Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-10
BRISCOE BROS.
AUTO PIONEERS

In the years of 1901 and 1902 the
automobile was just becoming an i'm
| portant factor in daily life At that
| tlme the name of Benjamin Briscoe
was mentioned prominently in the ac-
counts of motorcar manufacturing
progress. Other names which became
familiar to the public in those days
were nose of the Duryea Brothers,
ElWood Haynes, Edgar and Elmer
apperson, A. j. Pierce, Henry Ford,
X. E. Olds and Alexander Winton.
| 1he Briscoe brothers started busi-
ness life with their father in the Bris-
coe Manufacturing Company, at that
tlme one of the largest sheet metal
works in the city of Detroit
BENJAMIN Briscoe was led by r. r
Olds to enter quite actively into the
manufacture of automobile parts
radiators, tenders, hoods and other
sheet metal specialties. 1t was then
that Mr.. Briscoe brought his genius
into play and introduced improve
ments-especially in radiators-which
had a big influence on the growth and
future of the motorcar.
The Briscoe Manufacturing Com
pany rose very rapidly to occupy a
dominating position as manufacturers
OF these essential features of automo-
pie construction. In 1903 a partner
snip was formed by J. D. Maxwell and
fPenJamln Brlscoe. Mr.. Maxwell had
Iorneriy been in charge of the expert
mental department of the Oldsmobiie
company, and had Just resigned as
manager of the Northern AutomobiIe
company The association of these
Two pioneers brought about the intro
auction of the first Maxwell -Briseoe
history.
Thousands to-day remember the
lmDTnccinn ie
the first announcements of If were
naiieq with great acclaim. The Max
Weil- Brlscoe of 1903 had a two-cvlin-
der horizontal opposed motor. 1t was
uIstinctvely advanced in design-a
motorcar that laid the basis for future
leI,hements. Very quickly the Max
Wei-Briscoe Company became one of
the most successful manufaeflrers
until 1907 and 1908 the concern was
tne thifd largest producer of autono-
biles In the world,
IN 1912 the Briscoe brothers went
70 Paris with the object of making
me me Ilrst automobile to be known as
several American engineers and ~
paris surrounded themselves with sew
eLaI OF Europe's greatest motor de-
sishefs and authorities on fuel and
PoweT' BenJamin Briscoe was deter
IlIhed to combine American and
French principles, to put all the power
:. AIneflcans were known to want
In motorcars and to combine the re-
RarkaDle Fsa operating economy for which
The rnr, fiahpeIacturers We're noted.
M WIN wonderful enthusiasm. But q
cf,iiiaE cnn S ovation awaited the new Bris-
oo oon mnen manufacturing efforts were
in this country.
MI. Briscoe organized the Rriscoe
company, with factories at
:, 5ackson; Mich. The success of the
Brlscoe brothers in this enterprise was
so great that in 1916 the Briscoe Mo-
;ta sor ~ o9inpany was obliged to increase
lts capital stock to SO, 900, 600. and tbe
name I was changed to the Briscoe Mo-
inns concern is now the largest
establishment i'm tha
city OF jackson. 1t employs several
thousand men. 1t is comprised of ten
d1fferent factories, which cover abauf
forty-ffve acres of land.
Inc Briscoe is represented in Har-
rispurg territory by Z. T. Mehring.