Sunday, June 29, 1997
A car that's too good to resist
SWEETWATER - Dr. George Knight likes old things.
The Hardin-Simmons professor has collected oil lamps and pottery
shards dating from the time of Jesus, bringing them from Israel
during several archaeological digs. He also teaches Greek, an
ancient language.
But his love of the old and the elegant extends to cars, too,
so the professor was on hand Friday in Sweetwater with his wife,
Joan, showing his 1931 Pierce-Arrow, Model 43, as drivers and
navigators of the Great Race paused in Sweetwater for lunch.
Knight was not driving in the Great Race this year, but he
has driven his Pierce-Arrow in the Great Race in the past.
"You have to be about half crazy to do it," Knight
said of the 4,000-mile cross-country antique car rally.
"You spend days on the road, and it is very intense,"
he said, trying to keep up with all the race's day-to-day, hour-to-hour
instructions.
Driver and navigator are constantly concentrating on their
jobs, he said, leaving little time to relax.
Still, Knight said, the race is a wonderful thing in which
to participate.
"The people are really great people. It is kind of like
a traveling fellowship," he said.
Knight's Pierce-Arrow is beautiful and huge. It weighs in at
more than 5,000 pounds and is propelled by a large, heavy engine.
Accordingly, it gets just 10 miles to the gallon.
The rear passenger compartment of Knight's car seems as large
as my dining room. Wilt Chamberlain could easily stretch out and
take a nap on the lush upholstery. The hood ornament is a piece
of art in itself. The figure of an archer bends a delicate bow,
complete with pointed arrow showing the way down the road.
"It is probably the equivalent of an American Rolls Royce,"
Knight said.
His comment made me think of my mother, who has no love at
all for Pierce-Arrows. Her father - my grandfather - who is long
since deceased, ran off and bought one of the expensive machines
right when the family was struggling to make ends meet during
the Great Depression. My mother never got over that. Paying for
that Pierce-Arrow caused the family to endure much hardship.
Until I saw Knight's Pierce-Arrow on Friday, I had never seen
the object of my grandfather's irresponsible action and Mother's
scorn.
Now, having seen Knight's wonderful car, I understand what
Grandad must have been thinking and feeling when he rashly and
irresponsibly disposed of his family's money to purchase the car.
A man can only deal with so much temptation.
Mom is right, of course, but I now have great sympathy for
Grandad that I did not have before. It is most difficult to resist
the lure of a Pierce-Arrow.
Ask Dr. Knight.
What is This?
STAMFORD - In the Cowboy Country Museum at the Chamber of Commerce
offices on the town square is a very strange object.
The object is so strange it has no name.
The object has a name tag, but the name tag only asks a question.
"What is This?" asks the tag.
The unknown thing looks like a pump handle attached to what
looks like an air pump. The air pump has a line going to a flat
metal disk. It looks like the disk is supposed to rotate.
Is there anyone out there who can clear up this mystery?
Lots of people will probably be traveling to Stamford for the
upcoming Texas Cowboy Reunion, which will take place July 1-5.
Stop in and look at all the interesting stuff, but do not neglect
to see "What is This?"
Maybe you can solve a mystery.
The museum is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
This column covers the cities and communities of this part
of West Texas. To contact Ken Ellsworth, call (800) 588-6397 or
(915) 673-4271, Ext. 381, or write to P.O. Box 30, Abilene, TX
79604.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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