The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-12

-s sCIhere died not long ago In Detroit
IL Smith. at the age Of eighty-seven
years. Who Mr.. Smith was and what
muuence he brought to bear to make
Detroit the automobile city Is inter-
Sstingly told for virginian readers by
- 7. O'Connor. OF the Columbia Mo-
Tors company
e are very prominent motor ear manu-
tActurers-either are not certain why
Detroit is the center of the motor cad
business or asc-!be its leading POSI-
hon in the industry to Henry Ford.
This they do in ignorance of the fact
,thst Detroit was the center of tho au.
-omobile industry In this country some
years before Henry Ford started 20
market his car. cyon more than It is
tcday.
The man who made Detroit the CEN
yer Of the autom obile industry was S.
- smith. who was responsible for the
tcommercializing Of the motor car. To
o. L. smith. not Henry Ford. belongs
enief credit for the fact that today
we motor car Is a commonplace neces-
alty, that the automobile industry
ranks so high in tho list Of manufac-
iures in the United states, that Detroit
1ouay he greatest automobile manu-
1aeturing center IN the world. Had 1t
NOT been for s. l. Smith the motor
ear industry could Just IS we'll have
centered. and probably would have
gentered. in some city other than De-
Hoit
~ ret one could count on his fingers
the men who could say offhanG who
z l. Smith was. Only a few know
mat he was the man who commercial
led the motor car, that he established
We oadsmobile company, the first COM
Qany to manufacture the automobile
ny the thousands annually, that when
Ahe industry was in its infancy and
Iich men INDUCED in motoring as they
SOW indulge in aeroplauing he poured
INTO the business millions of dollars
despite the dubious shaking Of the
mead OF other business men. He gave
NE, and many others. the first chance
10 become identified with the most
magical industry in the worlds his
Tory. -, !, .,as !, "
= He saw the industry which he faith
cred grow into enormous PROPORTIONS
IN the sixteen years after he establish
90 the oldsmobile business In Detroit.
Win his sons as active managers OF
tne business. When the Oldsmobile
company Of which S. l. Smith was
resident. turned out 400 motor cars
IN 1901. the public gasped, and was
Still more amazed when that company
manufactured 1000 cars in 1902 Per-
maps the public would have gasped
tt'il more had It realized that the
clear profit on each was s2Io---a
years profit of $4,000 on 1000 cars.
When the oldsmobiie company had
attracted all eyes to Detroit and had
made that city the automobile city the
FORD Motor company had not begun
70 manufacture motor cars for COM
mercial sales. So little was thought
o. the Ford company that 1t could not
gam admittance~ into the American
Licensed Autorao bfIe Manufacturers
organization. of which F. I. Smith n
eon of s. l. Smith and an Official IN
Inc Oldsnlohile company. was presi-
dent. Mr. Ford waited on r. L. Smith
on various occasions. hut his pleas
went for naught because the Ford
company at that time was considered
NOT to have established its right TO
rank with legitimate automobile con.
Germs
The Dodge brothers owe tie star,
OF their fortunes to an order for 2
uon transnissfons placed with thesr