Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-20
Osborne Has Wild
Ride in His Ne,D
Tra;1er-Truck1et

Local manufacturers who m otored to
their state convention Wednesday ex-
perienced an exhibition of the invisi-
Bile road tax which people pay in this
county for mud roads when the
| whole delegation Of f1fty-three came
struggling back by train leaving a
dozen automobiles stranded in Grin
nell.
But the real demonstration was that
Of the new Marshalltown trailer drawn
by the d. w. Norris car with L. M.
Osborne, president Of the Marshalltown
Buggy Company, and Mr. Lewis, OF the
Taylor Critchfield Corporation. adver-
tsiing agents Of Chicago. on board.
Lewis is negotiating with Osborne to
conduct a national advertising cam
paign to advertise and sell this new
trucklet or light mountain wagon truck
turnout the United States for light
trucking behind touring cars.
Norris had his automobiles filled with
guests, but volunteered to haul Os-
borne and his friend to Grinnell in the
trucklet. A beautiful start was made,
the auto train travelling at twenty to
twenty miles per hour. and the
trailer tracking the automobile perfect
~ around square corners. Osborne and
his friend were loud in their praises
of the ease with which the trailer rode
and the fact that the ingenious gear
which caused both front and back
wheels to turn absolutely prevented
any tendency of the trailer to skid. The
draft Of the load of two men weigh
ing over 200 pounds each was not no
ticeable except on hillsides, but even
then it did not compel any shifting OF
gears in the driving of the automobile.
Then the party struck the rain
storm. which was moving toward them
from the south. At first The passengers
called back to Osborne You need
wind shield" but Osborne replied that
wind shields were extra. Then the sleet
came and Osborne was advised to get
a top, but he said tops were extra.
Pretty soon the mud began to fly and
H. A. Kinnan, in the automobile. in
sisted Osborne should have mud guards
or tenders but even those accessories
came extra Rubber tires and Timkin
roller bearings were all Osborne could
afford as standard equipment. AS the
storm grew the speed was qu1ckeneu,
until a good twenty five mile gait was
reached, and still the two heavyweights
behind insisted that their private coach
was riding with perfect ease. Inc only
fault they could find was that they
needed sides to their seat to catch hoio
Of as the car leaned on the steep
sides of the road grades. Osborne was
advised 20 put on his stock rack, which
goes with the trucklet, for hauling
hogs. but ii was too late and then the
party struck real mud few miles out
of Grinnell. The automobile driving
wheels slipped and spun around,
throwing stream OF mud with deadly
aim at the passengers on the rear car,
who held a top cover up for shield,
but strange as 1t may seem when the
automobile was ski-eing AL over the
road. the trailer behind kept its place
as tho on dry land and the party
pulled into Grinnell on schedule time.
Where they had hoped to be greeted
with a crowd to witness their dem
onstration, the streets were deserted
and the rain falling, but the advertising
man from Chicago can now write feel
ineIy of the Marshalltown truckiet for
its serviceability has been demon
strated in his presence. Osborne, the
manufacturer also knows now how 1t
runs.