The San Francisco call., 1910-07-17
OLD RECORDS SHOW
MOTOR CARS AGE
Literature of Stevens=Duryea
Proves That 1t Was One of
First Automobiles Built

Ancient and medieval history is al
ways interesting. and in some cases
highly amusing, when read or looked
back upon from the height civilization
has attained at the present day An
instance of this may be seen in the
following reprints from early cata-
logues of the stevens -DUryea company,
which have come to hand through the
courtesy Of A B. Costigan, president
of the Pacifc motor car company, as
trfbuters for the Stevens-Duryea OF
today:
In the spring of 1895. the carriage
with which the Times-Herald race was
won was completed. Following TINS
came the Cosmopolitan carriage OF
May. 1896. Then came the Londoh-
Brighton carriage, which competed sue
cessfully with all the best makes OF
foreign vehicles. Having demonstrated
the practicability of the motor the next
,sren was 10 reduce the total weight OF
the carriage and 10 incorporate more
povverfuI motor. The difficulty OF the
motor carriage heretofore was us ia
bility to get out Of order. our expert
ence with our perfected carriage has
been so satisfactory that we DO not
hesitate to guarantee that any one can
use ii. Among the points we call at
fention 10 are. It appears much as does
The common wa gOn. 1t makes little or
no noise or od0r. It is steady in ac-
lion and easy and comfortable to ride
in. It is managed by any one with but
little instruction. It has two lnch
pneumatic tires and excellent springs.
1t starts instantly at any time. II runs
backward or forward with equal Ia
ciIitv. It's limit Of speed ranges from
. ,,,fToe I0r.r. on aSnaalr down.
coriing TO the road or steepness of
hills It may be geareJ TO different
speeds desired below the limit at viii.
II is thoroughly practical on all roads
over which common traffic passes.
1T uses ordinary stove gasoline and
costs less than d cent mile. 1t car
ries q tank Of water TO regulate heat of
motor If water evaporates no evil re-
suits follow Motor simply stops. 1t
will not jerk the lever out of the driv-
er's hands accidentally. It will practi-
caIly pass over rocks hands Oft. 1t
ignites the charge in the motors by
an electric spark produced by small
dynamo. 1t carries no gas or eXpIo-
rive vapors. outside of the motors. 1t
uses no flame. Il is not dangerous
either from fire or explosion. 1t is
particularly recommended to the pur-
chaser that he come to the factory and
make a trial Of the carriages under our
supervision In case he can not spare
The time we viii send a competent man
with the carriage to explain its work
ings and methods Of taking care of
Ii"
For the real humor of the foregoing
one has but TO look at the perfected,
luxurious and elegant Stevens -Durysa
touring car or limousine of today.
In a letter received by II. L. Owesney,
manager Of the Winton motor carriage
company. an inter
lxK-f,.on f-.r F1rf esting instance is
49,. fJ5 s-,-;o given of what
20 IlaIu li lo transformed auto
mobile can do. The
letter from the Portland COre.) motor
car company reads: The Winton Six
bus which is used by the Imperial
hotel in this city, was a regular stock
chassis The frame was heightened
and a body built specially. Prior to
this transformation the car had COW
cred over $4,000 miles in rental service
and had been used for two years, in
cluding long trips through the north
west And this with very little cost to
the owner Phil Metchan, proprietor of
the hotel"
The increased production of Columbia
motor cars for 1911 has called for in
- creased facilities
Columbia Plant 2. r. Pelz' who is
- lumbia interests
here. has received
word that Sl5O,000 worth of machinery
has been ordered for the Columbia
plant in Hartford. Conn. Much of this
machinery has already been received,
but more than 40 new and expensive
machines viii be moved into the works
as soon as they can be delivered by the
manufacturers The new machinery
viii consist Of q battery of seven new
automatics with five spindles. hobbing
machines. Gleason bevel gear shapers,
millers, grinders and other types of
machines. 1t is expected that from $500
% 5000 Columbias viii be built