The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-08-24

Henry Ford's real life story makes
all those popular magazine biograph-
les of barefoot boys who won their
way on merit from poverty, obscur-
ity, insignificance and subordination
to the captaincy of great industries.
power and affluence, seem tame and
small in comparison.
Born on a farm in Dearborn
Township, Wayne County, Michigan.
July 80, 1863, he lived the life of q
typical farm boy. doing chores at
home, attending district school and
employing his odd hours at mechan-.
icai tinkering about the barn and
house. Left school at sixteen to learn
the machinist trade in Detroit shop.
Tried his hand at watch and Jewelry
repairing for a side line. After eight
years his father lured him back to
the land by a presentation OF forty
acres of timbered land, Ford accept
ing, bringing his tools with him. OBJ
tanning a portable saw mill, he pro-
ceeded to work up his timber into
lumber. In his twenty-fourth year
he married Clara j. Bryant, who had
grown up on farm few miles away
Mr.. Ford built his own house with
lumber cut from his land, a story-and-
a-half cottage, thirty-one feet square
and moved into it. Tried his hand at
building steam road car, but found
not satisfactory boiler. After two
years in the new home he returned to
Detroit to become night-shift engin-
eer of the Detroit Edison Co., at $4t
a month. Later he rose to chief en-
gineer and worked in that capacity foI
seven years at $125 month. He
lived in a small house on Bagley av-
enue, near his job. In small brick
shed at the rear of his rented house
he set up a workshop and began ex-
rerimenting with gas engine construc-
tion. His first completed machine
was a two-cylindered car which was
purely experimental, but when it was
finished and rolled out, as the builder
expressed it, "the darned thing ran.
1t could be speeded up to 20 or ~
miles an hour when it was working
well. Having now something to SHOW
to venturesome investors, he was able
to organize the Detroit Automobile
Co. and was made chief engineer al
500 a month, after severing his con
nection with the Edison company II
1901. His interest was one-sixth OF
$4,000 capitalization.
This first company became involved
in a conflict Of Individual opinions, st
Ford withdrew, purchased a little
shop at 81 Park place. Detroit, ant
built a larger and better machine
which was completed in 1902. Thi'
machine. was the basis of the founding
Of the Ford Motor Co., which was in
corporated June 16, 1908. The earl,
stockholders were Alex. Y. Malcolm
son, John s. Gray, John F. Dodge
Horace E. Dodge, Horace H. Rack
sham, Albert Strelow, John w. Ander
son, c. HI. Bennett, v. c. Frey, Jane,
Couzens, G. H. Woodhall and Miss r
". Couzens. Mr.. Ford was AWARDED
25 per cent Of the stock and was vice
president and factory manager. Th'
authorized capital was 100000, bu
only $4,000 was paid in.
| Again there was some disagree
ment over matters of policy. Som,
of the stockholders were timid ant
doubtful and Mr.. Ford was able II
buy sufficient stock to make his hold
ing 81 per cent in 1906. A little lat
er he purchased enough to give hin
5Sh per cent of the stock. A racinS
car was built to attract attention an,
secure free advertising. This car, tn,
"999,v named after the locomotive