The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-03-21
SUBSTITUTE MOTOR
1RUCKSFOR HORSES

Mr.. G.. A. Urquhart, Pacific Coast
manager of the White company, is in
receipt of telegraphie dispatches, facts
which are furnished by Captain James
w. Furlow, U. s. A., Cleveland, Ohio,
March 18th, as follows:
"The speed with which American in
dustries can be mobilized'' to sup
ply the sudden needs of the United
army, was demonstrated yesterday
when a long distance telephone call
from the war department to the White
company resulted in the despatching
of a special train load of White Army
Escort trucks to the Mexican border
within twenty-four hours after the or
der was placed This special train now
speeding toward the border under spe-
cial orders and full right of way, car
ried 2S trucks, which will compose the
first motor truck company of the Unit
ed States army. Twelve hours later,
the White company had supplied the
personnel CT this truck unit from a
large number of employees anxious to
serve. Thirty-four picked men were
enlisted to act as drivers, mechanics
and truckmasters, and the company
left Cleveland in a special car under
command of Captain James w. Fur
low, U. s. A. Although the ultimate
destination of the company is unknown
due to the censorship covering mill
tary movements and information, the
trucks will be unloaded at Ell Paso and
begin their active service from that
point.
The intention of completing the or
ganization and equipment in FL Paso
is taken as an indication that the
trucks will convoy the column of Gen.
eral Pershing in the punitive expedi-
tion across the border
The organization of the first motor
truck company which marks the last
stand of the army mule, not only dis
closed the speed with which military
emergencies can be met, but revealed
the degree of preparedness maintained
by America IS largest motor truck man
ufacturer. The same flexible manufac-
turing facilities which have enabled
this company to supply large fleets of
motor trucks to big corporations on
short notice, enabled the company to
meet this military exigency without
loss of time. Smaller companies, build
ing trucks only as ordered, would
have required several weeks time to
complete the necessary chasses.
Following the telephone order for
equipment, the White company was
able to put the 28 trucks under Sc
we're road test, load them on freight
cars and start the train in less than
"a hours. Almost simultaneously, the
bodies for these trucks were shipped
from the quartermaster depot of JEFF
G., L i
mounted on these trucks are the regu.
lation army field wagon bodies that
are familiar to most people and similar
to those used in Cuba, the Philippines,
Alaska and China. They are to be
mounted on chasses of 11g-ton capacity
and will be fitted with the regulation
bows and canvas covers which have
been characteristic of the field wagons
heretofore drawn by mules.
These trucks will carry three times
as much as a six-mule team under the
conditions to be encountered in Mex
leo and will be particularly valuable
on long marches, inasmuch as they do
not have to carry the great quantities
of fodder required by mules. This is
the first time that the United States
army has made use of motor trucks IN
active service and the Mexican cam
paign is expected to reveal the COM
parative merits of the mule and motor
truck under the most difficult condi-
tions imposed by military service. The
organization of the first motor truck
company consists of Captain James w.
Furlow in command, one truckmaster,
three assistant truekmasters, % driv-
ers, one maehinist, one mechanic and
one mechanics helper. Each of the
three assistant truckmasters will have
charge of nine trucks. To facilitate
the supervision of this equipment the
truekmasters viii be equipped with
motor cycles"