My Ride With Henry Ford

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: My Ride With Henry Ford
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Kaminar on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 12:07 pm:

My wife accuses me of hallucinating, but I swear this is true. It happened during one of those long drives in my 1915 Model T Ford touring car. I was on my way back from an old car meet in the upper part of the state. I don’t own a truck and trailer, and I like to drive my Model T anyway, so I drive the T. The trip can get a little tiring, driving the deserted back roads at 35 mph. During these long trips, my mind tends to wander to times past, when Model T’s were almost the only cars on the roads.

I was on a particularly deserted stretch of country road when I spotted a tall, thin figure in the distance with his thumb out. As I got closer I could see the man was wearing a dark suit and bowler hat. That face seemed vaguely familiar. I usually don’t stop to pick up hitch hikers, but something was different about this man. I pulled over and the tall figure jumped into the car saying “Can you please take me to a train station? My car had an accident and I need to get back to my office.”

I noticed the cut on the man’s forehead. “Are you all right?”, pointing to the cut. “I’m alright. My car hit a patch of soft sand and rolled. I was thrown from the car but only got this cut on my forehead.”

“Do you want a Band-Aid?” I asked. “You mean a bandage? No, I’ll be alright.”

My passenger immediately impressed me as being a stoic farmer, and strong willed. But the business suit told me he was a business man.

“Where are you going?” I asked, as we pulled into the road. “Detroit” was the answer.

My first thought was why he didn’t want a ride to an airport. After all, Detroit was a ways away and a plane would be much faster. Perhaps he was afraid of flying. It was really none of my business, so I kept my mouth shut. I remembered that there was an Amtrak station in the next town, about an hour away.

The stranger was listening to my coil box, and then turned to me. “I don’t hear your coils.” “Oh, I have a distributor” was my answer. He frowned and said, “Non-genuine Ford parts are a waste of money. A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one.” I decided not to mention the disk brakes.

As we drove down the road I noticed lots of farmers out plowing with teams of horses. I didn’t see any mechanized equipment. We passed a few other Model T’s going the other direction. Perhaps there was another meet or tour somewhere. The people in the other cars looked great in their period costumes.

“What work are you in?” my passenger asked. “I am an engineering consultant.” was my answer. He continued, “You could apply for a job at my company. I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.”

I responded, “Well, I am at the age when employers don’t want to hire me.” The man in the bowler hat responded, “You can learn. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Dirt roads lent off the highway to many small family farms. I didn’t see any power poles. They must have underground service here. A few horse drawn wagons were traveling down the dirt roads. I didn’t remember this being Amish country. We passed a country store with an old fashioned hand-crank gas pump, the one with the glass cylinder on top. They must use it to get people to stop in the store. A few barefoot boys were playing around the store, wearing oversize overalls. A wagon and Model T were parked in front of the store. The T looked new. It must have been freshly restored. The owner was brave to be driving it around and not keeping it parked in a museum.

“Beautiful countryside” I said. I continued, “It is a shame that the country has gotten into the mess it has. The politicians don’t seem to be thinking clearly.” His answer was quick. “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. What’s right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity – intellect and resources – to do something about them. You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don’t seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together. If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

We drove into the next town, the one with the Amtrak station. There were lots of old cars on the streets. They must be shooting a movie. The train station was perfectly restored, with hand carts and a steam locomotive towing a passenger train. Must be a movie, although they had the cameras well hidden.

My passenger jumped out, thanking me. As he disappeared into the station, he yelled back, “I’m Henry Ford. When you come to Detroit, look me up and I’ll give you a tour of my factory.”

As I pulled out of town, things had returned to normal. Lots of modern cars looking to pass me. People driving their riding lawn mowers. Power lines along the road. Abandoned farm houses surrounded by acres of factory farms. Fast food and gas stations at every intersection.

If I ever get to Detroit, I plan to take him up on his offer.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 12:42 pm:

Sounds like an interesting experience, Neil. Thanks for sharing it with us....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 12:58 pm:

Nice story, reminds me of Jack Finney's 1956 short story "Second chance" about a trip back in time with a restored Jordan Playboy :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed in California on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 01:27 pm:

I'll have what he's having....I said to the bartender :-) One can only wish...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 01:34 pm:

Great story, Neil. The only change I would make:

"The stranger was listening to my coil box, and then turned to me. “I don’t hear your coils.” “Oh, I have a distributor” was my answer. He frowned and said,

"Those crooks at Atwater-Kent want fifty cents royalty for each distributor. I don't believe in monopolies, either through patents or through killing all the competition."


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 01:53 pm:

A fun yarn, Neil! I used to read a lot of science fiction. The time travel scenarios and post-apocalyptical tales were my favorites.

Thanks for posting it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Levans - Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 02:26 pm:

Thanks, Neil! That was a terrific yarn. Great imagination.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 02:37 pm:

That wasn't Henry. That was "The Phantom of the Parkway". A ghostly figure that appears around exit 82 on the south bound Garden State Parkway. Some say he's going to Atlantic City. Others say it's former governor Jim Mcgreevy looking for Lord knows what.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 02:37 pm:

Speaking of time travel....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 03:14 pm:

Neil--great read!

If time is like a book
Then what time it is may depend on which page we look.

Thanks for giving us a short look
at a different page in Henry’s book.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 03:26 pm:

Sounds like the "Twilight Zone" to me!
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Semprez-Templeton, CA on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 07:32 pm:

Neil,

It's time to finish that book! I almost get that same hallucination when I drive the old country roads around my neighborhood in my '16. When another T comes along from the other direction it's usually just another of my farmer neighbors out for a drive. We wave and go on.

You are a mighty lucky guy to be able to see the past as you do. Keep on hallucinating!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob McDonald-Federal Way, Wa. on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 08:33 pm:

Neil
Great story, has your wife been able to find the people with the little white jacket. Hallucination or not its a great read.

Bob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed in California on Saturday, August 04, 2012 - 10:46 pm:

Willoughby..., next stop Willoughby....

1:22 in :-)

http://youtu.be/ca0dGWbXJxk


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Sunday, August 05, 2012 - 01:34 am:

I think I have been down that road a time or two myself.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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