From the Curator
Auto Memories III
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Necessity is the Mother of Invention
In the `teens and `twenties, car repair service was fairly scare. On U.S. 50, the route from Romney to Grafton, W.Va. was covered about 80 miles. The road over the Appalachian Ridge was passable in good weather but hardly at all when the weather turned sour.
At Burlington, Weaver's Garage opened for business and was still in the family. It was a garage that you could count on for repairs but Weaver did not have a wrecker.
So if your car's rear end went out, broke an axle or lost a rear wheel, Weaver would jack up the rear end as high as he could. Then he would cut a good strong sapling, wedge it under the axle, and jam it under the frame.
After he let the car back down, it would be resting on three wheels with the sapling replacing the lost wheel. After hooking up the chain, away to shop he would go with the car.
This practice was frowned upon after the road was paved.
About Factory Delivery
In 1907, a doctor in Trenton, New Jersey purchased a new Chadwick from Chadwick Engineering Works, which was located in Pottsdown, Pa.
A driver drove the car while an assistant followed him on a bicycle. The young man on the bicycle was George H. Thomas (1887-1956). Thomas was learning the trade at that time.
"It took us ten days to get the car there (about 250 miles). We had many flat tires, but many times, I had to ride back to the factory for parts return, and to make repairs, and so on," wrote Thomas
"We finally delivered the Chadwick. I made several deliveries but finally quit, as the job was too tiring."
The Chadwick set a world's record in 1909: 10 miles in 8 minutes 23 2/5 seconds. This automobile sported three portholes on each side of the hood. Buick had a 3-holer in 1949. By then, Chadwick was part of automobile history as production ceased in 1916.
Willys Knight and a neat idea
Willys Knight was one of the first manufacturers to provide an oil filter for the engine. They used a Skinner Rectifier. This device was built into the motor and used exhaust heat to remove varnish, sludge, dirt, water, etc. You merely opened a drain cock once a week and that was all.
All auto manufacturers using the Knight engine had to use Knight as part of their name - Moline Knight, Falcon Knight, Yellow Knight, Willys Knight, etc.
John Dudley
Owner & Curator from 1967 - 2004
H.F.A.A.C.A.
Roaring Twenties Antique Car Museum copyr. 2000 - 2010
Roaring Twenties copyr. 2000 - 2010