The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-07-10
QUEST FOR OLDEST sTUpEsAkER
WAGON

Away back in 1865, forty-eight years
ago, Dave Clark bought a farm wagon.
The Civil War was over. Mems minds
turned to thoughts of peace and the
country was trying to forget the throes
Of the conflict by sturdily ~endeavoring
to conquer the agricultural possibilities
his wagon from the Studebaker agent
at Gileneton, Wis, drove it out to his
farm and from that day to this that
faithful old wagon has been hauling
Mr.. Clark's grain and potatoes and
truck to market. Figuring that a work
ing year contains 800 days, Mr.. Clark's
wagon has been working for 14,400
days, and, allowing a ton to the load,
it has hauled a like number of tons
for it's owner, over good roads and bad,
through winter storms and summer
heat.
This remarkable story of a farm
wagon vas unearthed by the House of
Studebaker when it was decided to
offer prizes to the owner of the oldest
Studebaker wagons. Studebaker pub
fishes an almanac, which has a tremen-
dous circulation among the farmers Of
the United States, and a page was de-
voted to explaining that, as the house
had been building wagons for over
half a century, it would be interesting
to learn whether any old wagons had
survived the wear and tear Of years
and service, and to stimulate interest
a series of prizes was offered.
Now, it has been a boast Of the
House of Studebaker that a Stude-
baker wagon was built to last. Tested
iron and steel, air dried lumber, care
full workmanship are built into every
wagon sold, and it was reasonably ex-
pected that a farm wagon, properly
used, might last twenty-five or thirty
years.
The result of the quest for the Oldest
wagon surprised the experts Of Stude-
baker. A wagon that had been in SER
vice twenty-five years was a mere In
FAINT, so to speak. The wagons that
had been in service for thirty years
we're h~alf-grown children, to carry the
comparison further, while there were
ample records to prove that wagons
of forty years of age were not uncom-
mon.
Dave Clark, o of Bemis, South
Dakota, heads the list with his forty
eight-year-old veteran. G.. II. Bowman,
of Sandy Lake, Pa, and Sam Hane of
Carbon, Ind, both own wagons bought
in 1866, and then follows a long list
of wagons bought in 1868 and succeed
ing years, the percentage climbing
higher as the early seventies and
eighties were reached.
A remarkable fact was noted as re-
plies to the contest began to pour in.
Wagons bought forty-fve years ago
as well as those of o recent date
are still working. One farmer writes:
Il frequently draw 1920 pounds Of coal
at a load" Another farmer states
that he uses his Studebaker wagon for
hauling timber and frequently loads
1900 feet on his faithful Studebaker,
which has been in actual service for
forty-three years.
Reading through the hundreds Of let
tiers sent to Studebaker by farmers
throughout the country reveals the
fact that without exception Stude-
baker wagons are praised for the way
they stand up under work. Repairs
are infrequent. One farmer writes:
II bought a Studebaker wagon in 1869
and 1t has hauled thousands of bushels
of grain to market. Never was a lighter
running wagon. 1t has been OF no ex-
pense to US and has given perfect sat
isfaction. / am still using the wagon
and expect to use it for many years
to come"
Another farmer states he has been
in several runaways, in one of which
a horse was killed, but the wagon
came out all right, although it smash
ed into a stone pile. This farmer
writes: THE wagon seems to stand
all it al get"
A farmer who ran his wagon for
thirty years a y the wagon seems to
be all right. Hounds, axles and gear
are perfect, but back in 1887 he had to
have the front tires set.
Still another farmer relates that he
bought a S~tudebaker wagon thirty-two
years ago. He has had new boards
49,