Evening star., 1938-06-12

with. Reasonable recreation, such as
the movies or bridge, turn around
town to see the sights, and q good
nights sleep, we discovered to be what
we really wanted and needed.
WE FOUND our ordinary "at home"
breakfast-fruit,- cereal, eggs,
possibly ham or bacon, toast, coffee
satisfactory as the dry's starter. Lunch
would be light and we often found a
roadside ham sandwich the best and
safest bet. For sudden fits of hunger
while driving we kept packages Of
cookies or zweibach in the car Nor did
we gorge at dinner when the days driv-
ing was over, however tempting might
be the Wands available.
That this moderation paid dividends
IN terms Of unbroken good health there
can be no doubt, for while there is in
touring an excess Of sunlight and fresh.
air there is also restraint upon exer--
else which may easily impair digestion.
But We went armed against this, nev-
ertheless, and never failed to keep our
own system as adequately fabricated
as the engine of the car. The little
drug store We carried also held the
usual first-aid equipment-gauze, ad-
hesive tape, iodine swabs and such
and a gargle, rubbing alcohol, eye
wash and flask of brandy.
We strove to keep our wardrobe at
a minimum for cleanliness and COM
fort and to provide against unexpected
changes in temperature. We knew
that II we went about socially any,
where enroute, our friends would un-
derstand any informality in our at
tire.
At the start Of each day we made
sure our car was fully provisioned with
gas, oil and water and then checked
our destination ahead with local in
formation. Our maps served us only
just so far. There might be unsus-
pected road or other conditions to be
reckoned with. And at the daily hop
off and later on the road we found
the suppliers Of information Of two
distinct and sharply defined varie-
ties. There was the fellow who
hemmed and hawed and guessed Po-
litely ignore him. And there was the
one who steps right up, looks you
In the eye and without hesitation
tells you just which way to go and
why. Most generally he can be relied
upon. Gas station advice was almost
always helpful.
THE setting at the start Of the days
drive of fixed, immutable desti-
nation Is not without its drawbacks.
We always started early and usually
hoped to reach a certain point before
nightfall, but we never determined
to do 50. This left us free to quit
when weary at any place where suit
able accommodations for the night
were available. There were some long
stretches between such, but they were
the exception. So our days journey
ing might range anywhere from $50
miles up to nearly 500, as it did on
one occasion.
Quitting when fatigued probably had
much to do with completing our jour-
ney without accident But there were
other reasons. While we cruised In
open country at as high as 10 we never
passed another car at that rate and
always reduced that figure by half
when approaching hill crests and
curves, and even more at blind curves
Assuming there were good reasons
for putting them there, we respected
every oficial warning sign or signal
encountered and never forgot that
weaving-at any speed, traflc or no
traffic-is the most dangerous act in
motoring. So We kept to our side
of the road and signaled plainly when
turning out.
These seem, and are, elemental rules
Of motoring, but the transcontinental
driver can do nothing better than sink
them still deeper into his conscious. i.
ness-and abide by them, always.
Passing through the country In sum-
mer, bugs smashed on the windshield
are often a nuisance and even a
menace Also, in some sections, butter
flies and insects of various kinds will
become so thickly imbedded in the
radiator front that cooling may be
seriously affected. Filling station at
| tendants usually took care Of the
windshield, but as q rule the radiator
! was our own job.