Rayen School - Rayen Yearbook (Youngstown, OH)

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430 01313: ikapzn Recnrh and such an astonished look came over his face when he saw our flying contraption bearing down on him that we would have laughed had not our own predicament been so serious. VVhen we were almost upon him, the driver pulled over into .sv X X- '--f W f- 4:---if -. X i M- - S xg X jf! --We left Enos at the Next Corner. H r an-n the ditch, and, as we passed him with a roar and a clatter, he swore terribly,ivolubly, and earnestly. Wle had no gas control, no brakes, no switch, so Clin de- cided the only way to stop the uhornswoggled thing was to break the spark wire, He laid his hand on the wire, and, as

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Ein Bayer: ikernrh 429 The Cruise of the Mary Ann INISHED at last ! sighed Adin as he stood off to look it over. But, boy, l'1l bet she'll go some, he added. True, it was a crude looking craft but evidently sub- stantial and speedy, and was the result of the toil and ingenuity of five boys.-Adin and Enos Bassinger, Olin and Asa Krumbacker, and myself-Moses Perkins. VVe had con- structed this strange automobile from an old flat-bedded wagon, and a single-cylinder engine that developedhabout twenty horsepower, and used the sprocket wheels and chains of an old reaper and binder. For a means of steering it we had removed the wagon tongue, and tied a rope to either end of the front axle, and by pulling strenuously on one of the other rope we could steer a more or less straight course. Our one big drawback was the lack of a clutch. It was impossible to start the motor under a load, but we remedied this by simply putting a jack under the rear axle, thus lifting the rear wheels clear of the ground, and leaving them free to rotate. ' The tank was filled with high-test gasoline, and the wire that ran from the coil-box to the spark-plug was connected. She was now ready to be christened, and Pa Mellinger was to perform the ceremony of breaking the bottle, and naming her the Mary Annu. Vile stood at Attention while Pa shattered the bottle of cider on the rear wheel, and, incident- ally, cut his hand. ' VVhen Ma Mellinger had stopped the blood and the oaths, we jumpedaboard, and spun the wheels. She caught and began to pick up speed ainazinglyfast. Pa yanked the jack clear, and we started on the maiden voy- age of the Mary Ann leaving Asa, who had not taken the precaution to hang on to something, sprawled in the grass. Down the rocky lane we tore,,gaining speed at -every revolution of the wheels, and the sharp curve where the lane joined the brick road was just ahead! 'l, who was driving, pulled with all my strength on the left rope, and we shot around, skidded almost into the ditch, with the sparks flying from the iron tired wheels, and went careening madly down the road to North Lima. Far ahead we saw a slow-moving Ford, and as we sped up to it, the driver thrust his head out,

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mhz Rupert Breath ' , 43x he had his bare foot grounded on the base of the engine, the shock he got knocked him safely across the ditch into a nice soft hay field. All North Lima could hear us coming, while we were still a mile or so down the road, and were out in full force to watch us as we swayed madly past with staring eyes, drawn and haggard faces, and grim, set jaws. Away down the road we could see a horse and buggy go- ing slowly down the hill, and we fervently prayed that it would turn into a lane before 'we reached it, as we could never expect to pass a fear-frantic horse on such a narrow road without in- jury to ,some one. - VVhen the shattering reports from our exhaust reached the driver's ears, he gave us a frightened glance, and then whipped up his horse, and headed for the nearest lane, which was almost a mile away, and we were only three-quarters of a mile behind him. The Mary Ann slowed down considerably as we went up the hill, and around the curve at the top, but still she was going too fast for us to jump off in safety. Vlfe started down the long, steep hill, and commenced to overhaul' the flying steed and his swaying buggy so rapidly that it seemed as though they were standing still. Vtfe left Enos at the next corner, which was at the bottom of the hill, and whizzed past the horse and buggy just as the horse whirled into the lane, overturning the buggy and throwing the man into the fence corner. NVe left the road just the other side of Greenford, and came to a halt against the soft side of a large oak tree. Tl1e doctor says that there are no bones broken, and that Adin and I will be able to walk in a few weeks. There are some men trying to dig the engine out of the ground, but I don't think we want it any more. - Harold Goodrich-, ,24. -1- 4- -if 'RAYEN Rayen! School, institution, hope, incarnation of ideal! Alma Mater of my youth, of my expanding mind and soul- You are dear to meg always cherished be with affections real Enshrined in my veneration, soul-deep, mind-full and heart- whole. - Noble Mother, I thank you. Thou didst teach me Noblesse Oblige. . Rcjanc Philo, '23. I3 xii v l l I l i l