A MOTOR CAR RUE.

West Coast Times, 13 December 1909, Page 2

A MOTOR CAR RUE.

(Contributed).

"As I had not visited Ross, although coming to the Coast for many years, I gladly accepted an invitation from Mr Woodhouse, of Wellington, to accompany him to the southern township in a motor car." This statement was made by Mr Low, manager of the Pollard Opera Company. -"How long did it take to make^the trip," Mr Low was asked. "We didn't reach our destination and I don't think we would have got there in a year, and if we had been successful we could not certainly have got back by the same means." The genial manager for "Pollards" then went on with his tale. "I did not like the look of the car before I got into it, but not wishing to back out, especially as Mr Woodhouse had been, kind en* ough to invite me for the ride we started off, the chauffeur in charge ef a wheel, or something like one. It was the first occasion on which I had ever been for a ride in a jmotor car, but it struck me very forcibly that the one we were in was'nt up to much. However things were not so bad until we got past Kanieri, which took us over an hour and at the junction of the Lake and Kokatahi roads (by the way we were on the road to Ross and didn't know the route) the car absolutely refused to budge. Mr Low was asked what he was doing in the meantime : Oh ! Woodhouse and I were sitting on the bank laughing at the driver, who was all over the car,, underneath and everywhere else. It seemed to us that he was having a joke with us. However, the car was persuaded to 'gee' after a great deal of coaxing and we all got into it again. This time we could not stop her. On asking the chauffeur do so 1& re» plied 'I can't.' 'Well," this is no place for us,' said the pleasure seekers, and they both jumped out, leaving the man in charge to his fate and speculating as to what would be the outcome. To make a long story short," said Mr Lowe, the machine careered along until she was prevented from going any further by a hole about 20 feet off the road, into which-she dived. We were nearly two hours getting her out and on returning through Kanieri she again played up and would not stir. No where else but on the middle of the road would suit the car to have a spell. This to the danger of traffic in general. A timber wagon then appeared in sight and we were being told by the people of Kanieri to make room, but of course we couldn't shift, and we told them so. They didn't believe usi atlhough Mr Woodhouse did his best to convince them afterwards. The horses drawing the wagon, in endeavouring to clear the car, were responsible for the wheels of the vehicle striking a boulder , and the driver somersaulted with the reins twisted round his hand. Mr -Woodhouse, Mr Low stated, promptly rushed to the driver's assistance and with some 'difficulty managed to extricate him from his perilous jaosition. By this time we were being heckled by about a dozen people, who said we were blocking the traffic and causing grievous bodily harm. "What happened," Mr Lowe was asked, "Oh nothing, only Woodhouse had to shout for all hands," We thought that Kanieri was almost depopulated until "come and have a drink" was heard. People seemed to turn up from every nook and corner md we oonverted our enemies of a few minutes before into warm friends as a result of Mr Woodhouse's generosity. Anyhow afterwards we arrived in Hokitika and although, as will be noticed, we were not successful in our mission, viz., reaching Ross, we never laughed so much in all our lives. I am not going to attempt to reach Ross by motor car again, added Mr Low, and concluding with this remark he wended his way to the Princess Theatre to report the occurrence to Mr Tom Pollard.