The Unlucky Stuntman of Richland
A local rancher’s persistent attempts to perform high-speed automobile somersaults leave both him and his Ford in need of repair.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There seems to be a suspicion in some quarters that L. Boutin, who operates the deVeuve ranch south of town, is practicing to be a trick automobile driver, and that as soon as he perfects his stunt he intends to apply for a job with one of the big circuses traveling about the country. Mr. Boutin’s 'turn' consists in speeding up a Ford runabout to 100 miles or so an hour, then cramp it suddenly, turn a complete somersault, and land right side up without breaking his neck or wrecking the car. The results in the three or four trials he has made, however, have not been very satisfactory. He is still alive and the runabout is still able to travel, but Mr. Boutin gets more or less jammed up each time and the Ford persists in getting some of the edges knocked off. The last trial was made Saturday, just south of Richland, when both received a severe shaking-up. Mr. Boutin was brought home where he was resting easy, and the car, after a few shots of tonic and the application of a little liniment by 'Doc' Gilhuly at the White Bluffs Garage, is able to be up and around.
“The car, after a few shots of tonic and the application of a little liniment by 'Doc' Gilhuly at the White Bluffs Garage, is able to be up and around.”
Long before viral internet stunts, local daredevils were finding creative ways to test the limits of early automotive engineering. Today, the stretch south of Richland is part of the Hanford reach, though the spirit of testing what a machine can do remains a staple of American car culture.
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