Evening star., 1963-02-05
BY PHILIP H. LOVE

AAeg oAAOOOAA-A ulllllllS Sdlp WAbAl
its heater. defroster, windshield
wipers, sealed-beam headlights,
driving over well-paved. we'll
marked roadside you realize
how soft you have it in COM
parison with the motorist OF,
say, so years ago? Or, for that
matter, Just 80 years ago?
About the worst things you
can complain about are traffic
and parking. But in the days
when traffic was negligible and
parking mostly a matter of Just
stopping and pulling on your
emergency" brake, motoring
was filled with hardships and
hazards. 1t was also filled with
q spirit OF high adventure.
I was q very small boy when
my father bought his first auto
mobile-which also was one Of
tht first in our Baltimore
suburb. The make is long for
gotten, but I still remember its
big wheels, thin tires and open
body trimmed with brass, which
1t became one Of my chores to
keep shiny. I've never gotten
over my dislike for that partic-
ular metal.
The first good Sunday we
had the car. the whole family
donned busters and goggles,
and Father took us for a ride
We got no farther than the
nearest long, steep hill when
the engine resigned and a
horse had to be found to haul
US to the top. Coasting down
the other side, Father managed
to restart the motor and we
went on our way. laughing as
II we were having a good time.
Which, in a way, we were.
"Old Betsy" BaIks
The next clear Sunday, Father
had to drive to Washington to
show the car to his brother. It
was a narrow, winding route
in, those days. with no auto
mobile bridges across the
Patapsco and Patuxent Rivers.
"Old Betsy" as Father dubbed
the ear after an aunt who was
equally unpredictable. took the
hills all right but relaxed in the
middle Of both streams. A horse
pulled us out Of the first, but
two mules had all they could
do to get US out Of the second.
I till love horses.
anyway, the trip was suffi-
GENTLY successful to make
Father want to drive to his ma
tive Loveville, in st. Mary's
County, Md, to show off the
car to Aunt Betsy herself,
along with some other rela-
tives. That route. too, was
narrow. winding, dusty in fair
weather and hub-cap deep
with mud in foul. And, Of
course, there were innumer-
able streams to ford.
Near Waldorf, a sudden
ratnstorm all but drowned US
before we could raise the top,
get the curtains from under
the back seat and button them
in place. The one beside the
drivers seat in that car, on
the right-had to be left off
because Father had to lean
out to see where we were 60
ing. There were, Of course, no
windshield wipers.
I've long since forgotten
how many times the car got
stuck In the mud and had to
be pulled out by horse or mule.
but I remember asking, Faith
er, does horsepower have any,
thing to do with how many 1t
takes to get out of q mud
hole?" His answer, I seem to
recall. was DRY upl"
On a road near Aunt Bet
sy's we chugged around a
curve and almost ran head-on
into a horse and buggy. The
horse, terrified by the noisy
monster occupied by three
strange-lo creatures in
goggles and busters, tried to
run away but the farmer man.
aged to hold him In check.
What the farmer said almost
started a brush fire, but
Father-always a diplomat
calmed him down with a 81
bill. which was more money
than 1t sounds like.
Somebody's ShOOtin'"
Aunt Betsy and her family,
who had never seen an auto
mobile. wanted to 60 for a
ride "just to see what it's like
TO go so fast" They were hav-
ing the time Of their lives
when one Of the rear tires
blew out. Even before the car
stopped. Cousin Mace jumped
out and dashed into the woods.
run for your lives" he
shouted over his shoulder.
Somebody's shootin' at usl"
The return trip was less
eventful. thanks to dry weather
and the fact that every farmer
in a buggy or wagon heard is
coming in time TO pull off the
road and hold his horse, while
patting him soothingly and
whispering sweet nothings, un-
I'll wetputt-putted by.
Long before we got back 10
Baltimore. however. the gas
headlights had TO be lit. Some
where between Savage and
Elkridge, the lights burned out,
and the rest Of the trip was
made with two lanterns tied
on the front Of the car.
We made the same trip many