The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-02-11
FIRST AUTOMOBILE
IN BROWNSVILLE
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE
FIRST AUTOMOBILE.
A Brownsville Citizen Tells Of His
Trials and Pleasures with the
First Gasoline Wagon in
This City.

! NV experience with the first auto
mobile will remain with me the pal
ance of my days, and the thoughts IN
after years will be pleasant ones
The one | had was an 0ldsmooile,
made in 1903. 1t was advertised IN
the Memphis paper for sale. called
the man up on the phone and bought II
| for $3.50. He told me that it was a
dandy-and it was. This was a SIN
ole cylinder with chain drive to cen
ter of axle, and the chain was all that
held the thing together. Sometimes
the chain would break, and we would
have to call for help to put it back TO-
gether. -
When this machine got here, the
: first thing we did was to pull 1t up 10
: nv place behind wagon. jamie hoi-
J brook and myself had to find out wnat
: so many levers were for. We got
strong rope, tied one end to the rear
axle. the other to a telephone pole,
: backed it up close to the curb ana
. cranked the engine. Then ! got IN
the thing and tried all the levers TO
see what each was for, and wnen
:, found out told the boys (there were
- - 75 of them) to cut her loose and get
~ on. but Jamie was the only one to ge'
= on. The rest of them said they were
j too young to die.
= Well. we started out all right, mad'
~ a run around the court house, dow
10 10 Depot hill, and there we stopped w
ee got the thing to run again Just a
% daylight. / walked home to get M
breakfast and the boss (my wlte) rea
= the riot act to me. | started nome
;. dinner and got as far as Joe DAVIS
and the darn thing stopped asaii
III Dr Sewer came along and guyed m
=. until | got hot. Had to send 10 men
'p- nhis and get an expert to come an
= make it run, which he did, and alVt
III he had gone home got in and wei
home and persuaded the boss 10 rie
with me. After so long time 81
!, got in and we lit out for the Ia
shS Ground. | was telling her what nj
a as machine it was; she was holding
o. a. for dear life for ! was only hlttii
oun the road in high places, and she WI
scared. And | don't blame her at a
We reached the fair ground gate az
started to turn round when the TIM
stopped again. The boss had to wa
day back to town and sent for jamie a.
7. Will Spiller to come to me. In
ice came and we got back home at mi
night. But not to be outdone,
her worked on that thing for the ne
ms three days and got it to going PREF
well. DR.. Sewer would tell Hend'
With son Taylor to follow me for ne y
Y. sure that be would be needed Rie
race Aare let me- tel. YOU YR3at YI3 tidSfbs hSfPbn al n
/. Hsp4ersoels %. mpown is nv
/. ~ soae on wota1 nave given me a 4
ing when met them if they co
Cur have left their horses. Whenevel
ably. man broke shaft out Of has bug
'ited he would come to me for new
nson and if | did not pay for it he wo
threaten me with law suit. The D
his told me at last that she had taken
Tor DeJIer OF loE "OioSi wv
iary was all worse and no better ana
stch- of two things | had to do with
at that time and for me to take
choice. wife or automobile. ! wan
TO keep the boss, so | traded the
oOI, chine to Ed Stewart over at Wh
vile for pony and buggy The
made ny ran away and tore the buggy
tchie pieces and | gave the pony aW
s;na But with all the time had with
machine, never scared a horse
death like Joe Pittman did. by
n way, liked to have forgotten It,
10 day when | was going along me
thought, the piston rod came ic
o, from the crank shaft and knocked
90 head out and shot me into tne
n about four feet, and if it had not ?
10 that | had good thick cushion un
me would have been a! rui
az "ooman." 1000
gs This machine cost new $l,OOO
80 the same firm makes automobiles
81 and good ones, too, that cost as !,
IA as $4,000. And if | was able pei
~ me. | would have one now, but
am not, will have to hold on to
:, Din DIR lizzie" j. NJ. Co,