Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1917 — TRIALS OF THE AUTO AGENT [ARTICLE]

TRIALS OF THE AUTO AGENT

Selling Cars Not the Only Difficulties Encountered. Selling automobiles is not the only trouble that besets the wideawake agent today; if anything, it is the least of his worries. Once he sells a car, the next thing he must do is to deliver it, and here his real 'troubles begin. Conrad Kellner of the firm of Kellner & Callahan, local agents for the Buick automobile, has given us an account of his recent trip to Flint, Michigan, the location of the Buick factory, which verifies the truth of the above assertion. Because of the congestion of railroad traffic it is no longer possible for the agent to mail his

order and then wait for the car to come hy freight. Instead he must go to the factory, buy the cars he desires outright and then -drive them home. Mr. Kellner, along with about 125 other Buick agents, went to Chicago Sunday night, each one expecting to receive his allotment of cars at the distributing agency at that point. But Uncle Sam had stepped in the day before and commandeered the freight cars for other uses that -were going to carry .these -autos 'l<> Chicago. Therefore: it was necessary for all of the agents to proceed to Flint to get their cars’ . A special ’train with sleeping i accommodations was; soon arranged and the journey began. Arriving at Flint the next morning the- agents; went to the factory where their orders were duly entered and each agent registered and number. Mr. Kellner’s number was fortyseven, meaning that forty-six agents would be served ahead of him. Some of these secured as many as thirty cars each, and it is not surprising that the plant with a capacity of GOO cars daily is taxed to the limit. Upon being assembled and given a try-out by the factory experts,

the cars are driVen to a mammoth garage 7 -in classes of their style, the. Buick plant making five .different models. Here they are signed for by the agents and delivered to theini in the order in Which the agent is registered. When cars of more than one style is desired it is necessary for the agent to go through the same process for each style of' car wanted. Mr. Kellner wanted one “four” and one “six.” ,|f v, 7 :i. in the :•f t<-rn.o' ji when he secured the “six” and f, :30 when he secured the “four.’’ . As it is ,necessary for the agent to be present when his number is tailed ow lush. his turn,, Mr. : Kell - nor was not permitted to make a minute inspection of the plant, but he saw sufficient to impress him with the magnitude and -greatness of it. A detail* d description ; of the process' of manufacture would require several pages, but a brief statement may prove 'of interest. As the car is assembled, starting with the frame, if. travels through the mammoth plant, each few feet receiving some new part or some adjustment, so that at all times tliere Is a string of cars several hundred feet long in the different stages of construction, beginning with the frame at one point and ending'' with the finished ear, all. painted and glistening with newness, ready to run out for a trial spin in the hands of the experts. A’visift td this great plant is impressive beyond expression to the /irdinary person, yet, the foregoing is descriptive of an average day at the Buick factory.