Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-06-18

of The Studebaker Corporation of
America, who Is years ago first set
foot IN the mining settlement. 1t was
here that Young Studebaker amassed
the small fortune which later contrib
uted to the building up of the present
S90,O 600 900 institution. An old-fashion
ed barbecue with all the "makin's'
as well as old-fashioned games and
sports will recall the days of the pi-
oneer. In the years that have passed
the name of John Studebaker has
become amost legendary in ElDorado
County.
1t was in 1852 that Henry and
Glenn Studebaker pooled their total
capital Of SOS and two FORCES and es-
tablished the firm of H & c Stude-
baker. blacksmiths and wagon build
ers, at South Bend. John, then nine
teen years of age, cast his eyes long
ingly towards CALIFORNIA; gold-stud-
ded mountains. His two brothers re
gretfully helped him build a special
prairie schooner which the young adj
venturer traded for passage with a
wagon train on its way to the Pac-
fife Coast.
Life's lessons came early. At the
Missouri River, young John fell in
with a shell game" From his lea
Their belt he extracted the SOS his
mother had given him when he left
home and from him in turn the shell
sharks neatly extracted the cash.
When finally he arrived in Hangtown
after working for his keep along the
trail, just fifty cents reposed in his
pockets.
AS the wagon trains came to a halt
q nan stepped up and asked if there
was a wagon maker in the lot. With
the gold lure in his blood, young John
kept still, but eventually, succumbing
to the advice of a wise friend, he adj
mitted his trade and was given a jot
building wheelbarrows. During his
stay in Hangtown he made hundreds
of wheebarrows at $40 apiece, in a.
dition to working at s~tagecoach re.
pairing and the making of miners
picks and the like. To his brothers
"back east" he sent his ideas on how
a prairie schooner should best 'bt
built for the transcontinental haul.
Meanwhile, in South Bend, Henri!
and Glenn had been fostering thu
growing demand for Studebaker wa
CONS. But actual cash was as scarce
as hens teeth. They wanted John tx
return from California and join then
in the business, and SO John set on
after five years for the Coast.
BY this time he had accumulated
$4,000 in gold dust and nuggets. Re
membering the swindlers on the ives
bound trip, he journeyed by cattl'
ship and stage until he arrived il
South Bend. There he declared tina
he hadn't had his clothes off sine
leaving Hangtown. for, sewed in
belt next to his skin, lay his priz
! safe from the eyes of shell men.
Convinced now in the future Of tn
wagon business, John put all his Cal
ifornia gold into the company. Pros
perity came. AS freighting interest
became active all over the region
thousands of wagons were required
and in ~Studebaker was found the sta
nina and endurance necessary TO
heavy hauling.
Then followed the building of
million wagons, buggies, and car
RIGGS. Horse-drawn equipages for tn
a~ristocracy, for kings and president
and discriminating folk. John died !
1917, aged "a, two years before Stu
debaker built its last horse vehicle
But his spirit of rugged ~tenacity
skill and quality workmanship still
lives on.
1t is immortalized in a line o
champion motor cars-The Presider
Eight. The Commander Eight, TIL
Dictator Eight, and the Studebake