The Seaforth News, 1943-04-15, Page 6THE $EAFQRTH NEWS
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1943
The Remarkable
Mr.Kelly
First Automobile In the World Wa
Built • At Blyth
By Herbert L..I•Ilekey in "hydro
News."
Builderof the world's first auto-
'mobile! That astounding claim is
made by John B, Kelly, manager of
the Goderich Public . Utilities Com-
mission, who divtilged the informa-
tion to Hydro News in these words:
`"ies, I have reason to believe
that it was the first automobile that
ever ran. I have had searches made
into all available records, and the
earliest date I can find' for an auto-
mobile patent is 1886, two years
after I had constructed my inaelt-
ine."
It is a refreshing experience to
meet Mi'. Kelly, who has been man-
aging the Goderich Hydro system
since 1897. He is now 84 years of
age and his keenness of mind, alert-
ness and erect bearing are the envy
of men many years his junior. And
in all probability, he is theoldest ac-
tive employee in Hydro circles to-
' day. It appeared only natural that
one who has observed the passing
scene for more than four -score years
must have some interesting com-
ments to make on his life and times,
and Hydro News, therefore, prevail-
ed upon Mr. Kelly to recount some
of his experiences. He obligingly ag-
reed—with startling results,.
But first, let us turn back the
pages of time to the year 1859.
John Basil felly was born in the
village of Blyth, Huron county, On-
tario, on February 9th, 1859, the
son of Mr. and Mr's. Patrick Kelly.
His father operated a flour and lum-
ber mill in the village and took a
lively interest in public affairs and
politics. At about the age of 17,
when he had completed his schooling
in Blyth (a few miles from Goder-
ich) John Kelly went to work in his
father's mill, where he was put in
charge of the office. To further his
education he took a correspondence
course in steam engineering from a
Scranton, Pa., institute and later a
course in electrical engineering from
Professor Easton of New York City.
1Mr. Kelly recalls with amusement
that the professor once gave him a
problem to solve—a particularly dif-
ficult problem—and he hasn't finish-
ed it yet!)
He soon put his technical knowl-
edge to practical use. In the year
1891 he installed the first electric
light plant in Blyth, with power gen-
erated from the steam plant in the
flour mill. During the years the sys-
tem was in operation, Mr. Kelly
states proudly, the village was never
known to be without light for even
one night. His aptitude for things
mechanical proved very valuable in
his father's business and he effected
many improvements about the mill.
' It was in 1883 that Mr.. Kelly
turned his hand to. an invention that
has since become one of the most
useful and familiar of all inventions
—the automobile. With vividness
and a trace of understandable re-
morse, Mr. Kelly told the story of
that first automobile, for although
he created it and had it in operation
he did not•take out a patent. From
the discouraging reception given to
it, he was firmly convinced that the
automobile would never see the light
of day as a vehicle of general use.
Mr. Kelly said that the idea oc-
curred to him while watching a
threshing machine traction engine.
If a machine could be made to run
on land, why couldn't some convey-
ance be made to run on the road?
He turned over the thought hi his
mind for some little time, and then
began translating an idea into actu-
ality. He worked on his invention in
his spare time and it took about a
year to complete it. It was in the
summer of 1884 that he first put it
on the road for a trial run -and it
went!
But let Mr. Kelly continue the
story in his own words;
"I had it running part of the
Summer of 1884, but dismantled it
when I found out how unpopular it
was. People said it would never be
any good, and I felt that 1 had made.
something that would never be used,
so I didn't apply for a patent,
"The car became an awful nuis-
ance and the sight and noise of it
caused a lot of trouble. Horses even
jumped over fences and into ditches,
At -that time, of course, teams of
horses filled the roads everywhere
and there didn't seem to be room
for anything else, Tt didn't seem pos-
sible that horses would ever be put
off the road. But my father was a
man of vision and imagination and
he told me T was foolish to abandon
the idea. He said, "That is the com-
mg vehicle of the world, and there '
is no reason why man cannot fly in
the air!' But I said the matchine was
no good anyway and finally took it
apart. How T wish now that I had
listened to may father!
"The machine looked very much
like' a baggy, except that it was
longer, It had four. wheels ,end used
steam and opal oil for fuel, I sup-
pose you would eall it a steam bugs
gy. It had two seats,, although no-
body else would ever' ride hi it with
me, and the steering was done with
a lever. Before putting it together,
1 got equipment from different
places. I bought a boiler in Hamilton
and a second-hand engine in Fergus,
where it bad been used in en old ele-
vator, I remember the engine had
been made by the Doty engine works
in Toronto, The four wheels came
from Galt. They were artillery
wheels, with a metal hub and wood-
en spokes, and the tires were made
of iron. You can see why the mach-
ine didn't need a horn.
"I had the boiler at the back, Ud-
der the sea, and the engine at the
front. The car ran on a chain -drive
principle, There was a chain -drive to
a countershaft, and then from the
countershaft to a sprocket on each
of the two rear wheels. In later
Years Barney Oldfield, the famous
automobile speed driver, used the
chain -drive principle on his racing
car's,
"The car ran all right, but it was
not safe to take it on the road. 1
drove it mostly around my father's
mill in the village. I didn't have it
patented and in those days we didn't
bother much about taking pictures.
The only person in recent years who
would have remembered it was a
barber in Blyth who died about two
years ago.
"After I took the car apart, I put
the boiler and the engine in the ele-
vator at the mill and turned the body
of it into a horse rig for delivering•
flour and feed around the village. I
believe it was about two years later,
1886, that patents were taken out
for an automobile in Paris and in
Rome. If I had followed niy father's
advice and manufactured my mach-
ine, I'd be telling a different story
today!"
When his father died in 1894, Mr.
Kelly sold the mill and moved the
power plant to another location. He
later sold the power plant to a man-
ufacturer. One morning in 1897, he
was called out of bed quite early by
Dr. Reginald Shannon and Senator
Proudfoot of Goderich, who asked
him to come to Goderich to take
charge of the town's electric lighting
plant. He accepted the position and
the following year the waterworks
department was added to his respon-
sibilities. He has managed the opera-
tion of these two utilities ever since
and, to judge by appearances, is
"still going strong."
Mr. Kelly's life has been filled
with action and accomplishment and
in his younger days he was a prom-
inent athlete. Among the sports in
which he took part were bicycle rac-
,ng, ice skating, baseball and cricket.
ng, ice skating, baseball and cricket.
As a bicycle racer and trick rider on
the high -wheel, Mr. Kelly was a fam-
iliar figure at cycling events in Clin-
ton, Lucknow, Kincardine, Blyth and
surrounding districts. He won a
great many prizes for his skill on the
bicycle, and hanging in his office to-
day at the Goderich Public Utilities
Building, is a medal he won as a
high -wheel artist.
He had a great liking for fancy
ice skating and took part in many
competitions. He took lessons from a
professional skater in Clinton, nam-
ed Potts, and the team of Potts and
Kelly later performed at all the ma-
jor carnivals.in different towns.
The closing• of the Clinton to
Wingham branch of the old London,
Huron and Bruce railway line in
April, 1941, had a great sentimental.
interest for Mr. Kelly. His father,
while reeve of Blyth, had fought
hard to have the line built and the
first run made over the tracks in De-
cember, 1875; was a memorable ev-
ent. Young "Jack," who was going
on 17 at the time, was the only boy
on the train and he was allowed to
pull the whistle at crossings and
throw stove -wood into the firebox as
the train roared through the bush at
20 miles an hour. He remembers
that the train had a hand brake and
that a passenger was sharply re-
minded of the fact whenever the
train stopped. Still vivid in his mind
is the sight of bewhiskcred reeves
and councillors boarding the train at
various stops, as part of the official
opening of the line.
When that branch of the line was
closed in April, 1941, Mr, Kelly was
the only p,reon still living who had
been on the first run 6,5 years earl-
ier.
Mrs. Kelly, the former Sarah E.
Colloton of Blyth, died in 1936. Mr,
Kelly has two sons and one daughter
living, Joseph C. Kelly of New York,
Basil L. Rally, of London, Ontario,
and Miss Helen Kelly of Goderich,
while two other daughters are cle-
deased,
-Te fstorming)—"Why, the first
time I buttoned this coat it split
down the back."
Tailor (calmly) — "That shows
how well we sew the buttons on, sir"
Canada 1943
The publication is announced by
the Dominion Bureau of Statistics of
the edition 1913 cart on of the Official I3rnil-
book "Canada."
Canada 1943" covers the'. present
situation in the Dominion from At-
lantic to Pacific, the weight of em-
phasis being placed on those aspects
that- are. currently of most import-
anoe. So far ,las space permits, all
phases of the country's economic or-
ganization are dealt with and statis-
tics are brought up to the latest
possible date, The text is. acoompan-
led by e wealth of illustrative nat-
ter that adds to the interest of the
subjects treated.
The Introductionreviews Canada's
was program, covering the revelop-
nient of leer Armed Pot'ces, the fin-
ancial steps that have been taken,
and the governmental organizations
that have been created with their
principal .activitios. It also reviews
Canada's economic condition, at the
close of 1942. This Introduction Is
followed by special articles dealing
with "Canada's Industrial War. Front,
1942" and "Power in Relation to Can-
adian War Production." The former
article treats of the extensive indust-
rial organization that has been
developed under tate control of the
Department of Monitions and Supply
for the rapid production of all forms
of war munitions.
The chapter material reviews in de-
tail economic conditions under the
various headings. All sections of the
I-Iaudbook are well illustrated by Up-
to-date half -tone reproductions.
The pride of the publication is 25
cents per copy, which charge covers
merely the cost of paper and actual
press work. The special price con-
cession granted; in the past, to teach-
ers, bona fide students and ministers
of religion has been discontinued in
view of the necessity for diverting as
large a proportion as possible of Do-
minion funds to the War, and to the
fact that, as far as possible; the sales
policy of Government publications
should be self-sustaining as regards
materials used.
Application for copies should be
made to the King's Printer, Ottawa,
and not to the Dominion Statistician.
Postage stamps are not acceptable,
and applications must be accompan-
ied by a postai note or by a coin en-
closed between two squares of .thin
cardboard gummed together at the
edges.
Moved To Toronto —
Flight Lieutenant Thos. Pryde, of
Exeter, who for the past ten months
has been a member of the staff at
No. 9 Recruiting Centre, at Loudon,
has been transferred to the Toronto
Recruiting Centre. Flight Lieut,
Pryde was formerly at the Toronto
centre before being posted to London.
Fellow officers held a dinner in his
honor before leaving London and he
was presented with a leather' brief
case. He reported to Toronto Thurs-
day of last week. Flight Officer A. A.
Ferland, of Vancouver, succeeds Mr.
Pryde. — Exeter Times -Advocate,
,
Out of the
fRY/NG ,PIAN
and /*eta the
FIR/NGLI4'E
�8i� aww�re
a4.0ones
Canada needs and must have every spoonful
of fat drippings, every piece of scrap fat and
every bone from every kitchen in Canada.
Fats make glycerine and glycerine makes high
explosives. Bones produce fat. Also glue for
war industry.
Don't throw away a single drop of used faf—
bacon grease, meat drippings, frying fats—
every kind you use. They are urgently needed
to win this war.
Strain all drippings through an ordinary strainer
into a clean wide-mouthed can, Save your
scrap fat (cooked or uncooked) and all types of
bones—cooked, uncooked or dry.
When you have collected a pound or more of
fat dripping, take it to your meat dealer who
will pay you the established price forthe drip-
ping and the scrap fat. Or you can dispose of
them through any Municipal o'r Salvage
Committee collection system IN EFFECT
in your community.
Be a munition maker right in your own
kitchen. For instance, there is enough ex-
plosive power hidden in ten pounds of fat to fire
49 anti-aircraft shells. So—`every day, this easy
way, keep working for Victory for the duration
of the war.
t:
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL WAR SERVICES
NATIONAL SALVAGE DIVISION
McKillop Lady Regains Sight —
After 25 years of blindness, Mrs.
John Rowland of MaKillop township,
has had an unusual recovery of her
sight, which her family and friends
consider close to a miracle. Mrs.
Rowland was stricken with cataracts
in 1918, about the time she received
news of the death of her son, Joseph,
who was killedin action. Her eye-
sight dimmed gradually, until she
was totally blind. Now, after 25
years, her eyesight recently returned
quite suddenly. She is able to see the
various articles in her tome and
read larger newspaper print. It is
hoped that, with 'the aid of glasses,
she will soon be able to read liner
print as well. Mrs. Rowland is 75
years of age, and had no treatments
or operations on her eyes. She re-
sides with her husband and son
Norman, on lot one, concession 14,
McKillop township.
Had Narrow Escape —.
Mr. Louis Prang, his wife, son and
sister-in-law of town narrowly escap-
ed death one night last week when
gas fumes from the furnace filled
their.house. Mrs. Prang was the first
to be affected, but thinking that she
was suffering from a heart attack,
he iron, Leonard, called .Dr.. P. J,
O'Dwyer. Upon his arrival he noticed
the other members of the family
groggy and lost no tine with the
help of neighbors to get them in the
fresh air. Fortunately they had not
gone to bed when they were being
overcome with the fumes which are
unletected in the air. It is thought
that if the family had retired, the
result would have been more serious.
But they seem to have all recovered
nicely and are about as usual. —
Zurich. Herald.
Want and For Sale Ads, 1 week 25c.
Mrs. Edward J. Colquhoun —
Mary Gilfillan, beloved wife of Ed-
ward J. Colquhoun, passed away at
her home in Mitchell following a ser=e
ions illness for the past three
months. She bad been in poor health
for several years. Born in Usborne
township in 1865, she was a daughter
of the Tate Mary Wood and William
Gilflllan. She first married Janies
Balfour who died in Mitchell around
20 years ago. Before . coming to Mit-
chell she and her husband farmed on
the Thames Road in Fullerton town-
ship, near Roy's church: In 1933 she
married Mr. Colquhoun, who pre-
deceased her in January, 1938. She
was a member of Main St. 'United
church, Mitchell, and the W.M.S. The
funeral was held on Friday afternoon
to • Roy's cemetery. Rev. W. E. Ald-
worth conducting the service.
IVant and For Sale Ads, 1 meek 25c
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The Seatorth News
SEAHORTH, ONTARIO,