The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-26
Henry Ford's Life and Work

farm drove Henry Ford into making
automobiles.
Mr.. Ford says so himself in an
article which he calls "My Life and
Work., written by himself in Nc
Clure's Magazine for May, with the
collaboration of Samuel Crowther,
author and editor.
way about farming. Not that he has
anything against farmers, he points
| cut, but there is "too much hard hand
labor on farms" Because he was
born on a farm and knew without
question just what farming means.
Mr.. Ford invented an automobile with
which he hoped, first, to tighten the
farmers task and, second, to aid
| people without lot of money in their
| search for enjoyment and business re-
| lief.
That, in nutshell, is what Mr..
| Ford's article gives as the reason for
the Ford car. Incidentally it is the
| reason for his interest in farm trac-
tors and for lot of other things
which have happened in Detroit re-
Gently.
The automobile, however, barely
escaped being watch. Mr.. Ford had
desire to do fine mechanical work
and his ideas naturally turned to
watches, he says. At one period of
those early days he had 800 watches
and knew what made the wheels go
around in every one of them. 1t was
then he thought of the possibility of
raking a watch for 80 cents. In fact,
he says, he almost started in the bus
mess but refrained when he figured
out that watches were not necessity
and so would not be sold.
"Just how 1 reached that surpris-
ing conclusion is difficult to state,
now," he observes.
But a combination of the farm and
the watch, and the sight when he was
only IL of a road engine was too much
for anything plebian in Mr.. Fords fu-
ture. He started to consider the pos
sibility of machines and after glanc-
ing at that engine studying it, watch
ing changes, reading and thinking,
Mr.. Ford branched out into the auto
motive industry.
Of course, says Mr.. Ford, the horse
less carriage was common idea. He
had it, as did several other inventors.
But Mr.. Ford figured that steam was
the best means for moving his car,
and he set about making a machine to
operate by steam. He built one, and
it ran. But it had defects, lots of
them. He very carefully points out
most of them. When he found he
couldn't work out his difficulties to his
satisfaction. he turned to gasoline
and so was born the Ford.
at was i'll 1890 that l began work
on double cylinder engine" he
writes, because it was quite imprac-
tical to consider the single cylinder
for transportation"
!, Shortly after that the farm was left
behind definitely and completely, when
Mr.. Ford went to Detroit as an engi-
neer and machinist for the Detroit
Electric company at exactly $45 a
month. The job wasn't much in itself
but its great beauty lay in that it
kept him out in his worshop for he
had spare time and he employed it.
|, Two years later Detroit got thrill
Chug-chugging down it's main streets
came the gas-buggy. In the seat was
Henry Ford. Behind it was string
Of frightened horses and curious peo-
pie. In front of it was bulwark of
wondering thousands. Henry Ford
had found way to ride without
horses to drag him.
. The machine, however, was a slight
problem. To begin with it blocked
traffic. Not that it stalled, but every
time Mr.. Ford stopped the crowd
started and he could not, in safety
leave the car a moment. Always there
was some curious soul who would
climb aboard, play with the brakes
or the clutch and then trouble COM
menced
il Finally, it came to show down
with the city authorities. At last,
writes Mr.. Ford, although there were
no speed laws, traffic ordinances, he
had to get permit from the mayor to
operate the machine.
"Thus for time," he continues. 81
enjoyed the distinction of being the
only licensed chauffeur in the coun-
try"
Mr.. Ford ran that first machine
1000 mile until 1896 and then sold
it. 1t took him four years to make
the first sale Of Ford automobile
but he Immediately did what he has
done since-put his profits into build
ing new and better car.
All this time, Mr. Ford was working
as an electrician with the Electric
company. H had become a foreman
at $125 month but his gas engine ex-
periments were not popular at the
shop. The trouble was. they believe in
electricity completely, and were at
least mildly sceptical about gas.
| Fairly soon, therefore, Mr.. Ford left