The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-22

Washington, Dec. IA funny-'
looking rig which il probably the
oldest American automobile in ex-
istence has Just been given a
prominent place In the National
Museum here.
This vehicle was made In 1Ssa
by Charles Duryea. It is literally
An old-fashioned phaeton carriage
with IN engine fastened at the
back and long steering rod which
worked up and down sideways con-
spicuous In the front. To start the
engine. the driver had to 90 to tha
back Of the car and crank. He had
to get out to shut Oh the engine
when he stopped the car. But in
many ways this primitive automo-
bile IL closely related to the super.
Tor car Of today.
Durysa saw that his motor wagon
could not turn corners easily on
ordinary wagon axles. He there
fore made use Of . diiferential, SO
that the outside wheel could re-
volve faster than the inside wheel
in making q turn-a fundamental
principle Of every modern car. He
used spray carburetor, not very
unlike the modern carburetor;
electric ignition, water cooling, and
other features which later makers
improved but have not replaced.
This car saw hard service for a
few years. Then from 1897 to the
present 4 has stood in a Massachu-
sets barn where children played
around it and sat on its cushions,
and dust, cobwebs, and rats helped
along its appearance Of antiquity.
Fifteen years ago the inventor Of
fered his historic automobile to
the National Museum; but at that
time the government had to crowd
its thousands of exhibits into one
inadequate building. and rather
than accept the gift and then store
1t away in . warehouse, the cura-
tors refused 1t. Now it has been
dug out of its oblivion, carefully
shipped to Washington, and set up
in state, in a roped-oh enclosure,
in the hall with our early locomo-
tives and airplanes and other pio-
neer vehicles.
This is not, Of course. the worlds
first automobile. Automobiles run
by steam were tried out in France
in the eighteenth century. They
were never satisfactory, and they
had little in common with the gaso-
! line automobile. But even. in the
| history of the real gas-propelled
vehicle we find that . German in
ventor was running his car in
1884, before American inventors
dared attempt anything so startl-
ing.
Sudden Rise Of the Auto.
Then, all of q sudden, automo-
biles appeared in different parts of
the. United States. The time was
propitious for q revolution of traf-
fic, and the inventors were getting
busy. So rapidly did the first ma
chimes appear that it is a matter
LOT proving months. or maybe the
exact days, on which several Of the
first cars appeared, in order to set
tie the question Of which is the
original American automobile. This
exact information has not been
supplied by some of the inventors
claiming priority for their inven-
lions. It is possible that it can
not be obtained. and that mystery
will always enshroud this epoch
Of our history.
Meanwhile, only when indis-
putable proof Of its existence at a
certain time is given, will the mu-
! scum authorities consider using an
historic vehicle as an exhibit
Duryea has proved that he bull
his first car in 1891, and was using
it by the end of September or the
first of October. 1892. The next
year he took it apart and used its
best features to make better one
the car given to the government
| Until Duryea proved the history
Of his model, Elwood Haynes was
popularity given credit for making
the first appearance in an Amerf
can car. Haynes planned his in
yention and had 1t built in 1891
and on these grounds he claimed
the title of the father Of the Ameri
can automobile.
| Gottfried Schooner, of Milwau
kee, is still in the competition To-
the title. He sets forth, for thu
benefit of all whom it may concern
in a sworn affidavit, that he bull