The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-11-09
THE PUBLIC FORUM.
Paducah Motor Hub.

i7tuuttu fptpf nun.
The last issue of the Motor Age
says: The Introduction of the motor
ear and the development of the in
dustry in Paducah and Western Ken
lucky, of which Paducah is the hub.
Is probably as interesting as that
of any town one can find IN tae
south. DIR. Jeff Robertson had the
first car ever brought to the city.
IL was one of those long-to-be-re-
membered Oldsmobiles. and the
population turned out like rural
community on circus day the first
day he brought it out on the streets
It was many days, too, before it
ceased to be novelty. That was in
1902. There were no other machines
purchased here that season, and very
few sold for two or three years after
wards. The year of the st. Louis
worlds fair seemed to stimulate the
Interest of our people and they com
menced to buying motor cars then.
Today there is the greatest sort of
boom in the trade, and next year
there will be at least $50 cars sold
by Paducah dealers. Foreman &
Gresham already have booked ord
ers for seyenty-two Oyerlands for
1910. a new agency with them, and
Katterjohn q Daily, agents for the
Buick, have sold their 1910 allot-
ment. c. n. Baker, with the Stude-
baker line. will have twenty-five of
the EMF cars. There are 200 ma
chimes owned in the city today, and
this number will be doubled in less
than three years at the pace they
are being bought today. There are
four firms selling machines Fore
man & Gresham with the Overland.
the Ford and Maxwell; Katterjohn &
Daily, with the Buick line; G.. "
Baker, with the Studebaker, and Dan
Fitzpatrick with the Autocar. There
are only two public garages, most of
the owners having their own
Knowles Brothers and the Kentucky
Auto Co, operate them in connec-
tion with repair shops. In addition
to the machines handled by the
agents mentioned herein the follow
ing are represented here: Lozier, /;
Pierce Arrow, 3; Pope-Toledo, 4;
Columbia, /; White Steamer, 2; anG
the others are Bucks, Fords. over
lands, Maxwells, Studebakers,
Ramblers. Autocars and Franklins.
While Paducah people will absorb
many of the cars sold here for 1910,
the greatest number of them will go
into the neighboring towns and ham
the city, and it is wonderful the num-
Der of cars these folk will take. The
Paducah Sun gave away two cars
last summer and covered ten coun-
ties with the contest. sending the
machines into all of them on many
trips. In some of these counties "a
motor was as much OF. "a novelty as
flying machine is today, and when
the car would start from one town
to another the telephone operator
would be lined all the way with peo-
pie curious to see their first motor
car. The farmers instead of show
ing an ugly disposition about the
in many instances requested
the motorists to hold the ear while
they hitched up and drove their
teams down to the road SO they could
see what they would do.
The county judge in that county
was elected on platform of good
roads for motorists. The farmers
are wanting machines, and from
them, too. has come demand for
good roads. until today the good
road topic is the liveliest we have.
West Kentucky roads are very
good, especially those in this county,
They are mostly gravel,
and free. and those that are not inn
proved are being improved as rapid
ly as possible. And this is now true
Of other counties around here. Motor
buggies are very popular with some
Of the farmers and rural physicians,
but the little two-cyllnder cars, like
The Maxwell. and the one-cylinder
Cadillac are interesting lots of buy
ars, and conditions down mere indi- |
cate that the manufactures with the |
simple. easy-to-keep-in-order-car will
10 a greater business every season
West Kentucky farmers, Ike those
N most states, are making lots of