was the
better footer-Ape or Rafe.
And what about the events across
the Bay? Did these sports lovers get
across? They did not. They con-
cluded they had enough fun and were
willing to call it a day. They kept
up their spirits (or kept them down,
/ don't know which) until they got
to Denton, borrowed a deck of cards,
whistled and sang until their Lizzie
was patched up, and then came dizzily
home.
And you know, they didn't want to
say anything about all this. No, Sir,
they kept quiet as mice. They arrived
under cover of darkness and proceeded
to get under bed covers as soon as
possible. But, murder will out and
as their accounts of what happened
at the home of the Kay-dets they fin
ally had to fess up. But, how-some-
ever, nevertheless, and moreover, they
still have their nerve with them, and
they say they are ready to make an
other trip across the big ditch just to
see whether the boys in blue over
there are any better at acrobatic
feats than the young CD bloods OF
Pocomoke are.