Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-12

ed from New York or Palm Beach:
when horses were taken out of their
harness and walked past the speed
demons; when automobiles boosted
back doors and were considered
most grand built that way. 1t takes
j. w. Skene of Augusta and East
Winthrop to relate about those days,
because Mr.. Skene was among the
first. II not the first Maine automo-
bile manufacturer. The laurels ap-
pear to be almost evenly divided be-
tween Mr.. Skene who then lived in
Lewiston. and another Lewiston
maker. Forrest e. Bisbee. But his
tory has it that Mr.. Skene built the
first Maine automobile that went
successfully.
It was way back in 1896 that j.
w. Skene and Edwin +. Field got
their heads together and decided to
branch away from the bicycle maxi
ing field and make an automobile.
1t was long. hard days of slow. tedi-
ious work. as every part, with the
exception Of the tires, was made by
hand in their workshop. First they
put q motor into a Stanhope buggy
which Mr.. Skene owned; they
planned it and they schemed 1t and
they put the little black mare out
to pasture. Without doubt, that s
the first instance in the State where
the horse took a back seat for the
automobile.
Anyway the glorified buggy. after
being properly improved, took new
life and ran successfully, slow but
sure. and stood without hitching.
The early automobile days were
fiowery ones for the journalistic
fields. displayed by the following,
buoted from a Lewiston paper or
that date, expounding the J. W.
Skene Cycle and Automobile Co.:
"His productions are without a
rival. being perfect marvels OF oeau-
Nv liphtness and speed. They are
also making steam vehicles when
arc of considerable merit. Ihey
make both one and two-seated car
riares. They have a two-cylinder
upright motor which develops hVe e
hnrse-nower and weighs only 80
rounds. The boiler has 800 copper
tnhes and is tested to 1,OOO POUNDS
nreasure. The burner Is automati,
calIv controlled and will produce iuo
Wounds of steam in three minutes;
irha wheels are 2S-inch with steer
inns very heavy spokes and nipples'
and hubs nicely nickeled, ana ha.e
t,,,c and oue-half inch pneumauc
t,re. There Is q double Irictioi,
brake which is very powerful anu
81. rromptly. The body Is Oh .ie
Stanhope type. finely finished. Ine
aast ~ operation Is stated at ohs-
asth cant a mile on ordinary Ioaus
ard one first-class roads one-teh'A
cent per mile. ,.ra weighs
ano Wounds and costs 81, OOO ana .s ss
To- seated one weighs 90 pounu'
IVA costs $3.50. The skene 10
a mnta ali parts except the tires. W..
n,ssna "a a native of Maine. wn9S =
sn,,i and capacity, coupled WIN da AZ
snnorabIe record. render MN
.srvedly popular and respec.yu .o
SCI The company formed by 'he , e~o
en later became the SKene A hi,as
IAN Auto Co. About ~ au. .,, 90.
A. ali wefe made, many0I c n
tng 70 New York. Boston, S od
cmf and some In Maine: III Iate
n Lewiston photographer the late
Amos Gerald of EalTn nr,,,iis and
LAWYER Hussey OF W".~ ortaS the
others In this state spo''
oN S'th o,,vh Mr.. Skene can re su.
-, interesting incidents, II Is NJ
i .,sn... Who can tell the anecoo.ss,
.hInh throw much light ONO uns
nnnar Of reception of automopneoo
~ aarIv dayA No doubt Mrs. sKsnn o
~ ~ he called one of the nrst woW rSn
can 70 drivers Of the state. Sne
so,,s when she. recalls seeing a.
la~s nth n horn while she anu M;
Sssv we're IN Florida. She wante e,,
~, to replace the auto gong WIZ
= horn. hut when they returneu "
lewiston. they found that ano s,,,
a,tomobile owner had returned iIo an
New York also with the morn
and has his already fnstaiisu. ,r,
Two relics are the snavins aae.
which the Lewiston barber nau uto-
Grated with a bicycle ana al The
In,o,,schiIe is a most grand anair
S aithough its true that the gears
n Vacated on the running ooaru,
st,i, the Victoria top gives II . nos'
1mnaern day foreign appearance
The artist went beyond the wiioest
fancv in painting such an elaporate
a,,tomobile and folks thought they
would never make cars as grand as
Mr. skene can recall many time
~.ran ho descended from his auto
mobile and led a frightened morse
around, past his car. ~,
They had their accidents, out
there was one, replete with coinci-
dences that still reads like a fairy
story. Mr.. and Mrs. Skene and one
az the daughters. O wee BABY. were
riding. Roads were not even lev
wears ago. what they are TO-DAY. me
car took q sudden plunge oown oNsl
s--Isnrr,cnf Mrs Skeue threw