Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20
Nebraska Auto
Dealers Visit
Buick Factory
Representatives from Omaha and
Lincoln Branches swOOp Down
on the Big Plant.

FLINT. Mich, Fab. 9.-~cspecial.)-As good
looking and genial a bunch Of "corn-fed'
Nebraskans as ever came out Of the tail
grass country rounded I'D for an excur-
sion combining business with pleasure by
II. e.. Sides of Lincoln. general manager
Of the Lincoln and Omaha branch agencies
OF the Nebraska Buick Automobile conn
pany, with the efficient cooperation OF his
managerial assistant, Lew Huff, in charge
of the branch at Omaha, dropped into
Flint yesterday morning to ray a visit OF
inspection to the factories Of
the Buick Motor company. There were
twenty-eight dealers In Buick automobiles
in the party, and following their arrival
In a special car over the Grand Trunk they
were taken in charge by II. e. Shiland,
general sales manager, and other repre-
sentatives OF the sales department of the
Buick company. What these chaperones
did to the visiting delegation by way Of
showing them around the Buick and Cen
Neral Motors premises in the north end Of
the city was enough to justify the organ
ization Of a society for the prevention Of
physical distress to unfortunate and mis-
guided agents Of the Buick Motor COM
pany who undertake to gain anything like
an adequate conception Of the magnitude
NNN oAahN bhNA 6tAohs VI AlG plant Oh NndI
institution in the brief space Of one day.
But the Nebraskans are game ana pretty
good pedestrians, and they stayed by their
relays OF guides until the finish, viewing
with amazement and absorbing all that
was possible for them to see and compre-
bend within the time limit Of their tour
of the great group of Industrial buildings.
Early in the evening it was a weary
crowd that repaired to the Hotel Bryant,
but here they soon revived under the stimu-
LUIS of good cheer and good things to eat
that were the components OF a banquet
given in honor Of the visitors by the man
agement Of the Buick Motor company
through the medium of its sales depart
ment, with General Sales Manager Shlland
as the genial host of an occasion which
might well have inspired in almost anyone
a desire to be actively identified with the
great automobile industry, and particu-
larry the Buick end of it. The banquet
spread was excellent and was discussed
with zest and relish as 1t ran its course
from oysters on the half shell through
broiled white fish, turkey, ,strawberries and
cream, ice cream, to coffee and cigars,
The service was in keeping with the quality
of the table offerings placed before the
guests. Red candles in candelabra afforded
hiuAhilatiou anu contributed a pleasing
decorative effect to the setting of the
table.
Lew Huff was assigned to the perform
ance of the duties of postmaster, and
although he represented tina it was his
first attempt in that direction, he acquitted
himself in a manner suggestive of the idea
that he should have no difficulty in selling
Buick automobiles, either out in the tall
grass country or anywhere else, for that
matter. In his Introductory remarks Mr..
Fluff gave some impressive facts concern
ing the Buick Motor company. The com
pany was organized in 1904, with a capital
stock Of s75. 1000. and during the first year
OF its existence it built thirty-seven cars.
In 1906 the output was 750 cars; in 1906 1t
was L,40O cars; in 1907 it was 4.5a2 cars; in
1905 it was S,See cars; in 1909 it was 14,eOa
cars, while the estimated product for 1910
is 46,10o cars. The present capital stock
Of the company is -. soo,o OO; there are forty
four acres of floor space in the Buick
factory buildings, and the number of per-
sons employed has reached a grand total
of $500. In the field of speed and en-
duranee competition the Buick car dem
Onstrated its superiority by winning 80 per
cent Of all the track and hill-climbing con-
tests throughout the United States in which
1t WAS entered last year.