Evening star., 1961-07-03

uLCW Was III d car aCClQenC
1t was in his nephew's car,
not the Model T, but An
drew suffered a back injury
and he didn't drive the Model
T after that until last week
Cars been sitting still be-
cause it's got no starter. You
gotta crank it and since
hurt my back I can't crank
it so good. 1 gotta get some
one to crank it for me now
said 66-year-old Andrew.
HE WAS STANDING beside
the Model T, his hand on the
door that doesn't close so ef-
ticiently anymore. Andrew
was at the LaPlata Armory
waiting to take his drivers
test.
MY license expired and l
came to take the written part
last week. I passed it. !
didn't think I would. In 1919
they only had 10 questions.
Now they got 80 questions. I
was so frightened I would
funk.
Nov 1 gotta drive the car
for them. I won't be using
it much but I thought l best
get my license for when 1
do"
Andrew had awakened
early that morning to take
his test. George Quigley, a
livestock dealer, stopped by
Andrews house, cranked the
car and the two of them
drove to the Armory.
Like a lost ghost, the Model
T, tall and black, stood out
ip the parking lot line of
crashing red, mauve, absinthe
green and royal blue cars
that were slim and sleek and
embehShed with chrome and
fins.
1t came Andrews turn.
He and the Model T ap-
preached the officer in
charge of the test. The
policeman's Indifferent face
did not change as he put his
foot on the first available
running board in years and
in loud tones over the noise
of the motor told Andrew
where to park the car.
In one corner of the park
ing lot there were two mark
ers, indicating the average
sized parking space.
With all the precision of
a trailer truck driver, Andrew
lined up the car. He even
stuck out his left arm in a
sharply defined signal to
imaginary cars behind him
on an imaginary road.
HE EASED the Model T
back into the space, then
started forward, the last step
in what had been a beauti-
fully executed stop. But then
something happened. The
car started forward too fast
and the slim wheels, which
looked like diversified bicycle
tires, jumped the curb.
Andrew maneuvered the
car back into place but the
policeman told him he had
not passed the test. He said
he could come back in five
days.
Andrew looked a little de-
jected.
II just got nervous and my
hand hit the gas throttle. "
He showed how you run a
Model T, a puzzling operation
for one reared on the prin-
ciple of the automatic shift.
Instead of the gas foot
pedal there was the hand
throttle on the right of the
wooden wheel. And on the
left was some wierd thing
called the spark lever which
controls the timing. Today's
cars do this on their own,
in the Model T you have to
advance or retard the spark
to control the timing.
There are three pedals on
the floor in Andrews car,
There is no such thing as a
speedometer, and Andrew has
to lift up the front seat and
look at the gas to tell when
he's low.
Steam was coming from
the radiator cap and Andrew
started for the nearest gas
station for water. There was
a look of determination that
indicated he'd get things
right the next time he came
for the test.
AS he smiled and waved
goodbye he said, you know
in 1919 you didn't have tt
park it to pass. You just
had to ride around the block.