South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-08
REPUBLIC TRUCKS
Do ENGINE s WORK
Takes Place of Locomotive in
Moving Huge Steel
Tank.

The prominent past which motor
trucks are playing and can play in
relieving the freight situation which
prevails all over the country BE- too
well known 20 need further de-crip-.
ton. Motor truck transportation is
no l0uEer "a matter of speculation
70 Is an assured fact. without the
aid Of the motor truck ou both long
and short haul work. 10 is beyond
conception % picture just what
would happen 90 the commercial life
OF the nation.
with the freight situation as L is
today there would have been moth
lug for the shipper % do 10 years
r except sit still and moan when
Ire couldn't get freight cars he was
strictly up against It There was
nothing 20 take their place. Neces-
sitv. however. has given him am all
formative today bon the form of the
highly efficient and ever-ready mo-
tor truck. 40 longer does the pub
fc gasp al the wonderful perform
ance OF the truck-it has ceased 20
be "a subject Of wonder. America
has accepted the motor truck as a
powerful solution 20 the transporta-
ton problems of the day.
Besides the regular commercial
Use OF the motor truck, emergency
'uaulaee has been found successful
in every sense of the word. The
steam engine is. OF course. indis-
pensible-yet this juggernaut Of the
rails has its limitations. The steam
engine says. Of you will build a
road for me 20 your door and lay IL
with two steel rails 90 follow. 1 viii
come and get your goods and carry
them wherever my two steel rails
shall point the way Not so with
the motor truck. 40 matter where
% are. on how many miles YOU
may ice from a railroad. If YOU have
something that somebody wants-or
something that YOU want brought 20
H0u.the motor truck Wiz come di-
reetly 10 your door and do the job
quickly. II needs no shining rails
To- point the way.
This ability OF the motor truck TO
serve efficiently under all conditions
and or the beaten paths. was proved
to splendid advantage recently by "a
large Wisconsin maker OF farm trac-
tors. This drm's experience with a
tuO-ton Republic internal gear drive
truck. jim solving a kuotty Transport
tItiou problem that threatened TO
cause 40 little inconvenience 10 the
operation Of their business. is typical
ct the sturdiness and -resourceful
power of the modern truck.
The increasing business of This
concern necessitated a large addition
10 their factory. Although 81 railroad
runs nm close proximity to the main
buildings of the plsnt. there was not
even a spur track laid 90 the scene
eff the new construction work.
Trucks were used 20 haul material
from the adjacent city and freight
ears 10 where the building opera
lions were under way. BUT when it
came 10 the installation of a huge
~seven-ton gasoline tank, il looked
like "a Job too for even the
faithful trucks. TO move this great
mass of metal from it's flat car to
the cmplaccmeuu prepared for il
meant a haul of one mile over fields
and rough ground The length of
the tank elimiua ted amy thought OF
loading il aboard "a truck.
The driver of "a two-tou Republic.
however. conceived the idea of
mounting the great tank ON small
solid steel wheels and towing it
along back OF his truck. Several
large steel cables were used 90 Sc
curely fasteu the tank TO the rear of
the Republic. and without much
ado. the strange procession moved
ON.
With but one or two stops. 20 al
low wOrkmen 10 put the tank back
on an even Keel. the Republic pillow
ed It's way over the rough ground.
and gingerly made it's way 10 the
tanks future resting place. The
terrific strain O. seven tons dead
weight pulling on thc rear end of
the tvo-tou Republic brought mo-
"laborIug 20 its mighty motor. and
ass far q could Doe seem. caused no fl
effects whatever 10 amy part OF the
trucks construction