The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-13

That the south and that portion of the south in the vicinity of Birmingham is a very fertile fields for the cultiva- tion of the motorcycle trade, is evil denced by the fact that the worlds largest motorcycle dealers have placed completely equipped service branch and salesroom in this city
 ] Three car loads of motorcycles have been received during the past week and two others are now on the road. The expert motorcycle mechanic has ar rived and is nof foreman of the shop, giving first aid to riders of any ma chine, regardless of make. This me 1 chanic considered one of the best in the country.
 REICHERT KNOWS GAME l Wilmer Reichert. manager of the Bir-
 mingham branch, is a true riders friend l He is in a position to know the game l from every angle, and no matter what
 machine fellow rides. he is always given the same cordial welcome when he drops in on the Edward -Crist boys. MT. Reichert has been for nine years connected with the Hendee Manufactur- ing company of Springfield, O., makers l of the Indian motorcycles, and has served them in many capacities. For five years he has travelled the southern territory, and has an intimate knowledge of the needs of the soEthern riders. For the past year he has been manager of the Southside branch of the Edwards Crist company in Chicago
 PROSPECTS EXCELLENT The sale of the Indian, Henderson and Excelsior motorcycles. the Smith motor l wheels and buckboards, and the Indian bicycles are controlled exclusively in Alabama, Mississippi and western Flor
 ida by this company. MT. Reichert has just returned from trip over this ter 1 ritory and states that there has never before been such an opportunity of fered to the motorcycle to prove it's
 worth in the south. As means of light and quick delivery the motorcycle and side car will soon be alone in the field, he stated.
 l IN THE BEGINNING
 The history of the Edwards-Crist Manufacturing company reads almost like a fairy story. It is a tale of how two southern boys and one northern boy formed themselves into a partnership in the great md-western city and have finally expanded to such an extent that
 they are the largest dealers oI then kind in the whole world,
 I Jesse Edwards, who was the first, and is yet. president of the company. is g lnative of Tennessee; E. J. Collins, vice 1 president, is native of Chicago, and l the third member of the firm R. C.. Crist, is native of San Antonio, Tex,
 and secretary of the company. Although the business is not old in comparison with many of the long
 established firms of today it must | be borne in mind that the motorcycle i itself is vet young. The start was
 made in Chicago in a meagre way in ] 1910. The little shop in which the first sales were made was only 25 by 50
 feet.
 rIa .tAr,,,o rv n, oo oobipe nac handIed | in 1910. At the first of 1911 a change
 was made and the new firm took | on the Excelsior machines. This they
 handled during 1911 and 1912. In 1912 the Indian agency was secured and | the machine has been handled by the i Edwards -Crist company since. The Ex- 1 celsior was again added in 1914 and
 this machine they are also yet hand ling. Last year the firm decided to take on the Henderson four-cylinder machines and will continue to handle l them. as they will the Indian and l Excelsior.
 PERSEVERANCE WINS l By hard work and close attention to business the firm soon developed into
 factor in the business. The partners worked hard all day and thought I their problems out at night. From this I small beginning the firm gradually
 developed into the largest in the city
 of Chicago.
 After passing through the hardest
 part of their struggle. the h~cinn'ns
 successfully and growing into the largest dealers in the great city, the growth became more rapid and soon the Edwards Manufacturing com pany became the largest in the world PRINCIPLE FOLLOWED eve conceived the idea early in the game that what the motorcycle business needed above all else was in dividuality," said Mir. Edwards il speaking of the firms growth. We at tribute our success to the fact tha' we established an individuality in oul | business conducted it on principle, ant \ ran it absolutely on the square" The Edward Crist company now hal five magnificent stores in the city O Chicago alone, having a frontage O more than 200 feet on the boulevard The stores in New York. Detroit, Min | neapolis as well as in Birmin gham
 are the best in the cities.
 The wholesale department of tn company is an important branch o
 the business. It fulfills the plans mad
 for 1t by giving service to the entir middle west
 "PAY-AS-YOU-RIDE"
 The installment business in the mo
 'orcvcie gar'e was originated by thi company, the plans madey by then