Evening star., 1942-01-09

new children, but right now 1t looks
as II 1t will be many years before
any one gets new car.
Consequently. the old jalopy now
is leading a pampered and petted
life. 1t is being given the sort Of
loving care that Americans hitherto
have reserved for brand spanking
new automobiles the first few weeks
they owned them. You know how We
all have worried and fretted over
new cars. We avoided taking them
out in rain lest that first lovely
luster be lost. We drove them at q
snai's pace for fear their innards
would become overheated. The first
nick of a fender or dent OF q bumper
tore at our hearts. We even used
the ash trays instead OF stomping
out the cigarette butts on the floor.
Our ardor cooled quickly, how
ever. In a few weeks, Just as soon
as the newness had worn OF, We
treated them as if We had bought
them at a 10-cent store. We left
them out overnight in driving rains.
We parked them in spaces so narrow
We had to scrape of little paint
to wedge them in We paid no at
tention to their diets and fed them
low-grade fuels that would have
given a tractor indigestion. and
treated the upholstery as If 1t were
cast iron.
Then the Government slapped the
ban on new-car sales. Overnight
every automobile owner realized that
the car parked in his garage was
the only thing that stood between
him and that invention Of the devil,
walking.
Not being able TO read or listen
to the radio, American automobiles
must have been bewildered by the
sudden show Of attention from their
owners. Cars which hadn't felt q
mechanics loving hands for years
were rushed to the best motor
diagnosticians in town and put
through the clinic.
Cars whose valves were heavy with
carbon were given day and night
mechanics. Cars whose broken
springs had plagued them for years
were given relief. Consulting spe-
cialists were brought in to save
ancient models with rheumy head
lights, gout OF the gears, conclusion
Of the carburetor, and wheeling Of
the wheels.
MaTonly old machines had their
clutch faces lifted, their bumpers
beautifled, and the mud packs taken
of.
I am on motor trip now and my
car is constantly on my mind. When
I stop at hotel for the night, I am
not particularly interested in what
kind of room can get. My first
question is about the hotel garage.
Is 1t freproof? Is it steam-heated?
Does it have night watchman? Is
there a mechanic to give the car a
thorough check-up? I honestly do
everything but ask for a corner room
for the cara quiet room where it
can get a good nights sleep. On
the road, my concern is even
greater. I stop every few miles and
water the car and am much more
interested in the pressure in the
tires than I am in my own blood
pressure.
When America was young, the
worse thing that could be said about
a man was that he was horse thief.
1t was hanging of1ense. prophesy
that before this war is over, and
America returns to normal, to call
a man a car thief will be rock bot
tom in epithets.
Years from now, men will be
barred from clubs because there
were Chevrolet thieves in their
family lines.
The time will come when auto
mobiles will be more precious than
gold. Heiresses will be those who
have q 1898 Oldsmobile in good re-
pair as a dowry, and a young man
who has a 1889 re-paint Buick and
a set of re-tread tires will be con-
sidered a very eligible bachelor, in
deed. A matching set of spark plugs
will be a coveted engagement gift.
and brides will proudly display a
trousseau that includes a windshield
wiper and new fan belt.
Now I must hurry and feed my
jalopy a lump Of sugar.
Distributed BY McNausht Syndicate. Incl
Twn prnhae lnstitIIfnd