The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-19
DOING THINGS AT DAYTON
Rx HOLLAND

New York, October 1S.-(SueciaI)-A little over three years ago there were employed in responsible posts at the great manufactory at Dayton, O., which repre- sents the achievement of John G. Patter- son, two men, E. A. Deeds and James Referring, who were prominent among MT. Patterson's associates for their abili- ty as men of inventive capacity, for their industry and for the enthusiasm which they revealed in their work.
 These two men were made familiar some years ago with the nationwide de- mand for an apparatus which would make it possible to start and stop an au- tomobile without involving the laborious and sometimes dangerous operation of cranljng. So, also. there was demand for an apparatus which would enable a chauffeur or other driver of a car, by turn of tho wrist or pressure of the fin ger to control the lighting of the car.
 MT. Deeds and MT. Keterring began about three years or little more ago to give this problem very earnest consid- eration. They co-operated in the work, each one furnishing suggestions which would be worthy of testing At last they perfected the apparatus commonly known as self-starter and self-lighter, and in that way solved a problem which some of the automobile manufacturers believed could not be solved at least without en-
 tailing almost prohibitive expense In making the apparatus and fitting it to car.
 The apparatus was patented. It at tracted the attention of all automobile manufacturers. It was found to merit all the claims made for it. There fol- lowed very great demand for it until now the apparatus Is exclusively used for all excepting the very cheapest kind of automobiles
 It yielded one of the very great for tunes which have resulted from the in yention of apparati suitable for automo- piles. A proposition was made to MT. Deeds and Mr. Keterring that they sell their patents and as much as 0O0 was offered for the ownership of the and these two men divided equally s10.- vo0,Oo0, so that each one became by rea- son of the invention . moderate multi millionaire.
 No sooner had MT. Deeds and MT. l Keterring parted with the patents than they began experiments and tests which if satisfactory would show the way by means of which an entirely new appara- | tus, especially available for farmers in I remote or isolated sections, or those who lived long distances from commercial centers. could be evolved. The invention when completed would furnish at very l low cost portable electric light not flash light, but one which could be main- tained any length of time the farmers | desired and which would be likely tc 1 pxove of great value for farm work and | in the house and barns.
 l As MT. Deeds and MT. Keterring pos i sessed abundant capital that came to them through the sale of their self-start- l ing apparatus patent, they were able te l finance. themselves, the construction of
 very large manufacturing plant near the | alrulanc plant at Dayton, o. This fac 1 tory is 1000 fet long and 25o feet wide | The expectation was that 1t would soor furnish employment for many hundred skilled artisans. as there was no doub that the apparatus, having been perfected would create a very large demand for ! from the farmers, especially in the fa' west
 Then of a sudden came tho entrance of the United States into the war as oh' of the belligerents and also the an |nouncement that Congress would appro priate hundreds of millions for the con struction of airplanes. The government at Washington planned, 1t was pre- sumed, the manufacture within veal or . year and half of more airplane than England. Germany or France pos sessed. This manufacturing plant seemed
 to Dc especially available for the govern
 ment purposes. It was contiguous t
 the greatest aviation plant in the Unite' States It Is located at the homo o Orville Wright. who Is still regarded as pre-eminent among the experts who's mastery of the science of conquering tn air has been one of the marvels of tn time. MT. Wright has been associate as an expert with the aviation plant q Dayton. and it Is understood that he wa eHonni~llx pleased when Mg. Desds an