Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-14
Jack Pickering
Here
and
Now

Albert p. Willis, the lumber
dealer, has had an old-fashioned
buggy standing in front OF his
Office ut Hamilton and Balti-
more avenues for the last fort
night.
Passersby took II for granted
that il was an advertising stunt,
but il isn't. Al Willis bought
the buegy-or more exactly, it's
a surrpy-because he intends 10
drive il around town. When he
gets a horse, that is.
Going down TO Monroe 10 see
his dauhter, Johanna, at 81.
Mary,s Academy, Willis passed
a shop owned by an old-time
blacksmith and carriage builder.
II is on M-24. about mile and
a half north Of the academy.
with the rubber shortage. and
RasoIine rationing coming, Willis
Just up and bought the surrey.
He isn't honestly convinced that
he's going 60 need IL, and still
regards IL as sort OF q Joke. IL
don't know what 1 want buggy
for" ne said. but then, 1 used
60 have a sailboat. What does
ANYBODY want n boat for? Just
for the fun of IL, 1 guess"
We wouldn't be surprised II II
turned out 10 be more useful
than Willis thinks. In England.
people with horses and carriages
are being envied by their horse
less neighbors.
And already In the eastern
United States. which has had
gas rationing for some months,
horses are coming back. This
weeks New Yorker magazine
carries an advertisement for
Kauffman's, in New York City.
reading: DRIVE WITHOUT
GAS. Buy a buggy now. Large
selection of pony carts. buck
boards, broughams. station wa
CONS. buggies, Surveys, phaetons,
victorias."
AS a matter OF fact. buggies
are scarce In Michigan. At the
place where Willis bought his.
customers were coming from
outside the state and taking
buggies back TO Ohio and Penn
sylvania.
Willis happens TO have farm
near Brown City, and inquired
up there before getting his sur
rey at Monroe. They told him
at Brown City that there prob
ably weren't more than four
buggies in the whole county, and
even those were not for sale.
Willis lowed his surrey behind
his automobile from Monroe.
And N you don't think it's n
Job" said he, towing n buggy
40 miles at Is miles an hour,
try It. 1 wouldn't do IL again for
$50. Out on Fort street L got
going faster and one Of the
buggy tires few OF and bounced
IS feet I'm the air. Now I've got
TO have IL put back on again"
His Is in excellent shape eX-
cept for the tire and some holes
that rats ate in the upholstery.
He paid $33 for IT. and already
has been offered SIS for it. Then
somebody else offered him 800
or set your own price" But
he won't sell.
He said he intended to have
the top and back recovered with
imitation leather. and have the
seats re-upholstered in red
leather TO give the equipage
some real dash.
And I suppose I'll let the
kids use It," he said, but /
was brought up in Montana and
I've seen some runaways. It's
quite a tumble from the seat
and they might break a leg, so
I better get a hootnanny put on
here, so they can't fall out"
Willis hasn't bought q horse
vet, but IL looking around for
an old one. "None OF these
5-year-olds for me-" he said.
TOO frisky and energetic. i
want one that will take IL easy"
Incidentally, Julius Jacobs,
the horse dealer. told me later
that there hasn't been any ire
mendous rush for horses yet, but
the demand IL moderately brisk
and he expects II TO grow
brisker. He sold ~ head OF
buggy horses last month alone,
although they all were bought
by people out in the country,
and none by Detroiters.
Willis, insisting that he's go
ing 10 get as elderly a horse as
possible, thinks he can buy one
from one OF the junk men he
sees driving around.
Besides" he added sentiment
tally, 1t would be a break for
one Of those poor old horses.
How do ] know but what one
OF them has done somebody a
good turn once? I'll be able TO
give II its reward by seeing that
it has a comfortable old age"
War Bond PARTY