The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, December 03, 1916, SECTION FOUR, Page 8, Image 58

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TOE SUNDAY OREGON! AN", PORTLAND,
DECEMBER
3. 1916.
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SITE FOR $30,
00
AUTO HOI SOUGHT
Fred W. Vogler Returns From
East After 30-Day Trip as
h Optimistic as Ever.
QUARTERS ARE TOO SMALL
President of Northwest Company
Portland Distributors Declares
A Eastern Capital Is Seeking
Places for Investments.
After a trip of 30 days among' the
. automobile centers of the East, Fred
,. W. Vogler, president of the Northwest
Auto Company, distributor of Harmons,
Coles and Reos, is more of an opti
mist than ever. In fact he had no
sooner placed his feet back on Portland
soil a few days ago than he com
menced figuring on a location for the
new three-story building which is to
be built for his company on a lower
Broadway corner at & cost of about
130.000.
' The present quarters of the North
west Auto Company at Couch street
.and Broadway are too small for the
.needs of the company's business and
-Mr. Vogler insists that he have more
room in which to spread out.
Mr. Vogler's first stop after leaving;
Portland for the East was in Idaho
where he closed out his interests in the
Idaho Lumber Company, which has sold
its chain of some 1 lumber yards to
the Weyerhaeuser interests for a sum
of about $760,000. Mr. Vogler organized
the Idaho Lumber Company about 20
years ago on $1000 capital and was
president of the company until a few
Vears ago. At the time of the sale he
till owned a one-seventh interest.
Mlchlean Also Visited.
From Idaho Mr. Vogler went to Lan
sing, Mich., where he Inspected the new
additions to the Reo plant and then
stepped across to Flint, Mich., where the
SIR- RIGGS ANNOUNCES SALE
OF HIS COMPANY INTER
ESTS TO A. P. KITE,
OF SEATTLE,
I have Just sold my Interest
in the Frank C. Riggs Company
to Arthur P. Nute, the Packard
dealer in Seattle, who operates
in that city as the Northwest
Motor Company," said Mr. Riggs
yesterday as he boarded the
Overland special train at the
Union Depot fr Toledo, O., where
he is to become a executive of
ficial of the Willys-Overland
Company.
"I understand the business in
Portland Is to be continued un
der the name of the Frank C.
Riggs Company, the only change
being that Mr. Nute takes over
my stock interest and assumes
the presidency. Both K. J.
Clark, vice-president, and L A.
Howard, secretary and treasurer,
retain their stock interest in the
Frank C. Riggs Company, and
there will be no change in the
personnel of the existing busi
ness. "The business will be con
tinued In the same location
where we have been for the
the last six years.
"Mr. Nute is a man of splen
did character and reputation in
his home city, and has built up
a splendid business selling Pack
ard and Hudson, cars in Wash
ington." manufacturers of' the Dort car have
completed and occupied three additional
new buildings within the last six
months.
One of his main, objects In going to
Flint was to arrange for increased
shipments of the Dort Into the North
west territory. Starting the first of
December the shipments of this make
nlone to the Northwest Auto firm will
be a minimum of 100 cars every 30
days.
He spent election evening at the De
troit Athletic Club as the dinner guest
of Keo officials and says that within
conversational distance of this table
were representatives of two hundred
millions of dollars' worth of automobile
capital.
The Stewart factory at Buffalo was
next visited and while he was there
t'ie officials rejected an offer for their
plant which carried with it a bonus of
$200,000 over the inventory.
Capital Seeking Investments.
The big Impression that Mr. Vogler
brought back with him was the fact
that Wall-street interests are seeking
new sources for the employment of
capital and are looking to the automo
bile industry for these opportunities.
As an example of this he cites the
case of a small truck factory in Char
lotte, Mich., with a capacity of about
one truck a day. The head of this
plant phoned a friend one morning In
Detroit asking him to raise a few
thousand dollars for him.
This friend mentioned it to two or
three of his cronies at lunch that day
and in the afternoon the first man was
on his way to Charlotte.and the next
morning' he had purchased the plant
for himself and associates for $400,000.
Within a week a stock list of $750,000
was over-subscribed and arrangements
completed -to move the plant to Lansing
with facilities for 30 trucks a day.
In concluding his ttory Mr. Vogler
said: "Going and coming across coun
try it seemed to me like one endless
procession of freight cars. I saw autos
loaded In flat cars, hay In coal cars
and even grain on flats covered with
canvas. I saw more activity in Indus
trial and financial lines than I have
ever seen In the East before and I
found countless people looking toward
the Pacific Coast both for investment
and homes.
Great Future Is Predicted.
"I believe that the Northwest with
Its lumber and grains, its shipbuilding
and its world-wide ports open to peace
ful traffic, its tourist attractions, has
before it the greatest opportunity any
part of the world ha. ever seen, but I
also believe that before we can enjoy
this unmeasurable opportunity our law
makers as wall as our individuals must
Indicate in no uncertain manner that
capital Is welcome here and will be
given a fair deal when it comes.
"I have noticed the caliber of the
men elected to our next Legislature
and I am confident that they will do
the right thing here as will our dele
gation to Congress do its share for the
Northwest in a National manner."
New Road Is Opened.
A new tributary to the Lincoln High
way was opened last month in the
Arrowhead Trail In Utah, which has
Tiow been completely reclaimed. The
first tour along the new route was
made a few days ago from San Ber
nardino, Cal.. to Salt Lake City by
the engineer In charge of construction
Charles - A. Blgelow, in a Chevrolet
touring car. The route was declared
perfect for. pleasure car travel at all
points. -
PORTLAND AUTOMOBILE CIRCLES WILL MISS
FRANK C. RIGGS, WHO IS CALLED EAST
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Executive Chair in Administration of Affairs of Willys-Overland Company, Reputed to Be Largest Motor
Vehicle Plant in World, Is to Be Filled in Toledo, Ohio West to Be Visited Frequently.
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MOORES.
THE general mechanism of the local
automobile industry loses one of
its most notable, most efficient
and most forceful human "cylinders"
and the city of Portland is deprived of
one of its most loyal citizens and fer
vent cheer leaders by tlie departure of
Frank C. Ttigge. who Is now on his
way to Toledo, Ohio, where he Is to oc
cupy an executive chair In the adminis
trative offices of the Willys-Overland
Company, reputed to be the largest au
tomobile plant in the entire world.
Yes, Frank Riggs tias left Portland's
motor row, and while every well-wisher
of Portland regrets his exit, all of his
countlefw friends, as well as those who
know of him only by his accomplish
ments or by reason of contact with his
radiating personality, rejoice at tie
news of the signal recognition that has
been accorded him.
But Mr. Kiggs has not forsaken
Portland comoletely. After he ar
ranged some fw weeka ago to maJce
his new connection with the manufac
turers of the popular Overland automo
bile, his old friends. JoZin North Willys
and Harry Thatcher Dunn, president
and vice-president, respectively, of tvj
Overland factory, asked him If he
wouldn't liKe to take charge of some
territory other than the Pacific Coast,
whlc'.i was left open by the recent res
ignation of A. D. Plughoff. The reward
elsewhere might have been greater, but
Mr. Rtggs voiced his everlasting Affec
tion for the Pacific Coast and asked
to be assigned- Jurisdiction over those
zones of the great company's svstem
that would bring :iim to Portland oc
casionally during the year.
WeMern Field Taken.
Under the new arrangement Mr.
Kiggs Is to rule the Western field from
the factory at Toledo, but his duties
will bring him to the Coast for three
or four months during the year, and
Portland will see him often. Mr. Kiggs
eft yesterday with the Overland deal
ers on the special 'train bound for the
Overland factory. His family will not i
move from Portland for several
months, perhaps not until next Fall, as
Mr. Kiggs will travel much of the time,
especially during his early months In
oitice.
Before going East Mr. Rlggs ar
ranged to dispose of his Interests in
t'.ie Frank C. Rlggs Company, the dis
tributing agency for the Packard Twin
Six and Packard trucks and the Detroit
electric, and in the Oregon Motor Car
Company, retail dealers In the Stude
baker cars. Locomobile and Denby
trucks.
Mr. Riggs resigned his executive po
sition as sales manager of the Packard
factory in 1909 to become a resident of
Portland as Packard dealer In this ter
ritory, and, together with W. C. Garbe,
he organized the Oregon Motor Car
Company four yeans ago, remaining as
president of both organizations until
"lis decision to accept the Overland
berth.
BuHlnes Career Is Varied.
Mr. Rlggs was born in Illinois In
1867, and for several years gained his
flnst business experience in the general
merchandise business tn his father's
four stores In Iroquois County. After
ward he went to Chicago, where he
was engaged In the men's furnishing
goods busineos. both retail and manu
facturing. He was assistant office
manager of A. G. Gage & Co. and as
sisted in closing up the affairs of that
concern after its failure.
Being an enthusiastic bicycle-rider,
he connected hlmeelf with the Pope
Manufacturing Company in Chicago
and was afterward associated for sev
eral years Alth the Kenwood Manu
facturing Company In Chicago, and
witji E. C. Stearns A Co. in Syracuse.
While connected with the latter con
cern, John Willys, the present Over
land head, was one of his customers,
his purchasing ability at that time
amounting to a dozen bicycles a year.
While with the Stearns Company Mr.
Riggs had charge of the first trans
continental bicycle relay race. In 1896,
when the run was made from San
Francisco to New York In the fast
time of 13 days. For three years Mr.
Riggs held the record for the bicycle
run from Chicago to Milwaukie, made
on one of the old-fashhioned high
"bikes" with hard tires, and It was not
beaten until after the Introduction of
pneumatic tires.
First ExclOKlTe Auto Store Rnled.
Mr. Rlggs' first experience in the
automobile business was In 1903. near
ly 14 years ago, as the representative
of W. E. Metzger. t'.ie Cadillac dealer
in Detroit At that time Mr. Riggs had
charge of the first epccluslve automo
bile store building in the United States.
In the same year Mr. Riggs. at the
helm of the first Cadillac model ever
built, a one-cylinder rig, won the speed
race at Grosse Point track, Detroit. He
still has ttie ale et which was awarded
as the prize for that event, and his pic
ture on the seat of this car is one of
the few relics he has saved from the
olden days. Mr. Riggs had to main
tain a speed of only about 30 miles an
hour to beat all competing machines
in that famous 1903 event.
Mr. Rlggs left the Metzger Company
to accept the vice-presidency of the
Flsk Rubber Company, in charge of
their "western" office In Chicago. At
that time and even now Harry T. Dunn,
vice-president of the Willys-Overland
Company and the man who now pays
an annual premium of 150.000 on life
insurance amounting to $1,800,000, was
president of t.ie Fisk Rubber Company,
Later Mr. Riggs returned to the mo
torcar field In charge of the commer
cial department of the Packard Motor
Car Company and was afterward In
charge of the entire sales department,
leaving the Packard Company July 10.
1909, to go Into business for himself
In Portland, the city of his choice.
Mr. Riggs has always been a strong
booster for everything about Portland
Above Impreaalons of Frank C. Rlgira
Mini Below Mr. Rtsrsra at Lever of
Detroit Speed Race In 10O3.
and Oregon. Oregon's scenery and cli
mate in general and the Columbia
River Highway in particular, are his
delights. With the exception of Mr.
Yeon and Mr. Benson, it is probable
that Mr. Riggs has driven more vis
itors over the Columbia River High
way than any other Portlander, and he
has driven out there time after time
for his own personal pleasure alone
Even before the Highway was open to
automobile travel he walked its full
length, from Hood River down, in order
to be acquainted intimately wtih its
scenic wondens.
Mr. Riggs has been an active member
of virtually every civic and trade or
ganization in Portland, including the
Multnomah, Waverly, Arlington. Ro
tary. Ad and Portland Automobile
clubs, the Portland Chamber of Com
merce, the Portland Realty Board and
the Order of Royal Rosarlans. of which
AUTO CLUB IS TO ELECT
DIRECTORS FROM EACH COUNTY
PROPOSED AT MEETING.
Members From AH Para of State Will
Be Admitted to Organisation If
New Plana Are Carried Out.
In all probability the Portland Auto
mobile Club will branch forth in Its
activities following action to be taken
at a meeting of the club members to
be held in the Kosarlan room of The
Oregon building next Wednesday even
ing at 8 o clock, at which time an
amendment to the by-laws will be con
sidered and 15 directors of the pro
posed new association will be elected.
At a meeting held last week the fol
lowing men were selected as candidates
for active directors of the contemplated
statewide auto association: Emery Olm-
stead, John E. Kelly, C. C. Overmire.
A. S. Robinson, W. B. Fechheimer, Phil
Metschan, Jr., J. L. Meier, J. H. Bur
gard, C. F. Wright, W. J. Clemens. John
B. Yeon, John E. Cronan, Amos Benson,
J. C. Olds and Ira F. Powers.
Each of the candidates is understood
WALIINGFORD'S
NEW LOCATION
20,000 FEET FLOOR SPACE
Largest Ford Sales and
Service Station in
Portland
ALDER STREET AT SIXTEENTH
A Complete Line of Good Accessories and Tires
Former Ford Factory Men Do
Our Repair Work.
Call us at Main 13 and our service wagon
will respond in a second
on Old "Bike" and aa an Antomoblle
Original Cadillac Car After Winning
he is still lord high chancellor. He Is
a past president of the Portland Rotary
Club, as well as past vice-president of
the Pacific Coast Rotary clubs, and has
held prominent offices in many of the
other organizations, always being
willing to give a little of his time for
the common good. Mr. Riggs Is auso a
member of the present budget advisory
committee in Multnomah County and
gave his time to assist in public budget
matters up to the time of departure
from Portland yesterday.
Frank Rlggs is gone, but not for
gotten, and Portlanaers may rest as
sured that he will not forget Portland.
Portland's loss is Toledo's gain, but by
reason of Mr. Riggs' elevation into the
high realms of the automobile indus
try. Portland and Oregon have ac
quired a strong frlencl In an important
channel wherd friendship la worth
much In a loyal, sturdy heart.
to be strongly In favor of having a
representative from each county In the
state serve on the board of directors.
Under the new plan members will be
admitted to he organization from all
parts of the state and all will assist
in marking roads, issuing trip maps
and carrying on other general work
The directors of the Portland Automo
bile Club have sent notices to all mem
bers announcing the special meeting
Wednesday night, which is held for the
purpose of ratifying the decision of the
board to change the name of the organi
zation, enlarge Us scope and elect new
directors.
The plan originally was to have next
Wednesday's meeting at the clubhouse
on the banks of the Sandy River, but
the dance arranged for that date has
been postponed for a time.
Girl Has bat Little Trouble.
Miss Helen Chatham, a Nashville.
Tenn., girl, accompanied by her
mothe'r, drove ner Chandler sedan,
equipped with Goodyear Cord tires,
from Nashville to New York and back,
with many delightful side trips, with
out any .tire trouble, unless two tiny
punctures could be called such. The
distance covered was about 6500 miles.
In the up-to-date school, the black
boards are cleaned by a vacuum device.
KUsel'm Original Idea That
Changed th Motoring
Habit a of a Nation
The car of a Hundred Quality
Features that caused a stam
pede among careful car buyer
every where 48 hours after it
was first announced.
Hundred Point Six
, ALL.YEAR Model
Mounted on Gibraltar Body
TourinsSeUa . . ... S163S
RoadstaiCoap . . . . $1635
Victoria-Town Car ... $1950
HandrmJ Point Six without
ALU YEAR Feature 1195 -Handrmd
Point Six with
Gibraltar Bodr .
TRADE SCHOOL OPENED
PRINCIPLES OF" MOOER1T CAS EN
GINES TO BE TAUGHT.
Portland Meat la Charge of Special
Courses Lecture Room Are
Completely Equipped.
What is to be known as the Hemp
hill Trade School, an affiliation with
the chain of trade schools established
by R. E. Hemphill, of Winnipeg. Can
ada, was opened last week in the largre
fireproof building located on Haw
thorne avenue and East Twentieth
street.
Besides teaching; the scientific prin
ciples of the modern gras enarines Stan
ley Hemphill and Noah Frederick, both
Portland men, will have charge of spo
clal courses in electricity, tractor en
gines, vulcanizing and repairing tires.
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F. O. B. FEat, Kick.
WeattnthotiM
StartinaT and
Lisitinaf
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t ,1 fvt' Flnacde-Lra
f ; .-' 3-3 Roadrfar aa-alarie.
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Mr fell
fc j (: ? Attractive propositions to live men to act as our repre-
f- '-''? sentatives In unoccupied territory.
. Jy?J $&'k J vA tern
V.
the latter being a new departure on
this Coast.
The building housing the new school
has 13,000 square feet of floor space,
making It one of the largest institu
tions of Its kind in the West. The
lecture-rooms, reading-rooms and la
boratories have been equipped ade
quately and arrangements made to con
duct a free employment bureau, also
to provide living accommodations for
students residing out of town.
BILLY SUNDAY BUYS TRUCK
Automobile Will Be Used to Market
rroduce of I loo J River Farm.
HOOD RIVER. Or.. Dec. 2. (Spe
cial.) Billy Sunday, who according to
reports from Detroit, converted ap
proximately 30.000 Michiganders to the
mourners' bench during the course of
his recent eight weeks' campaign in the
city of automobiles, has spent some of
the proceeds of the session in the pur
chase of an automobile truck, a two
ton machine which will be shipped to
- 1 UL I
You Will Buy the Dort
For- What It Really, IS
Judge the Dort oh performance, sturdiness of
construction, excellence of. design, comfort,
economy, looks judge it on every conceivable
point. Put it to your most critical tests and
comparisons. Ask anything of it that you
would expect of a car selling for half again the
Dort price. .
Then you will know that Dort quality is more
than skin-deep that the 'innards' of the car
are as strong and vigorous as the outward
appearance indicates.
You will buy the Dort for what it really is.
NORTHWEST AUTO CO.
Broadway at Coach Street.
F. W Voffler, Pres. C. M. Mensleau, Sales MgT.
1H(l
ALL-YEAR.
(Par-
THE pleasures of the thea
ter, opera or dance are
enhanced by the harmoni
ous interior of your ALL
YEAR GAR. ;
Portland owners cannot con
ceive more genuine comfort
being built into a car than is
found in their ALL-YEAR
Sedans.
The ALL-YEAR Top fits in
not on it is entirely remov
able. It cannot be had with any
other car. It is exclusive not
commonplace.
Its driving simplicity the smooth,
quick response of the mighty Kissel
built engine adds new delights for the
woman motorist.
In Spring your ALL-YEAR Sedan is
quickly changed to a wide-open,
roomy, roofless Touring Car.
PACIFIC KISSELKAR BRANCH
POBTMXD BRAVCH
Broadway at Davis
SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE LOS ANGELES
OAKLAND PASADENA SAN DIEGO
his half brother. LeRoy E. Helzer. who
has charge of the Odell country homo
of the evangelist.
"Our Hood River farm," Mrs. Sunday,
who attended to the formalities of the
purchase of the car. is reported to have
said, "is seven miles from the markets.
It is too far to drive a team and Mr.
Sunday's half brother needs the ma
chine In hauling fruit and produce to
market and besides we are going to
have some seats built in it and then
we can pick up all of our neighbors
and go on a Summer picnic."
The Sundays already have a big
seven-passenger automobile as a part
of the equipment of their local ranch.
American Car Wins.
Defeating nine other cars. Including
a Fiat and several other high-powered
racers, a Studebaker Six flashed across
the line a winner in a 300-kilometer
free-for-all road race recently held at
Buenos Ayres. The race furnished a
real test to the Studebaker. for the
course was across country and over
many rough roads, and not around a
speedway oval.
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