Evening star., 1942-06-28
New York Motorists
In Line Before Dawn
To Get Gasoline
'Crosher' Driven or;
X Cards Held Down to
Six-GuIIon Limit
Sy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, June 27.-The night
still fingered this Saturday morn as
thousands Of New York motorists
began their hunt for fuel for what
distribution officials said was to be
the driest weekend since gasoline
became a precious liquid in the
rationed East.
. Out in Queens County, Shorty's
station was little crosS-section of
what was going on at every filling
station in the city and in the areas
around. Shorty had passed the
word: BE in line around 6 a m.
and maybe you can get six gallons"
/, At $50 am. there were four cars
An line. Shorty. presumably, was
home in bed. The envied number
,one car in the line was driverless.
iits owner having gone home to
breakfast.
A man in pajamas and bathrobe
drove up and stared gloomily at the
iline. No matter how early. those
ithree guys beat me-" he said and
went across the street for news
paper.
The line grew steadily until cars
,curled around the block Some
,drivers were in bathing suits, ready
for the beach If they could get gas.
Others were in overalls and in con-
slant communion with their watches.
Factory workers.
Line "Crasher" Driven OFF.
Women in curriers' and housecoats
were in the line and high school kids
sent over to hold the place until
dad could get there They smoked.
visited from car to car and waited
for Shorty.
Then a fellow drove up beside the
line and parked on the other side
of the pump. The easy good humor
of the line faded and shouted
threats materialized into grim
group which persuaded the driver
he ought to get to the end of the
line if he valued his car windows
A police radio car stopped by and
listened as he pleaded he was
Shorty's brother law and Its all
right with him" 1t wasn't all right
with the walters, though. and he
went 20 The end of line which was
considerably longer than when he
first came up.
Shorty arrived and opened up"
Then sat down to read a paper.
Hey, Shorty" the cry went up.
Make with the pump, huh?"
Tank amt here vet" said Shorty,
and went on reading.
"Someday that tank amt going to
get here at all said paiamas.
'Somedav quick the mobs are going
TO figure out that a big tank wagon
is money and the highjack will
be on"
That brought other tales of
rackets in gasoline. Many dealers
have had their supplies cut off for
irregularities. but still they flourish.
1t seems.
One man told of friend of a
friend of his who couldn't get gas
at his station, but got it from
turtlve fellow who called with 10
gallons-for which he charged S.
Others knew of other such things
and the crowd grew bigger by the
minute.
All Cards Worth the Same.
When the tank wagon came it was
nearly am.
Last Saturday It was 1890 be-
fore he got here" said pajamas.
Shorty went into action. Before
the tank wagon had emptied its
load, he was selling gasoline.
No oil. no windshield wiping, no
free air, no battery checking. Shorty
stood and pumped and his helper
went down the line. Six gallons to
car was the limit, the helper COL
lected Sl27 from each and punched
the ration cards.
The man with the x card got
six and six only, same as the man
with an A. That has been a per-
haps foreSeen development of the
rationing system. Station men may
limit their customers provided they
limit all to the same amount and
the x card doesn't mean much any
more.
The walters got laugh from the
morning paper which said perma-
nent rationing, when begun, would
give each car four gallons a week.
Paper gallons was the chuckle.
THAT extra gallon is paper one.
Where you going to get gas for it?"
Soon Shortys supply was gone
and the cars at the end of the
line went off untitled to hunt for
other dwindling lines.
A group of livery stable horsemen
eantered by on their way to the
park.
There ought to be something
funny to yell at them guys said
a man who got in line too late, but
I can't think what it is"