Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1900 — The First Automobile. [ARTICLE]

The First Automobile.

The first automobile ever in Rensselaer, reached here about 9 o’clock on Monday morning. It had as passengers two men, Charles B. Slade, a Chicago Board of Trade man, who owns it, and T. J. Walck, a manufacturer of bicycles and expert repairer of automobile engines of that city. It was a two seated vehicle and in appearance much like an ordinary family carriage. It was made by Wayne, Apperson & Co. of Kokomo, this state, and Mr. Slade says it is the only practical auto made on earth, for all kinds of rough country roads.

They started from Chicago Saturday. stopped at Valparaiso Saturday night, and at Kniman Sunday night. They can make 15 miles an hour on good roads, and at a cost of about 1 cent per mile for gasoline. The motive power is a double gasoline engine, of 5 horse power. The machine will be rebuilt to some extent, at Kokomo, and larger engines, with a higher speed put in. The auto was on Warner’s scales, and weighed 1920 pounds which included over 100 lbs for water for cooling the engines, gasoline etc. Mr. Slade states that he has run this auto 8,500 mlies and it is in good shape yet. Its cost was $1,500. Its front wheels did not track quite right when here, owing to the fact that while crossing the long bridge a few miles north of town, both men became absorbed in shooting at a hawk,, and ran into the bridge, railing and bent the front axel. They state that teams are not usually much scared of the machine, but when they stop a man to ask the way, he always makes for his house on a dead run to bring the family to look at the horseless wonder before answering their questions. Judging from the interest shown in it here, we presume the statement was no exaggeration. They made but a short stay and then resumed their journey towards Kokomo.