The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-30

fear of high cost of operation keeps
many farmer from buying a
motor car, says II. c. Hatch in Sue
cessful Farming. Tales told by town
and city car owners, who hire all work
done on the car, even to washing and
polishing, tend to discourage farmers.
The average farmer does not consider
that because of his familiarity with
machinery he is more competent to
handle, care for and repair motor car
than the town and city man, who, very
likely, has no knowledge of machin-
cry, therefore must hire every little
Job done. Perhaps, too, the average
banker, merchant and townsman IS less
inclined to tackle a job that will dirty
h, hands than the farmer.
The present and only ear I have own
ed will soon have been five years in my
possession. Somehow, I feel that this
nearly five years of experience with a
car permits me to speak Of motor cars
with experience. On the first day Of
November, 1909, 1 paid 1925 for five
passenger, thirty horsepower car that
has given me uniform satisfactory SER
vice since. Being an average Kansas
farmer, 1 have no money to spend on
luxuries and nothing to pay out for
labor than can as well be done on the
farm.
The Cost Of Repairs.
With the car in my possession, I de-
termined to learn it and to pay out
for its upkeep only what was neces-
sary. When repair is necessary send
direct to the Kansas City branch for it
and make the replacement myself. Dur
ing the four and one-half years of
actual use of the car it has been neces-
sary to put in two new rear axle shafts,
a new drive pinion and an intermediate
gear wheel, as well as the main trans
mission shaft bushings. All this re-
placement l have done myself, at cost
only of time necessary to do it. 1t
took me longer, Of course, to do this
work than an experienced garage hand,
but it was done during stormy times,
with little interference with the work
on the farm.
A new clutch was put in the second
year the car was in use, but this was
c, mpany replacement, at half price, the
original clutch not proving what it
should be, and as the company seemed
disposed to do the fair thing, they put
an improved clutch in at one-half price
rather than to have an unsatisfactory
piece Of work on the road. On the same
basis, improved and adjustable push
rods were furnished, but | put these in
myself when l had the engine down to
clean it of carbon. Last summer the
coil box gave trouble and it was neces-
sary to exchange this for new one,
which the company did on basis of
one half the cost of new coil, with
the old coil returned to them. This COM
pletes the Ii of repairs it has been
necessary to buy during the four and
one-half years the machine has been in
actual use, and the car S now in per-
feet trim Tor another seasons work.
Tires and tubes are not included in the
list of repairs but are taken account
of in the running expense.
Do Not Mind the Mud.
Living some distance from town, our
car is used at times when the roads are
not in the best of condition. Going on
the Theory that cars are made to be
used, 1 do not stand back for little
mud or for rough, rutty roads. The
machine was bought for business as well
as for pleasure. Not laving driving
team, it is used as saver Of horses
to prevent the use Of work. teams on
the roads. l often mako tho trip to
town, loaded down with cas>' filled
with eggs, when the roads are sucf
that the intermediate gear must bt
TIL