St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-06-28
FOR OLDEST
STUDEBAKER WAGON
Venerable Vehicles Located
That Have Been In Service
Since 1865.


Since 1865.
Away back in 1866, forty-eight
years ago, Dave Clark bought a
farm wagon. The Civil War was
over. Mems minds turned to
thoughts of peace and the coun-
try was trying to forget the
throes Of the conflict by sturdily
endeavoring to conquer the agri-
cultural possibilities of the
Northwest. Mr.. Clark pur-
chased his wagon from the Stude-
baker 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 working year contains 300 days,
MI. sCIark's wagon has been
working for IA, 400 days, and,
allowing a ton to the load, it has
hauled a 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 by
the House of Studebaker when it
was decided to offer prizes to the
owners of the oldest Studebaker
wagons. Studebaker publishes
an almanac, which has a ire
mendous circulation among the
farmers of the United States,
and a page was devoted to ex-
planning that, as the house has
been building wagons for over
half a century, it would be inter-
esting 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
Studebaker wagon was built to
last. Tested iron and steel, air
dried lumber, careful workman
ship are built into every wagon
sold, and it was reasonably ex-
pected that a farm wagon, prop
erly used, might last twenty-five
or thirty years.
The result Of the quest for the
oldest wagon surprised the ex-
perts 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 were not uncom-
mon.
Dave Clark, now of Bemis,
South Dakota, heads the list with
his forty-eight-year-old veteran.
G. H. 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 succeeding years, the per-
centage climbing higher as the
early seventies and eighties were
reached.
A remarkable fact was noted
as replies to the contest began
to pour in. Wagons Dough t
forty-fve years ogo-as well as
those of more recent date-are
still working. One farmer
writes: Il Frequently draw
1900 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 letters sent to Studebaker by
farmers throughout the country
reveals the fact that without ex-
ception Studebaker wagons are
praised for the way they stand
up under work. Repairs are in
frequent. One farmer writes:
Il bought a Studebaker wagon
in 1869 and it has hauled thou
sands Of bushels of grain to
market. Never was a lighter
wagon. It has been of no ex-
pense 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 runaWays, in one
of which a horse was killed, but
the wagon came out all right.
although it smashed into a stone
pile. The farmer writes; The
wagon seems to stand all it can
get"
A farmer who ran his wagon
for thirty years says the wagon
seems to be all right. Hounds,
avloc ond roor ora porfooA h,,t