The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1913-07-03
QUEST FOR OLDEST
STUDEBAKER WAGON
Venerable Vehicles Locat-
ed That Have Been in
Service Since 1865

Away back in 1866 Dave Clark o.
Bemis, S. d. bought a new wagon
Men s minds turned to thoughts oi
peace and the country was trying tt
forget the throes of the conflict by
sturdily endeavoring to conquer the
agricultural possibilities of the North
west. Mr.. Clark purchased his Wagon
from the Studebaker agent at Gilene-
ton Wis.,, drove it out to his farm
and from that day to this that faith
full old wagon has been hauling Mr..
Clarks grain and potatoes and truck GO
market. Figuring that working year
contains 300 days Mr.. Clarks wagon
has been working for IA, 400 days, and
allowing ton to the load, it has
hauled like number of tons for its
owner, over good roads and bad
through winter storms and summer
heat.
This remarkable story of a farm
wagon was unearthed bv the House
of Studebaker when it was decided to
offer prizes to the owners of the old
est Studebaker wagons. Studebaker
publishes an almanac which has a
trem endons circulation among the
farmers of the United States, and a
page was devoted tn explaining that,
as the house had been building waQ-
ons for over half century it would
be interesting to learn whether any
old wagons had survived the wear and
tear of years and service, and to stim-
uIate interest a series of prizes was
offered.
Now it has been a beast of the
House of Stuiebaker that a Stude-
baker wagon was built to last. Tes-
ted iron and steel, air dried lumber,
careful workmanship are built into
every wagon sold, and it was reason
ably expected that a farm wagon,
properly used might last twenty-five
OF Lnlrty years.
The result of the quest for the old
est wagon surprised the experts of
Studebaker. A wagon that had been
in service twenty-five years was a
mere infant so to speak. The wagons
that had been in service for thirty
years were half-grown children, to
carry the comparison further while
there were ample records to prove that
wagons of forty years of age we're not
uncommon.
Dave Clark now of Bemis, South
Dakota heads the list with his forty
eight year-oId veteran. G H. Bow
man of Sandy Lake Pa. and Sam Hane.
of Carbon. Ind. both own wagons
bought in 1866, and then follows a
long list of wagons bougth in 1868 and
succeeding years the preceltge climb
ing 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 five years ago
as we'll as those of more recent date
are still working. One farmer writes:
81 frequently draw 10000 pounds Of
Goa. at a load Another farmer
states that he uses his Ssudebaker
wagon for hauling timber and fre-
quently loads 800 feet on his faith
full Studebaker, which has been in
actual service for forty three years.
Reading through the hundreds of
letters sent to Studebaker by farmers
throughout the country reveals the
fact that without exception Sudtebs
ber wagons are praised for the way
they stand up under work. Repairs
are infrequenk One farmer writes
~ bought Studebaker wagon in 1869
and it has hauled thousands of bushels
of grain to market. Never was a
lighter running wagon 1t has been
If no expense to US and has given per-
feet satisfaction. am still using the
wagon and expect to use it for many
years to come"
Another farmer states he has been
in several Iunsways, in one of which
a horse was killed but the wagon
came out all right, although it
smashed into stone pile. This far
mer writes: 1.-THE wagon seems to
stand all it can get. F"
Still another farmer relates that he
bought Studebaker wagon thirty-two
years ago. He has had new boards
put in the boyd and thinks two new
spokes have been fitted: also a new
nut on a rear axle. But outside of
these repairs the wagon is Just as he
bought it. aud, he writes "the roads
are pretty poor round hsre. -
And so the stories 90. Every day
letters come to Studebaker telling re-
markable stories about the sturdiness
end long life of wagons sold three
decades ago. Just who will win the
prizes is still matter of conjecture.
At the present time Mr.. Clark 5 forty
eiqht-year-old wagon appears to head
the LIST But there NAV be others a /