Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-02-07

officiaI Paper Of City and County
HAY TO SELL STAVER
Prominent Chicago Automobile Man
to Handle Popular Machine
One of the most important deals in
the automobile industry during the last
twelve months has just been completed
with the announcement that Tom Hay
has taken over the Staver line for
northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, all OF
Indiana and southern Michigan.
For years Tom Hay has been one
of the most talked-of men in the auto
mobile business. He holds q record,
perhaps unequsled, of the sale of from
1900 to $1,000 cars in territory
practically parallel to the one he will
handle for the Staver Carriage Com
pany. Mr.. Hay will make his head
quarters as we'll % the retail selling
headquarters for Staver automobiles at
IT'S Michigan avenue.
he has been one of the most sought
after men by automobile manufac-
turers since he decided to become .
free agent some weeks ago. Nearly
every concern in the country offered t.
make deal with him covering repre-
sentation in Illinois and contiguous
states. He took his time to make a
most thorough investigation in order to
satisfy himself that the ocar he would
handle would come up to his ideals in
every way. He personally supervised
the manufacture Of some ten different
makes, drove many cars To test their
qualifications, and finally decided on
the Staver. Tom tells very interest
ing story of how he and Harry Staver,
president of the sStaver Carriage Co /,
got together.
During the past year l have heard
great deal about the Staver car, !"
said Mr.. Hay. MANY people have
told me that the Staver car is mighty
good car, and naturally when / became
freesagent determined to satisfy
myself in this respect. Looked over a
number of cars and put them all to a
mighty severe test. The tests that |
gave the Staver, though, certainly sold
me on that car. You know it is good
principle in salesmanship that you can't
succeed in selling an article unless in
the first place you are absolutely sold
on it yourself. ! sold myself so thor
oughly on the Staver car that l will
match it against anything in the auto.
mobile business.
HARD TEST FOR CAR
Invent out to Staver's one morning
and told Staver l wanted to see a try
! out, and he certainly gave me one.
Harry has reputation Of being q
driver who knows how to make his car
70 over ali sorts Of roads, and he most
assuredly lived up to that reputation
the first day he and rode in q ma
chine together. We covered roads OF
al sorts not only in Cook county but
elsewhere. The Staver carswas put to
test that certainly satisfied me as to
its merits. / was determined, how
ever. that l would give the car under
nv own individual scrutiny the most
exhaustive test possible. So ! got q
car at the Stayer plant and drove it to
Indianapolis, leaving Chicago at two
o'clock in the afternoon. and arriving
there at midnight
II kept that motor going all the
time and except for one or two brief
stops the machine was moving every
moment. We went uphill and down
hill in way that would show up the
weaknesses Of any car, and you may
rest assured that if there were any
weaknesses in that Staver l would
have found it out long before we got
to Indianapolis. After reaching In
dianapolis l didn't give the car any
rest, Tut rode all around southern In
diana, where you have the steepest
!. hills and the bumpiest roads in the
central West. When l got back to
Chicago with that machine, though, l
l Was not finished with my investiga
stion. could not help but tell Harry
Staver what thought of that car.
II had heard agood deal about the
run Around Lake Michigan, in which
one of the Staver touring cars finished
with perfect score and the other with
record almost perfect. talked to
all the drivers in that event, not only
the men who drove the Stavers but the
men who operated other machines. l
got their candid opinion in every case