The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-05-31
1nE UNITED STATES at
the present time is en-
| joying one of the most

HSVuGA Joylng one OF the most
G&&y prosperous years in the
history of selling automobiles. We
(the U. S. have just contracted to
ship over to the European coun-
tries no less than 75,455 cars of
different makes, some as pleasure,
some as hacks, and again some as
ambulances. In fact. the Chalmers
Motor Company alone contracted
to ship to France and England
42,5OO cars of 1917 make to be de-
livered in said countries not later
than May, 1917. During the past
ten years this country, or, / may
say, the firms of the auto industry.
have wakened up to the fact that
we must turn out a car for less
money and of far better material
if we wish to compete with our
brothers across the big pond. 1t
is a known fact that has been
proven that a car made in this
country and selling at, say So, 500,
can be shipped over to England
and sell for less money after pay
ing freightage and mourning all
risk of its reaching its destination.
What is the cause of this9 You
would think and have a right to
believe that we had ought to sell
cheaper to our own country than
to another nation. But the fact is,
competition-one firm trying to
outsell its rival. Have you ever
stopped and figured out how many
different firms there are making
cars and where all the said cars go
to year after year2 There are a
million or more autos made and
sold throughout the world, and
still new firms are starting in the
auto business. One firm of auto
makers, the Overland, contracted
to make l54.525 cars at a cost of
$l31, 1,346.250 for the year 1917. In
one week this same firm sold &C.,
975 cars at a value of $56.928, $50.
Everyone Receives Benefit
Where or who is getting the
benefit of this vast sum of money!
Naturally, the workers in said fac
tories are getting a large percent
age. The stockholders are draw
ing down a goodly sum. In fact,
everyone seems satisfied from a
monetary point of view. As we
all know Detroit is the home of
the auto, and unless we forget it,
it is also the home of Henry Ford,
the man who has more than any
other person made it possible for
the poor as we'll as the rich to own
an automobile. In looking up
some of the sales and values of
cars sold from Detroit factories, /
was surprised at the enormous
amount of money that was received
for these cars. Take for instance
the Ford, Chalmers and Packard:
the report given by the Bradstreet
Company says the value of motor
cars produced in Detroit for 1916
amounted to $3.50, 900, 900, as com.
pared with $3.50, 100000 in 1915,
and 100000 cars during 1915, a
gain Of more than 100 per cent,
Early History of the Auto
Now let US see how the great in.
dustry came into being. The auto
when it was first invented was
named the horseless carriage, and
in looking over different writings
I came across some very interesting
articles and among these was q
brief sketch by Mr.. G. S. Rieman
of the Elgin Motor Car Corpora
tion. He states that he has been
in one way OF another connected
with the auto industry from its
birth up to the present day. And
he goes on to state some facts that
/ and probably you could get in
terested in. The first car put on
the market was called the lone
lunger" and resembled more q