The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-05-01

fsrm drove Henry Forl into maxim.
aut 9mobiles.
NJ. Ford says 50 himaalf in an al
tAcle wh!ch he calls My Life am
Work" written by himself in Nc
Clures Magazine for May. with tn
collaboration CT Samuel Crowther
author and editor.
And Mr.. Ford still tce!s the sam
way about farming Not that he ha
anything against farmers, he point
out. but there is 100 much hard hane
labor on farms Because he wa
born on farm and knew withou
question just what farming means
Mr. Ford invented an automobile
With which he hoped, first, to lighter
the farmers task and, second. to ait
people without a lot of money il
| ther search for enjoyment and bust
NESS relief
That, in nutshell, is what Mr.
F5rds article gives DIS the reason
FOR the Ford car. incidentally it is
he reason for his interest in farm
tractors and for a lot of other things
which have happened in Detroit re
Gently.
Auto or Watch
The automobile, however, barely
escaped bong a watch. Mr.. Ford
had desire to do fine mechanical
work and his ideas naturally turnet
20 watches. he says. At one periot
Of those early days he had 300
wa ches and knew what made the
wheels go around in every one o
them. 1t was then he Thought of IN
possibility CT making watch for
cents In fact. he says. he almos
started in the business but rcfraine
when he figured out that watche
were not a necessity and so woIlt
not be sold.
"Just how ! reached that surpris
ing conclusion is difficult to state
nsw." he observes.
Blu combination Of The farm anc
.hc watch, ard the sight which be
was only i of a road engine
wls t0o much for anything plebian Il
Mr. Ford's future He started to con
der the possibility of machines ans
- elanc.ng a that engine. study
'eg =, watching changes, reading anf
.'rLng, Mr. Ford branched on
ITO the antomotive industry.
Built Steam Car
o. course. says Mr. Ford, the horse
less carriage vas a common idea
He had it, as d.i several other in
yeltcrs. But Mr.. Ford figured tina
steam was the best means for moyin3
his car, and he set about making
machine to ope-rate by steam HI
r.uit one, and it ran But it had de
fees. lots of them. He very care
fully points out most Of them. Whel
he FOUL he couldn't work out hi
difficulties to his satisfaction. he
turned to gasoline and SO was born
the Ford
at WAS in 1890 that | began work
On a doHlie cylinder engine he
writes, because it was quite imprae-
t;caa TO consider the single cylinder
for Transportation"
Shortly after that the farm was
le't b chad definitely and completely.
when Mr. Ford went to Detroit as
an engineer and machiRist for the De
tro:t 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 workshop
for he had spare time and he EN-
ployed it.
Thrill Given
Two years later Detroit got a
thrill. Chug-chuggirg down it's main
streets came the gas-buggy. In the
sea. was Henry Ford. Behind it was
string of frightened horses and
curious people. In front of it was
bu,wark 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 1
crowd started and he could not, in I
safety, leave the car moment. Al /
ways fhere was some curious soul /
who would climb aboard, play with /
the brakes or the clutch and then +
trouble commenced.
Finally, it came to a showdown 4
with the city authorities. AT last.
writes Mr. Ford. although there were
no speed laws no traffic ordinances. (
he had to get a permit from the
Mayor to operate the machine.
Licensed Chauffeur
"Thus for time" he continues
II enjoyed the distinction OF being