Horseless Carriages

These two chapters should be of interest to the older generation and antique car owners as well as amusing to the present young groups. Therefore, I am asking you to look back in your memory. Do you remember the first automobile you ever saw? Do you remember the first ride in this horseless carriage? Do you remember who the first family was in your community to own one of these machines? Do you remember how you could hear one of these machines almost a mile away coming up or down the dusty road? Do you remember how father had to get out of the buggy, surry or wagon and hold the reins of the horses and try to quiet them down until this infernal contraption passed you? These are memories the young people of today will never have.

I have asked many persons this question—'About what year do you think the FIRST automobile was built'? I did not specify where it was built or who made it. The nearest guess was more than a hundred years away.

I realize that when one talks about an automobile, our thoughts are on those propelled by an internal combustion engine. We fail to think back to the electric and steam types. Actually, the first machine was developed back in 1769. This was during the reign of Louis XV of France. This curious monstrosity was a three-wheeled wagon type, driven by steam. It was built by a French Army Engineer—Nicholas Cugnot. The real purpose of this steam-powered machine was to haul heavy artillery.

Improvements over the next hundred years lead to more curiosities. In 1803 a steam carriage made its first appearance. In 1807, a Swill patented a motor which used a combustible gas and was fitted into a carriage. An Italian built an engine in 1841, which ran on a mixture of air and liquid fuel. Between 1885 and 1886, two Germans worked to patent an engine from which our modern automobiles originated. The era of internal combustion engines began around 1894.

Electric cars became successful at the turn of the century, however they had their limitations.

When cars first began to appear, the public was very prejudiced against them and considered them the 'Devil's invention'. Also an amusing law was passed in the 1860's by England to discourage the use of this machine. Article Two reads as follows: 'A mechanical vehicle may only be driven on the highway when preceded at a distance of fifty yards by a man on foot holding a red flag'! Later, another law was passed making the maximum speed 10 mph on all roads. These laws were revoked in 1896.

Here in the U.S. mechanics were busy. Two brothers, Charles and Francis Duryea between the years of 1882 and 1895 became two leading pioneers. In reality, they built a four-wheeled vehicle powered with a gasoline engine which has been labeled as the first American automobile. Next to follow in this new venture was Studebaker, a carriage builder since 1849, who began building electric and gasoline cars. In 1896 another builder, Ranson Eli Olds made the first Oldsmobile which he drove. His creation became a collossal industry in future years. He was followed by Packard, Rambler, Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet. A few years later an emigrant to the American shores landed in Detroit. He immediately decided to experiment on machines. In a very short time his brilliant ideas turned into a reality that revolutionized the auto industry. His name was Henry Ford. His machine, a curious four-wheeled cycle, driven by a two-cylinder-five horsepower engine, came out in 1896. He introduced the first mass production method. By 1908, Mr. Ford brought out the famous model 'T'.

It is impossible here to give a history of the automobile. We had the opportunity to review a 1906 Motor Car Directory, published by the National Magazine of Motoring. At that time, the directory listed about 200 different makes of cars, starting with the Acme to the Zurt. For your interest, we copied a few makes and prices of these old cars. (We are indeed sorry we cannot include the picture of each).

One could purchase a model 'K' runabout Cadillac from $750 to $950. A Maxwell model 'L' was listed at $780. A most unusual car, called the Holsman, sold for $800. It resembled a carriage with a fringe on top. The cheapest was the Watrous with a two-cycle, two cylinder for $375. A two speed model N Ford was $500, a model F Ford was $1,000 and the model 'K' cost $2,500. An Olds, model 'B' was $650. Two Lamberts—a model 4 was priced at $1,050 and the model 5 was $1,200. This car was built by the Buckeye Mfg. Co., Anderson, Ind. A Zent, built in Bellefontaine, Ohio sold for $2,000. (Incidentally, I learned that there were at least 248 different cars made in Ohio over the past years). Next, we found a Queen, a Duquense, made in Jamestown, N.Y., and Gaeth, Cleveland, Ohio. All three sold for $2,000. Following those were the Merkel of Milwaukee priced at $22,000. We found a car called the York priced at $2,500. It was made in York Pa., and the Glide, made in Peoria, III. which sold for $3,000.

Now, for a major surprise, I'll tell you that in 1906 you could buy a Pipe car for $10,500 and if you had more money than brains you could purchase a Fiat for $12,000. This car was made by Hol-Tan Co., located in New York City.

To bring the automobile history of our own county up to date, I had to do considerable research and interview several of our own county's oldest mechanics and salesman. One, incidentally built the one and only car in Bedford County. One person, because of modesty, asked that his name not be mentioned here. He was one of the best mechanics in Bedford. He started to work in the first garage in Bedford. It was operated by Mr. James People and was located in the rear of the Union Hotel.

My next interview was with Mr. W. Chester Karns of Everett, Pa. He is perhaps the oldest and best known mechanic in the county. When a young man, he worked with his father in the buggy and wagon business. He had a dream. He built an automobile in 1904 and drove it about the rutty streets of Everett. He had visions of a large factory here. However, the people of the community were not interested in this new fangled contraption and they had little faith in the success of this venture, therefore, his dream never became a reality.

Mr. Karns called his one and only machine the Karns Kar. He did not give up on his mechanical ability over the years. Not only did he operate the first garage in Everett, but he sold Fords, Ramblers, Flanders, Overlands, Willys-Knight, Chandler, Durant and Star, Oakland, Pontiac, Maxwell, Chevrolet, Buick and Everett-Metzgar cars. The latter were large cars while the Flanders were small (we now call them compacts).

Mr. Karns also built the first fire truck powered by gasoline in the county in 1915 and the first automotive hearse for M.J. Maust in 1916. One cannot mention the name of the old obsolete cars, long forgotten, without this eighty-plus young man describing the car and its good and bad points. He can recall the Toledo Steamer of 1900, the 1906 White Steamer and the Stanley Steamer. The Columbia, the King, Gardner, Cameron, Brewster, Mercer, the Winton of 1917 and the 1913 Hudson. The cars of the 20's and 30's, such as the Kissel, Nash, Marquette, Riley, Rockne, Desota, Graham, Stutz and Marmon were well remembered. He can produce his old 1906 Motor Car Directory and will present data on cars that the general public never heard about.

In addition to the above information about old cars, he surprised us with a list of names of the first automobile owners of the county. I am certain everyone will be surprised as I was to know who had the first car registered in the county. The list is as follows:

Date of Registry	Owner	Address	Mfg.	Ser. No.
7-1-1903	J. H. Brown	South Woodbury Twp.	Olds Motor	937
6-11-1904	Lloyd Shaw	Riddlesburg	Chicago Motor
8-9-1904	John H. Hafer	Bedford	Olds	713
10-1-1904	L. B. Shaw	Riddlesburg	Cadillac	4271
10-6-1904	Theodore Boor	Everett	Theodore Boor	1
Mr. Boor started to build this car but never finished the motor part.
3-28-1905	A. G. Crabbe	Hyndman	Wayne Auto	206
4-1-1905	W. Chester Karns	Everett	Everett Carriage	1
6-3-1905	G. C. Eichelberger	Hopewell	Cadillac	2768
6-15-1905	Harry Footer	Cumberland, Md.	Cadillac	6942
6-21-1905	Dr. C. C. Dibert	Buffalo Mills	Olds	7178
7-14-1905	Dr. A. C. Derrick	Bedford	Duryea Power Co.	272
7-19-1905	Patric Hughes	Bedford	Duryea Power Co.	234
8-7-1905	Robert Cuppett	Manns Choice	Duryea Power Co.	238
8-19-1905	L. B. Shaw	Riddlesburg	Cadillac	6441
8-23-1905	George Miller	Baltimore, Md.	Cadillac	7051
8-30-1905	G. C. Eichelberger	Hopewell	Cadillac	7310
9-7-1905	Dr. W. T. Jenkins	Waynesburg	Mason Mobile	24,975
9-23-1905	A. Long Cooks	Mills	Pope Mfg. Co.	384
9-23-1905	Anson Hershberger	Everett	Cadillac	14,185

We attempted to follow the automotive advertising in the publications in the Bedford Gazette over the years. The Hoffman Auto Garage of Meyersdale, Pa., placed the first advertisement in the local newspaper in the latter part of 1909. To prove the stability and endurance of their car the ad described a five-mile race, held in Cumberland, Md., between one of their Maxwell 30' 1909 models, driven by a Mr. A. H. Hersh and a Chalmers-Detroit machine-1910 model. The Maxwell won the race by nine seconds. One lap on the half-mile oval was driven in 35 seconds, just a fraction of the world's speed record. The ad stated the Maxwell was built, not for speed, but for reliability. Prospective purchasers were asked to write to the garage for a catalog. This company was the distributor of the Maxwell cars for Bedford County. On April 15, 1910 the Hoffman Automobile Company opened a garage in Bedford. It was located where the Hoffman Hotel was later built. As a note of interest, the Maxwell sold for $1,490. It was a 20 hp five passenger touring car, fully equipped with top, magneto, gaslights, generator, extra tubes, etc.

In addition to the Hoffman garage, we found other garages who advertised their cars. In January 1919 the Bedford-Somerset Auto Company of Bedford offered a Ford runabout at $500, a sedan for $775 or a Fordson farm tractor at $900. Later the Saxton Motors advertised the Hupmobile touring for $1,335 or a sedan for $2,135. H. A. Eichelberger was manager.

R. C. Brown was proprietor of the National Auto Co. They sold the Maxwell cars at $895 (fob) or sedans for $1,565 (fob). It was located opposite the former site of the A & P store. Harry Cessna was proprietor of the Fort Bedford Garage, located in the Oppenheimer building. He sold and traded Chevrolets. Hayes Nevitt, located near the old Lowry's market, advertised the Hupmobile. The public was invited to learn the real value built into these machines. The Metz car was years ahead of all other cars. Its slogan was 'no gears to shift, no clutch to slip-friction drive'.

Later we had the King Motor Company on East Pitt Street. This garage held the first auto show in Bedford in 1923. Frank Manspeaker sold Nash cars for $1,275. His garage was located diagonally across from the Gulf station on West Pitt Street. Rinard-Grubb sold Chevrolets in Everett. Also, the Fletcher-Morris Auto Company of Clearville sold the Earl Motors car. We have been unable to find any data on this car. We do not know where it was made, how many were made nor the type of car the company built.

The various oil companies began to advertise their products as the number of cars increased. The Waverly Oil Company announced they had a special oil, a thin pale oil with high viscosity and no fictitious body. This oil was claimed to retain its lubricating powers at high temperatures for either air or water-cooled cars. The company said it was the perfect lubrication without carbon deposits.

The Atlantic Refining Company, in addition to its gasoline and oil promotion, announced the sale of a space heater that would bring you 'from the Arctic to the Tropics in ten minutes'. This was a perfection oil heater equipped with an automatic smokeless device.