La Grande evening observer., February 27, 1926, Image 3

Saturday, February 27; lifcfl). -'
LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER"
r.
L.G.SIWITH IS
PIONEER HERE
' IN AUTO GAME
The Modern Home of the L. C. Smith Garage
Entered Automobile In
dustry as Repair Man '
23 Years Ago . v-
HAD FIRST GARAGE
IN EAST OREGON'
Planned Present Building,
at Corner of Depot and
Fifth Streets, Early in
1!)12. ,
1 Tn I.. ( Pjulth, )iW Jlrolhors
H'tTi'Mi-nlntivu hrro. l.n (irumlo
hus tin- plonoor automobile dealer
of IJusWrn On on. ., -
And prohuhl)- no nmn in tho
h:ts A'liichfil I do unfolding ' of
tho automohiUv drutnu with a keen
er appoint ion than he has. '
1 If was working In Van Huron's
bicycle repair shop, at the n ap end
of what fs now thy Homo I 'I ate. 0
irnr tuoiv, whon hia 1irt r-i In iU
vsu't1
v." v-' - '
I -.;',', ',. 'v, V -., . - -
.-"I ' ' H 1 ; .,' '
. - ri) Hill' "HIMI
i in- n-r-rrllli I
I lEIGUTflfl QUE I
HI " OF PIONEERS r-- n I
!
V i
V
1 1 . i! -
A view of the L. C. Smith 'gur&ffe buil'ding--where Dodges and Grahams are housed. Mr. Smith, the pioneer
auto dealer, in this locality, cheated this building more than 13 years ago and last year erected, u new front. , v
now Industry was first 'intiitoti'd
That was sometime ulong in L90.1,
Thero wop0 no garages hi , thow
uuyj. ami namruiiy l jcii to ino
lot. tho blcyon mochnnlCH to ropl.lr
tlui now iiiuditnou. And when,, ono
tiny, h Van. ul loa n pon to ehanifo
a tiro on' Ip. Molttor'N HKIn ;. onu
liniKPd Jtinblor. thut Hlinplo tuit
ion murltcti un epoch: A how tiro
had iU'vr,ioen put on un uutonio
hilo In dia .flPand bffpry.
6piMI Rppnlr.'Sliop
" In .joys, ,J. ATnn .Buron.thft ppo
prU'tor flf Jl-ttluyelO' iihop ileohlod
to dlsoonllnito Hio'ropulr linwinoiw.
K6 tlmt yofir .1- I'.-.HinMh oponod an
fintoiiiolille. ro.palr nhop In tho
htiitillnK now ocrnpioM iy the C'nr-
i
Mr. Car Owner-
You Can Save 50 and Get Quick Service,
Too, bn Parts for AH .Cars. '
Vacuum Tanks For Vorth ;
Alanoih
Slartors .
(cnfi'ntnrN t" '
Itiidlaloi-?
' Vnnl Tiros
, S'lHwi! TrawttuKsfau . for
Cash For Wrecked Cars
La Grande WrcckingiCp.
. Adams Avenue.
poy pross, ; -.
Hinlth'H was tho flrnt RiirnKO vxqv
oporutod In Kastorn On-Ron, litit
tluv namo '"tpirup'" wag not p
pllod to It until n nutuhor oT yomt
lator. , : .
Ah tho. offiolnl nutoinohllo doo
tor In IhlH putt or tho Htato, Air.
Hmttli was' In conHtant domnnd
both at tho. repair Hhop and on tho
highway. Hn iinod . to nnswor
oallH im fur voat an JVndloton, aftd
uh fur ouhI at ltuhor.
IttMtr hy litryolo or Train
"I didn't havo a cur of my own,"
rontiniHOOH tho autouiohilo man. "I
uxod to tio my ropalr IooIh on my
Idoyolo and many u ttto I podnlod
fiy or six mlloH. ovor country
to roimoot n Imttory or to perform
sonio othor minor oporatlon.
"Onro T rodo my Ittrola olKht
miton to. toll a now owner llmt his
oar would Btart If ho'd turn tho
switch.
IVo Pnrtnlilo Tolophotw
"Some aiitoinohtlistH usod to
carry portable telephones In tholr
oa rs. W In n t h ry pot li it n a: up
a tons- tho road, they would throw
the wiro over a tolepliono )ino nnd
uummoh help.. Will . French, n
li-avolliifr salesman, was ono fol
low that did that."
During" his first yonr as a paramo,
man, Mr. rmitth run tho business
hy Iiltnsolf. but the next yonr au
tomobiles hud hecomo numerous
enough that he had to havo help.
In J !tOG, ho en)lted himself as a
l-'ord ' aK-en t. His first , cnstonler
was Will Stoddard, and tho car
.Smith sold him was n llttln four
cy 11 inter machine, known as mod
el N.
. "I suppose I pot more kick out
of tho sale of that first car than I
do out of dellvorinc two or throe
' In tho sumo day now," couiinentH
(tho pioneer dealer.
Had l'oid Agency 10 Yr-nrrt
I Ho kept the l-'oi'd ntfenny fOji" 10
' years. Tho cars ho sold woro
mostly fivo-imssenKcr lourlnp
models, with now and then a two
pawonKer runabout.
Karly in 1H1I, Hmith moved his
uaht?o ovir on Jefferson st root,
whero tho Union Motor company
now is located. And about a year
ami a half later, ho moved into a
fine IjuildiiiB- of his own;"- '
Tli ft ntitomohilo IhihIiu hm was in
u flourlHliliiK- state in 1!H2, and
proml.sl a still rosier future. So
Mr. Smith derided ho ought to
havo n . garaKo oxprossly designed
to moot thtt demands of sales and
service. That-buildfnR-. at tho cor
ner of lepot street.' and l-'lfllx
street houses tho h. O, Smith ifar
apo. It was augmented, however.
, , I j havo n . garage oressly deslgml I
Htn moi't thtt demands of sales and!
! . : . 4 . I service. That- building, at tho cor-
. . . ' ,.. .. . I nor of Depot street' and Kin li
HHHKIMHHMIiMHHHMiHHMHaaJ)tn'i'L houses tho 1. Smith gar-
I ago. It was augmented, however.
Sol 4'door Sedan, lxcylnier motor, foroe-fecd lubrication to all jp
with u good-Hlxod addition on Hie
Washington avohuo shle In 1 1 1 7.T
Sd.l lirst lUMlgo ' -
A plonoor along so many lines of
tho automobile Industry, it Is only
natural that Mr. Smith should
have boon tho first deab-r in this,
territory o sell u car of I ho mako
which ho now bundles' oxoluslvoly.
"1 bough my . first order of
Doitgo cars boforu I. know whether
they woi'o four-or six-cylinder mi
tombilos." ho recollects, ln'to
l!H4, whon tho first Dodge cars
en mo on 1 ho market, t ho 1 odgo
Brothers had been muking - parts
for most of tho uutouuddbi manu
facture is In Detroit. I had sulil
clenl faith In their judguuut and
ability to contract for &) of their
now cars beToro J had soon one.'1
Added Two Agi-ncloK
During tho war when, tho out
pyl foil far below tho demand, Mr.
Smith nddod tho rudilluo and the
IJnlck agencies In an effort to get
deliveries enough to fill , tho In
creasing orders. IIo dropped, tboiu
both, however, as soon ns tho man
ufacturers had ndjustrd themsolvea
.to the prosperity. And soon aftot:
ward, hu iut tho Kord company,
with the explanation that Henry
hud tried to dictate his business.
Hut that Is another story.
"I llko tho Dodge car . for Its
stability." declurcs tho dcnlor. "It
is tho host cur money can buy for
this country. Whon you start out
on a hunting or fishing trip over
tho mountulns, you lily, to know
that you huvo a enr that will bring
you back. Tho Dodge s adapted
to tho demands of the sportsman,
ns well as being an ideal all-around
our."
Customers Satisfied
Mr. Smith's customers seem to
share his partiality. Oil his sales
record books ho has kept tho re
cord of every sale since tho first
car loft his shop-thelr names are
repeated year aftor year in1 proof
of their satisfaction.
Outsldo of wiling automobiles,
Mr. Hmith bus two pronounced
hobbles: His radio, with Its aerial
strung from, tho towor ubovo his
garage, and Ids ranch at tho oast
end of Aduiua uvenue, whom ho
vows ho. will ralso pumpkins, rad
ishes tfnd slrawberrloH next summer.
25 Years Hrings Great
Transportation Change
STEAM-DRIVEN
VEHICLE GAVE.
CITY A SHOCK
(Conlliuit'il from Fni?e 7.)
4-door Sedan, ilxcyllnler motor, force-feed lubrication to all
main bearing!, connecting rod bearing! and camihaft bearing,,
7-bcaring crankshaft, e-bcaring canuhaft, new vetour uphol-
ttery, 4-wheel brake!, full balloon tircl, 5 diicwheeli, new Mai
lard Green nniih,cowlventilwor,collighu,rearviion mirror;
lilkencurtaini.tranimlnloolock.aMtODmaticwindihield wiper.
All you need do is to check off the
features of the Ajax Six to find
overwhelming proof that it is the
outstanding car of the $1000 field.
La Grande Nash Co.
A. R. Trachsel
1302 Jefferson Ave.
o
0J)
"Tho automobile Industry Is the
biggest In tho community In point
of sales, and Is worthy of tho dig
nity of an organization. "
Vlcnty of Rivalry.
:iglitecn months later Smith and
Itolinonkamp woro tho only mem
bers of tho organization still op
erallng. Tiioy kept up a keen rival
ry, ami used lo plow up and down
tho muddy st roe t s day u It or da y
demonNtrulltig tho merits of th ir
rcNpootivo motor linos.
"I was pretty proud of my sec
ond, automobile,' Chaso Hohnen
knmp observed, in recalling the
early history of tho auto hnsinoK
th othor lay. "And with one ex
ception, It cilwnys caiiio up to my
boasts nboiit It.
"That cxoeplion was my .most
embarrassing moment. It was one
Sunday morning, and I hud my
girl ulong. I was all dressed up
in a duster and gnnntlels anil one
of those ohlstytn motoring caps.
X enme whirling down Adams avo
nuo In great stylo until I got right
In front of tho Foley hotel. Sev
eral traveling mon woro sitting out
In front and I wos anxious to make
a fino Impression. Just us I speed
ed up my motor, I struck tho high
hoard crosswalk. And off dropped
ono of my front wheel! .
'tTho only other tlnio that, car
refused to go f or mo was once
when I hit a pig."
A Trado Tliflt Failed1.
AI Andrews ono timo traded a
four-cylinder Franklin to It.
Illhhard for "tho finest pair of mules
In Hlbbnrd's Htnblu. When he de
livered tho car ond (nought a man
along with him. to help pick out
tho mules, Jio was chagrined find
dismayed to find that tho only ni
ninl.4 in Htbbard's barn woro a
couple of scrubby little pack mules.
Hibbard had hod his fun, and
lot Andrews keep hl Krunklln.
Oo buy a nleo flivver
And tln-n you won't shiver
l-'or you'll lo an nec In tho pol
Hinoo It's cutch-as.calch can
With tho speeding fan
It is better to "get" than be
"got."
They'll joon havo to build
churches In tho middle of Un
block. Killing stations have all the
corners.
14,, i think I've got a flat tire.
She "Olmmo a dinner. The
car's only . In second."
Hall "So you've cured your wife
of the anttqtin cmee. How did
you do It?" ,
t' ft, t-.it "It ti-n aahv T trn'ti lirr
a J 90ft model uiMomohtle for bet-
birthday."
"About ils bkr tho mourners
kneel: Ho wai holding his cutle
Instead of tho whl." .
fOontlnned from Vau Ono.)
The best horses available were
used by Hho stage coiupuny and
Iheso o.i'ten Included nervous ones
which became fright oiumI easily
with many runaways tho result.
"One morning while. Harry Vlelf
n or' wys driving." nlatis McKlroy.
"wo were hitching up tho horses
In front of tho barn. Some bo
cimie noi-voiitii)d, us they won do
ing conNblerablo ri-ariug uiound, 1
told llelfner lo get into the neat
and hold the lines while. 1 finished
bitching. '
llorsts lliinnwny.
"As vw finlshrd hl'hlng tho Inst
of tho traces ami ns llelfner was
getting his lines ready, tho horses
all broko Into a run,' ' managed
to get onto tho rig nnd got hold
of throo of the linos. T was un
able to check their speed until they
upset tho slago ut a sharp cor
ner. No pasMingcrft woro in tho
stage at that time" "
MeKlroy tolls of another incident
where several pas-sengers occupied
tho HtuKt; driven by Frank Wins
ton, when tho .horses bolted. "1"
got into a buggy and started out
after tho runuways," bo said, lidd
ing that finally tho horses wore
stopped without Injury to tho pas
sengers although ono woman was
so badly seared that sho fahfjed
and a doctor had to ho culled to
bring her to.
Inside Holfnor and Winston,
other stage drivers of that period
included ltMl Arnold. Hilly McWil
liams. Hill Wright, Kd C'ullen and
others. . .
Sells (.'nsoHnci Now.
MeKlroy luul tho Job of caring
for ami feeding tho stage horses for
six; ctnd a half yours, after which
tho mall anil passenger sei-vleo was
taken over by tho now .railroad
which had jnt boon completed. He
continued lo run his livery and
food business Tor several years un
til tint automobllo replaced the
horse -drown vehicle to such nn ex
lent, t hut tho business no longvr
jv.ild. Keeping pace with tho times,
MeKlroy flvo years ago turned his
siahlo into a service station and
now sells gas Instead of hay.
When U. W. lcighton, proprietor
of loighton's Welding und Machine
Works, nturted into tho . gunigo
bualnoKS In .11109. tluTO woro seven
automobile In t'nlon county. Ac
cording to Mr, 1 -eight on two other
garages woro operating1 before ho
started, ono of them being owned
by 1j. C. Smith, who with Mr.
I .eight on ar tho only men who
started gar a gen at Ihut time and
havo continued to 'operate up until
tho present.
When. Mr. Iolghlon first started
out ho hud us u partner Jay Van
Huren. Mr. Van Huron was agent
for Franklin cars und Mr. Leigh
ton did all of the repair work.
In tho gaiugt. They worn located
In tho building now owned by K.
F, Tiler on Fir Htreot, formerly
occupied by tho Valley erenmery
and later hy the rcorless t'reujnory
company. 1
i4Hl Many Cam to TK."
-"There wna not enough uutomo
hlles lo repair to make much of a
living at that time," Mr. Lelghton
recalls. ''W-licn I first started Into
business J amended umbrellas, re
paired bicycles, phonographs and
sewing machines; to help tho busi
ness along. But I suppose we
couldn't expoet such with tho few
auto thero woro ut that lime."
I'rcvloua to going Into the gar.
ago business Mr. Lolghton worked
for slip yearn in tho railroad NhopN
hero as tool maker, doing general
overhauling and air work. When
ho left tho railroad company to
start a business of tils own. ho luul
had about seventeen and one-half
yours of actual experience in ma
chine work, including toot inukJng.
NoUl Chandlers, Maxwell.
Paring the year 1911 ho bought
Mr. Van Huron's Interest In the
garage and ut tho km mo time he
tookr over tho sales ugency i for
Maxwell cars, which ho had mitt)
1!H0, Paring that year and a part
of 1017 ho wui agent for Chundlor
curs, ' v
In 1013 Mr. liOlghton obtained
a battery charging; outfit from T
Hinllh, which ho operated In
connection with h repair shop,
loiter ho begun currying Kxlde
batteries und ciddod to his shop
equipment to do all kinds of but
tery repair work.
UuringMhe same yonr ho moved
into his present location on Wash
ington street, whero ho has sinco
been operuting. Tho building
which ho now occupies wus built
especially for him, '
i In tho year 1017 Mr. I,elghton i
nddod ucetylono welding machinery
J to hi repair shop. He specialized j
In this work, for about four years, j
'the end oil which time ho Installed
j machinery for automobllo cylinder
'grinding, crank shaft grinding. Ho
i has specialized In this work since
then, doing many repair jobs that
other garages are not equipped to
handle. - i
H. W. iAdjrhton, pfotwr auto
niuiil repair ' rlai proprietor
of liA Grande.
- At preavnt h employa tv
chan lea The work of one la
tlroly separate from the other, f.
does ul of the welding anU
babbits cotinocUnv roU and
of that kind andj tho other
nothing; but tho machine work. .
t To hundloMhh work to the b t .
advantage Mr. I righto n found K
necessary to install a line of platen
rings and plna IJy adcllnf thta
many parts to his shop the Instal
lation of a parts department waa
brought about and ot the present
ho has what 1 known, in connw
tlon with the.weldlug utld machine
shop, ua a purls store. He pi ace
intent parts for till nuikes of auto-
mobiles are parried In stock. HUt
pari department stock Is valud
t f 12,001). It Is no longer neces
sary to send to Jr'ortland or else
where for automobllo parts, when
they can be obtained locally, ' j
Tho parts . department ban n
lock at alt times new departure
and Hyatt Unken roller bearing,
front wheel bearings (Special ball
and cone-tight), Hplcer universal
joints, fan belts, Stewart speed
ometer parts," radiator hone,
springs, connecting rods and con
necting rod bearings, crankshaft '
bearings, ring gears and pinion,
diamond fears valves, piston pin
and piston plu locks, ono ton of
bolts and nuts, miniature lamps for
; automobiles, Maxdu house lamps
'and many other things.
M NEW :
S CARS fe
For;OId i:
WALLOWA COUNTY
STATISTICS SHOW
311 MORE AUTOS
KNTUHl'UTHn, l)ro. (Spnrlnl) '
Tlin Voiir Haw iin lnprcnso of
.1M in tin; mimlH'r or (iMloniol)lli'n
ninnlni; hi Wallowa oounly, ne
rortlltiff to llitt JMotor Ki'KlHtfr,
'oinpili-l ri-om rfTfirdn of Hi'orclttr'
or Hmlv Sain A. Kowr. Tho In-rn-nHi'
wim ;rim 3414 rnrs In J924
'lo 1 728 lii liiS, or an pit cfnt, ml
IIiIh nftiT It wiih commonly lliollRlit
cvi'ryliodv In I ho county hml a nia
rhlno iili-fiiily.
Hi-Kin! rations of cnnli mnkn of
cur for tho hint yi'iir worn:
I'onl S4I
Chi'.violi t 83f,
Doric. r. HI
stiiil. linlliT 8(1
IIVITlllll'l 71
llnick t!
Maxwoll 07
llaliland .' 83
Si ill' - 3
i Hil.smohllo 26
( 'lialmc'i'rt 18
lliiptnohiln IS
Willyn-KlllKht 10
Vi'Mo ir
KHS.rx .. 12
I loo ; 1 1
l .liaiKlli'r 1"
i 'ail lilac! 7
f'K-vi'himl ' II
Kranklln , f
i aim .- li
l.lliirty f
(Iruy
i'hrynUr - 4
lTiHiilcr 3
llaym'B 3
Cotiiitiliia 8
.li'Wi'lt 3
(Hunt 3
IIikIhoii 2
.Marrrion 2
liirkcnliiu'kfr 2
N'Tippn-lloolh 2
MiHci-llanpoiLS 30
Total for 1025, 1728
Tolal Tor l2-l 1414
Inrroafio 314
WIhii tin' car l lii-ints ovor
IiimiIimI. fsnnilne Iho rolli-ra uinl
IiIiim on tho vnlvn push roila. ' Ir
Hum id u rjat spot, a illdtlnrt
valvn tap will ln lli-nl'll. ThlH l
ofhTi tnlHluki'n for n loose tiippfl.
Winn tli tapp.'t In niljimtoil to
mili'l. It, in siirh a ciibo th valvn
will not: lom. with a ri'Milt that
.'oinprOHslon Ih lost anil till; vitlvc
Ih hiitnj'il.
I'iNliwtriiiirH c:n'i'il
To ! f r, o from ili-Htll'H toll,
I'on't vm out for a atroll
Wli.'n t-li jiiKRiTniiut drlvrrfl nri
oi.t.
If you I'l l Hindi Him paring.
.lilxl ri'iiii-nilKT thry'rn ruclnif
Ami' yoti, liuvr-n't a rhnnre If
you'rr Hlout.
Will, tho tifv model flivver looka
.iiirplrlously Hkn a fllrvrr.
A MnMM-d pamtlnc Job mm nnr alio wilt nwke
jmiui' otr look Uk mrw. Idke the arum work ana
works wr every detail of his mastorpli-co, io we, too,
piomlwi )on onuterpleo In palntlns your w.
We'll (yuarnntao . that It'll-bo a thoroughly
atilttiiK xact Mil Mlrantlm til every repwt,
you lal ymi had (ha Job done by tin.
Our Ctuirftmi the Iiowwt Ask lor Prices.
finished'
inaklnK
Fager Auto Paint Shop
2116 Second St.
You hit another car
You run over a child--You
wreck your car--You
have a collision
Your car is stolen
Your car is burned up-
What Happens
To
You?
Do you stand the loss, no matter how spreat it may be, or does
an insurance company? Do you spend sleepless nights worrying about
disaster or docs an insurance company do the worrying? Is every
thing you own in danger because you drive a car, or are you fully pro
tected'by strong, adequate insurance?
Our business is to see that you have nothing to fear except injury
and loss of-life in an accidenb-to protect your investment and your es
tate. If you haven't adequate insurance to protect you against any
tragedy that might happen, let us explain in detail the small cost of
full automobile insurance. Prompt adjustment and service assured.
Ask any of our policy holders who have suffered a los9.
Security Land & Savings Co.
La Grande National Hank Bid?.
Phone Main 86
G. L. DUTTON, Mngr. Insurance Dept.