,,deeds ,,barn and the ,,self-,,starter ,illustration3 ,the #aiab ,cadillac1 equipped with self-starter1 is the central exhibit in ,deeds ,barn4 ,deeds ,barn is symbolic of one of the most important developments in the automotive field4 ,it was here that the modern ignition system for automobiles and the self-starter were born and the foundation laid for one of ,dayton's most important industries4 ,the barn itself and one of the #aiab ,cadillac cars1 first to be commercially equipped with a self-starter1 represent this important invention4 ,also included in the barn are several other exhibits which should be of interest to any visitor and most certainly to every ,daytonian4 ,illustration3 ,the original ,deeds ,barn was erected at #cai ,central ,avenue1 ,dayton4 ,an exact replica stands in ,carillon ,park4 ,the ,story of the ,self-,starter ,illustration3 ,c4 ,f4 ,,kettering ,illustration3 ,e4 ,a4 ,,deeds ,these photos were taken about the time the ,delco firm was incorporated4 ,in industrial production1 as in so many other activities1 large oaks from little acorns grow4 ,the cash register and the electric self-starter are instances in point4 ,the first factory of ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company under the presidency of ,john ,h4 ,patterson1 was a room in the ,callahan ,power ,building1 forty feet wide and eighty feet long1 with thirteen people on the payroll4 ,from it emerged a business on which the sun never sets4 ,more humble in environment was the invention of the self-starter which had its birth in a barn4 ,almost before a decade passed1 it had made the use of the automobile universal4 ,such were the beginnings of two enterprises which1 to a degree greater than any others1 enhanced the industrial prestige and prosperity of ,dayton4 ,each contributed a chapter to the romance of ,american ,industry4 ,dayton people1 and for that matter1 a considerable portion of the outside world1 are familiar with the story of ,john ,h4 ,patterson's industrial genius that made his name synonymous with cash register production and distribution4 ,they are not so well acquainted with the origin of the self-starter and particularly the historic barn in which it was created4 ,a replica of that barn stands today in ,carillon ,park4 ,the ,drama of the ,barn1 as it may well be called1 evolved about two men--,edward ,a4 ,deeds and ,charles ,f4 ,kettering4 ,both were born and reared on the farm1 that rugged nursery in which so many of our national leaders were nurtured2 both worked their way through college2 both began their careers near the bottom of the ladder at ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company4 ,their business alma mater served them well4 ,illustration3 ,the hayloft of the ,deeds barn was equipped as a workshop4 ,fate must have decreed that ,deeds and ,kettering should meet4 ,in #aijd ,deeds was ,superintendent at the ,,ncr4 ,electrically minded since his boyhood on the farm1 he had an unwavering confidence in the application of electricity to industry4 ,at that time the cash register was operated by turning a crank4 ,deeds conceived the idea of putting a motor on the machines to supersede the crank4 ,he designed and built the first motor to be employed for this use4 ,this is an important link in the ,deeds-,kettering story1 because it brought the two men together4 ,deeds was absorbed in many responsibilities at the ,,ncr and could not devote the necessary time to the perfection of the motor4 ,he wanted a bright young electrical engineer to whom the electrification project could be entrusted4 ,he asked ,alfred ,d4 ,cole1 his old professor of physics at ,denison ,university1 to suggest a likely candidate4 ,cole1 who had joined the faculty of ,ohio ,state ,university1 suggested ,kettering1 his star student1 who was about to graduate4 ,deeds wrote to ,kettering1 offering him a position at #ej a week and the offer was accepted1 not1 however1 without some qualms on ,kettering's part4 ,when ,kettering took over his job in the ,inventions ,division at the ,,ncr it was to mean more than a brilliant contribution to the development of the ,national cash register4 ,it marked the beginning of a kinship with ,deeds that was to make inventive history4 ,the reason for this kinship did not rest solely on the fact that they were both electrically minded4 ,also important was the fact that they embodied certain opposites of talent and temperament which so often make for success4 ,in #aijd1 when ,deeds and ,kettering met1 the gasoline-propelled vehicle1 despite jests1 jokes and jeers1 was becoming a practical reality4 ,great inventors like ,thomas ,a4 ,edison and ,charles ,p4 ,steinmetz1 however1 insisted that it was doomed to failure1 contending that electricity was the one and only effective motive force for the horseless carriage4 ,deeds believed otherwise4 ,he saw the internal combustion engine as the driving power of the future4 ,he had been so impressed with the gasoline automobile that for a time he had an ambition to go into its production4 ,unable to do this1 he decided to 8put something01 as he expressed it1 on motor cars4 ,this ambition pointed the way to what became the electric ignition1 lighting1 and starting system4 ,in order to put that 8something0 on a car it was necessary to have a car4 ,here is where the famous barn first entered the picture4 ,deeds lived at #cai ,central ,avenue in ,dayton4 ,back of the house was a barn which housed a horse and phaeton4 ,deeds could easily have purchased an automobile had he wished4 ,a purchased car1 however1 would not serve the purpose that clamored for action4 ,that 8something0 could only be placed on an automobile that he literally knew from the ground up4 ,with the aid of ,fred ,schmitt1 an expert machinist1 he built and assembled a car which was named 8,suburban ,sixty40 ,all the work on it was done in the barn4 ,deeds put a two-speed axle on the barn product but found that it did not function satisfactorily4 ,he therefore substituted an auxiliary transmission which did work4 ,illustration3 ,the 8,suburban ,sixty10 built by ,e4 ,a4 ,deeds1 with the summer and winter bodies which made it an all-weather model4 ,illustration3 ,the 8,suburban ,sixty10 with the winter body4 ,deeds now had a car and the germ of an idea4 ,once more1 absorption in responsibilities at the ,,ncr prevented him from devoting sufficient time to the development of the idea4 ,as he pondered over what to do1 he recalled an experience that he had while building the ,shredded ,wheat plant at ,niagara ,falls4 ,in order to obtain some equipment for a miniature electric railway which was to be installed in the factory restaurant1 he was obliged to deal with two men who operated a small manufacturing firm in ,providence4 ,these men sat in an unpretentious office with a desk between them and operated on a fifty-fifty basis4 ,one ran the factory2 the other looked after business details4 ,illustration3 ,this crude drawing was the basis of the original patent issued to ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering4 ,illustration3 ,a model of the self-starter as it was built in #aiab and furnished to ,cadillac4 ,deeds and ,kettering had often talked of the great things they were going to do4 ,on one occasion when they sat on a red couch in the living room of the ,deeds residence1 ,deeds spoke of the two small ,providence manufacturers and their simple plan of ownership and operation4 ,the inspiration came to him3 8,why can't we do the same thing80 ,that 8something0 on a motor car still clamored for development4 ,vaguely1 ,deeds saw it as an electric ignition system that would emancipate motorists from one of the tribulations of the early automobile era4 ,the 8,suburban ,sixty0 was equipped with an ,atwater-,kent single spark battery ignition4 ,it was efficient but complicated and expensive4 ,deeds envisaged improved ignition as another electrical possibility4 ,kettering1 whose very life was keyed to electricity1 had been thinking along the same line4 ,deeds had tremendous confidence in ,kettering1 born of appreciation of his great gifts which had already registered a solid achievement at the ,,ncr4 ,he had perfected the motor for the cash register and had worked miracles on various machines4 ,in ,kettering1 ,deeds found a heaven-sent associate1 animated by the same ideal of purpose as his own and one who could share his dreams and aspirations4 ,when ,deeds told ,kettering of his ideas1 he found a willing listener4 ,on the suggestion that they combine their efforts1 the lean1 angular inventor needed no urging4 ,he put out his hand1 stained by chemicals1 and answered3 8,that suits me4 ,we'll shake on it40 ,there and then the ,deeds-,kettering partnership came into being1 unsigned but sealed by mutual faith and cemented by loyal friendship4 ,the informal alliance was fated for an accomplishment that not only opened up new inventive horizons but contributed to the standardizing of automobile production and operation4 ,the first objective was a workshop4 8,suburban ,sixty0 had been built in the ,deeds barn4 ,deeds now turned the barn over to the project4 ,the barn became a laboratory in which ideas flashed and sometimes clashed back and forth in almost dazzling succession4 ,before the curtain rises on the ,drama of the ,barn let us envisage the principal actors as they stood on the threshold of the great adventure4 ,no two men could have presented a greater physical contrast4 ,deeds was ruddy1 keen-eyed1 broad of shoulder2 ,kettering was tall1 spare1 and spectacled4 ,deeds was the engineer by instinct and training with a flair for finance and organization4 ,behind him already lay considerable experience as an industrial executive4 ,thus he became the wise counsellor and negotiator4 ,kettering was the technical expert with a genius for invention4 ,to scientific imagination he brought a rare insight into mechanism4 ,deeds had once said1 in discussing the development of the electric ignition1 lighting1 and starting system1 8,men must hunt in pairs40 ,for the enterprise now to be initiated1 the ideal 8pair0 existed4 ,the two men represented an unbeatable combination4 ,illustration3 ,some of the members of the 8,barn ,gang10 left to right3 ,w4 ,a4 ,chryst1 ,w4 ,p4 ,anderson1 ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering1 ,e4 ,a4 ,deeds4 ,kettering started work in the barn in the summer of #aijh4 ,the equipment was already installed because ,deeds had assembled it for the production of 8,suburban ,sixty40 ,it consisted of a milling machine1 a drill press1 an engine lathe1 a tool grinder1 a forge1 one ten-horsepower motor1 an oscillograph1 a long bench1 and small tools4 ,all the machinery was concentrated in the hayloft while the 8,suburban ,sixty10 the first guinea pig1 rested on the lower floor4 ,because the equipment was in the old hayloft1 ,kettering was dubbed the 8hayloft inventor40 ,connecting the two floors was a narrow1 winding stairway on which ,kettering dashed up and down a hundred times a day4 ,illustration3 ,kettering in the early days when he was in the ,inventions ,division at ,,ncr4 ,illustration3 ,kettering after he started to work on the self-starter4 ,in the early period of the project ,kettering and ,deeds could work only on weekends1 nights1 and holidays because they were both employed at the ,,ncr4 ,in #aiji ,kettering realized that if the undertaking was to get anywhere1 it would be necessary for him to devote all his time to it4 ,he therefore resigned as ,chief ,inventor and set up shop in the barn1 which was practically his domicile for the next two years4 ,during ,kettering's years at the ,,ncr factory1 his chief assistant had been ,william ,a4 ,chryst1 who had risen from office boy to a position of high skill and responsibility4 ,he became an enthusiastic ally of the project4 ,soon he made a third to the duet that plugged away in the barn1 working as a volunteer4 ,during the period of incubation of ignition1 the first link in the electrification system for the automobile1 ,deeds largely financed the operation4 ,kettering's wants were simple4 ,deeds and ,chryst had their posts at the ,,ncr4 ,nevertheless it was hard financial sledding for everybody concerned4 ,there were many times when the outlook was bleak and the barn treasury low4 ,chryst was the first recruit of the group of men who came to be known as the 8,barn ,gang40 ,next came ,william ,anderson4 ,as months passed they were joined by ,zerbe ,bradford1 ,william ,mooney1 ,john ,reece1 ,ralph ,todd1 ,harvey ,i4 ,phillips1 ,john ,lipes1 ,albert ,koffer1 ,john ,sheats1 ,robert ,demaree1 and ,w4 ,g4 ,johns4 ,these men formed the nucleus of what later became the ,delco organization4 ,back in ,denison1 ,professor ,cole had often said to ,deeds3 8,the storage battery will come into its own40 ,he transmitted his faith to ,deeds who found an enthusiastic supporter in ,kettering4 ,an electric ignition system stirred their imagination4 ,it was to be part of that 8something0 that ,deeds longed to put on a car4 ,the need of a new and effective ignition system was imperative4 ,for years motorists had struggled with the magneto apparatus which was a prize producer of headaches and backaches4 ,on a magneto it was not possible to run slow in high gear in heavy city traffic without risk of stalling which1 when it did occur1 meant hopping out of the car and cranking up4 ,to crank a car on a magneto when the dry batteries on the auxiliary system had run down1 demanded a considerable amount of endurance4 ,it prevented the women motorists from driving alone4 ,the system that created many of these complications was equipped with a magneto and an auxiliary vibrating coil dry battery4 ,the basic trouble was that it produced an insufficient amount of current4 ,hence the frequent stalling4 ,what ,kettering did in that long ordeal in the barn was to change from a vibrating system to a single spark which conserved the battery and produced ample electric power for ignition4 ,the vibrators1 which demanded endless tinkering every time a car was taken out for use1 vanished from the spark coils4 ,kettering's dictum was3 8,no spark outside the cylinder but a good one inside40 ,to prove the efficiency of the electric ignition system1 ,deeds1 accompanied by ,mrs4 ,deeds1 drove to ,new ,york and back on one set of dry batteries1 which were still not exhausted when the car arrived back in ,dayton4 ,with the electric ignition complete1 the big question was to whom it should be submitted4 ,it was not a difficult problem once the motor manufacturing field was surveyed4 ,at the head of the list of producers was ,henry ,m4 ,leland1 whose name had become synonymous with ,cadillac4 8,uncle ,henry10 as ,leland was affectionately known1 was the ,grand ,old ,man of the automobile industry4 ,it was a tradition in the business that 8if you can satisfy #8,uncle ,henry' you can meet the highest and most exacting requirements40 ,he was an engineer of international reputation and the ,cadillac was the apple of his eye4 ,as was the case with every other automobile manufacturer1 ,leland was fed up with the magneto ignition4 ,when the barn product was brought to his attention he was interested4 ,chief ,engineer ,sweet of the ,cadillac ,company came to ,dayton to investigate4 ,deeds and ,kettering met him at the railway station and took him for a ride in ,kettering's ,cadillac roadster which was equipped with the new electric ignition4 ,they covered miles of ,dayton streets and more miles of rough country roads adjacent4 ,then they landed ,sweet safely at the station4 ,when they tried to start up the car after his departure1 the system stalled4 ,a wire had broken in cooling off and fell apart4 ,if the system had broken down while ,sweet was aboard the car1 events might have turned out differently4 ,illustration3 ,a scene duplicated many times--,w4 ,a4 ,chryst and ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering 8trying it out0 on an actual run4 ,when an ignition set was sent to ,detroit1 ,leland shared ,sweet's favorable impression4 ,negotiations for a contract now began by correspondence4 ,the great day came when ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,deeds and ,kettering went to ,detroit for the signing of the contract4 ,leland was immensely taken with the two eager1 earnest young men who walked into his office that autumn day in #aiji4 ,the deal was threshed out in a discussion that lasted for some hours4 ,then a contract was signed for #e1jjj ignition sets4 ,now developed something of a dilemma4 ,deeds and ,kettering had no firm name1 in fact no formal business association at all4 ,the contract therefore was made out in ,deeds' name4 ,deeds and ,kettering started off from the ,cadillac plant in a borrowed car4 ,soon after they got under way it was discovered that the precious contract was in ,kettering's pocket4 ,taking it out he said1 8,i don't want the danged thing4 ,you keep it40 ,with this he handed it over to ,deeds4 ,soon he left the car and ,deeds proceeded to the home of an old friend where ,mrs4 ,deeds was anxiously awaiting the outcome of the negotiations4 ,in his full and fruitful life ,deeds was to know many precious hours4 ,but no moment was sweeter than when he handed the contract to his devoted companion of the years with the words1 8,it's signed40 ,the ,cadillac contract presented another problem for ,deeds and ,kettering because they had no plant4 ,their original idea in uniting for the barn project was to develop what ,kettering called an 8idea hatchery40 ,production had never been considered4 ,the problem was soon solved4 ,while working during vacations for the ,star ,telephone ,company of ,ashland1 ,ohio1 ,kettering had had some dealings with the ,kellogg ,switch-,board and ,supply ,company of ,chicago4 ,he got in touch with them and they agreed to manufacture the sets4 ,deeds and ,kettering now had a contract1 a commercial product1 and a firm to make it4 ,the next step was to organize a corporation with a striking name4 ,deeds suggested ,the ,dayton ,laboratories and ,engineering ,company4 ,when ,kettering asked ,chryst what he thought of it1 he got this reply3 8,not so good4 ,why don't you change the words around and call it ,the ,dayton ,engineering ,laboratories ,company80 ,this time ,kettering was unimpressed4 ,but ,chryst's suggestion prevailed and the company was incorporated ,july #bb1 #aiji4 ,remembering the experience of the two small ,providence manufacturers1 ,deeds projected the company on a fifty-fifty basis with a capital stock of #aej1jjj1 two-thirds of which was common stock4 ,the shares were equally divided between the two men4 ,each was a joint owner with the other in all contracts and patents4 ,deeds became ,president and ,kettering ,vice ,president4 ,with incorporation1 a modest office was opened in the ,united ,brethren ,building on ,main ,street with a staff consisting of one man who was clerk1 bookkeeper1 secretary1 and general factotum4 ,chryst had succeeded ,kettering in the ,,ncr ,inventions ,division1 but spent every moment of his spare time at the barn4 ,he was immensely proud of his choice of the company name4 ,as he worked about the barn he began to refer to it as 8,delco40 ,soon ,deeds1 ,kettering and the rest of the 8,barn ,gang0 took it up4 ,in this way the name that became a household word came into being4 ,then trouble broke4 ,soon after the first ignition sets had been delivered to ,cadillac1 ,kettering received a telegram from ,leland saying that the controlling relays1 the heart of the ignition system1 were sticking4 8,come at once0 was ,leland's command4 ,kettering was certain that the specifications given to the ,kellogg ,company were accurate4 ,he went to ,detroit1 tried out the system1 and sure enough the controlling relays stuck4 ,leland had announced that the new ignition system would be placed on his #aiaj car4 ,he prided himself on the integrity of his word4 ,it was up to the 8hayloft wizard0 to make good4 ,kettering put the relays in his bag and took the midnight train back to ,dayton4 ,the next twenty-four hours would be crucial for ,delco4 ,as sleep evaded him he reached into his bag1 got out one of the relays1 and began to feel the pole pieces and the armature4 ,then1 in the darkness of his upper berth1 he discovered what was wrong4 ,the ,kellogg people had made the pole pieces a trifle rounded instead of perfectly flat4 ,kettering went straight to the barn from the railway station1 machined the pole pieces down1 and returned to ,detroit on the next train with one source of trouble ended4 ,another anxiety developed when there was coil trouble4 ,again ,kettering dashed to ,detroit and worked a miracle4 ,the spark ignition1 with the slogan1 8,nothing on the dashboard but the switch10 went on the #aiaj ,cadillac and operated to the satisfaction of every user4 ,a new cycle of the ,motor ,age dawned4 ,delco was launched4 ,a trouble far more serious than mechanical anxieties now developed4 ,in his almost vicious assault on the barn problems1 ,kettering strained his eyesight4 ,it augmented a weakness that had started in his college days when he burned the midnight oil4 ,for a time it was feared that his vision would be permanently impaired4 ,despite this handicap he stuck resolutely to the job4 ,when the ignition contract was signed with ,cadillac there were #cjh1icj automobiles and #f1jcj trucks in the ,united ,states4 ,these totals represented a tremendous advance from the day when it was a debated question as to whether the horseless carriage would be propelled by steam1 electricity1 or gasoline4 ,gasoline had won out and the internal combustion engine came into its own4 ,illustration3 ,another view of the hayloft workshop1 ,w4 ,a4 ,chryst with back to camera4 ,although the automobile had 8arrived0 it still labored under a serious handicap4 ,it was necessary to crank a car by hand in order to start it4 ,often it was a back-breaking and sometimes an arm-breaking operation4 ,the crank still made the motor car something of a butt for cartoonists and jokesters4 ,once more1 ,leland stepped into the ,delco picture4 ,like every other automobile manufacturer1 he had a grievance against the crank4 ,one day he picked up his friend1 ,carter1 while driving to the ,cadillac plant4 ,on the ,belle ,isle bridge the car stalled4 ,carter got out to crank it2 the engine kicked back and broke his arm4 ,leland sent for ,kettering and told him of the ,carter mishap4 ,then he said3 8,the crank is vicious1 turbulent and unruly4 ,i am breaking arms all over the country and it's got to stop4 ,in the past six months six of my workmen have fractured their arms while cranking cars4 ,what can be done80 ,kettering replied3 8,i believe that it would not be difficult to crank a car by electricity40 ,always alert for improvement and never hesitating to do pioneering1 ,leland said3 8,if you can provide an electric starter1 ,i will put it on my #aiab car40 ,there was nothing particularly new about the self-starter as such4 ,there were starters that operated by a coiled spring1 and starters that used gas or compressed air4 ,none of them1 however1 had come into anything like wide and satisfactory use4 ,electricity had turned the trick for ignition2 ,kettering was certain it could repeat the performance for a self-starter4 ,kettering returned to ,dayton and on the same train with him went a new ,cadillac engine4 ,both were in the barn before day dawned4 ,deeds appeared to lend a hand4 ,they rousted out an implement maker1 got him to send over sprocket wheels and chains1 and rigged a temporary set-up with motor and storage batteries4 ,now came the great question1 8,can we do it electrically8 ,will it turn the engine over80 ,the 8,barn ,gang0 worked all day1 ,deeds calm and imperturbable2 ,kettering with his customary dynamic energy4 ,late in the afternoon ,kettering said1 8,i wonder if the danged thing will work10 to which ,deeds replied1 8,we'll soon find out40 ,the connection was made and the engine turned over4 8,then10 as ,deeds commented later on1 8we knew that quantitatively it was practical40 ,it was a memorable hour1 for in the gathering dusk was born the second of the barn products that put the cap-stone on motoring1 and made it safe as well as useful4 ,with the perfection of the electric self-starter1 a woman1 even a child1 could get into a car knowing that by merely pressing a button1 the machine would start4 ,it meant farewell to arm- and back-breaking4 ,gone was the crank and gone1 too1 was the acetylene tank of compressed gas for the headlights4 ,the electric lighting of automobiles came simultaneously with the self-starter4 ,convinced from his tests of sample sets that the electric self-starter was practical1 ,leland announced that the new device would go on his #aiab car4 ,it was now late in #aiaj4 ,time again was of the essence for work in the barn1 and time was beginning to run out4 ,as with ignition1 trouble came4 ,when the new ,cadillac car arrived at the barn it was discovered that the engineers at ,detroit had not left sufficient room for the self-starter4 ,this meant new drawings and new designs4 ,with this obstacle hurdled1 disaster broke4 ,while driving on a stretch of bad road between ,dayton and ,xenia1 ,kettering's car slid into a ditch4 ,the impact not only smashed the car but broke one of his ankles4 ,the foot was put into a cast and ,kettering was ordered to remain in bed for two weeks4 ,on the morning after the accident a telegram from ,detroit brought the news that the only ,cadillac car equipped with one of the electric self-starters had caught fire in ,leland's garage4 ,the starter was badly damaged4 ,within twenty-four hours ,kettering was under that car1 his crutches on the ground alongside1 and his cast-bound leg sticking out from beneath the chassis4 ,he brought the bruised and blackened starter back to life and action4 ,now developed a new source of anxiety4 ,battery manufacturers1 cautious and skeptical1 maintained that no electric storage battery could be produced that would meet the requirements imposed4 ,delco needed thousands of batteries4 ,in their dilemma a new ally came to their aid4 ,he was ,o4 ,lee ,harrison1 salesman for the ,electric ,storage and ,battery ,company of ,philadelphia1 one of the largest concerns of its kind in the country4 ,he worked out of the ,cleveland branch and while at ,steubenville1 ,ohio he received this wire from the manager3 8,we have a letter from the ,dayton ,engineering ,laboratories ,company signed by a man named ,kettering who wants to buy #e1jjj storage batteries4 ,go down and see what he looks like40 ,harrison went to the little ,delco office in the ,united ,brethren ,building4 ,wearing an old golf cap1 ,kettering was seated in a swivel chair with his feet propped up on the top of a desk4 ,to him ,harrison said3 8,i am looking for a man named ,kettering who wants to buy #e1jjj storage batteries4 ,i don't expect to sell him but ,i want to see what he looks like40 ,the man at the desk dropped his feet to the floor and said3 8,i am ,kettering40 ,kettering took ,harrison to the barn and showed him the self-starter4 ,in its original form it had sprockets and wheels and looked like a ,mc,cormick binder4 ,when ,harrison said it reminded him of the farm1 ,kettering remarked that he1 too1 was a farm boy4 ,from that moment the two men clicked4 ,harrison went to ,philadelphia and urged the sale of #e1jjj batteries4 ,when the ,president of the company asked about ,delco credit ,harrison responded that they had no rating at all but that 8they had something40 ,the upshot was that ,harrison had two batteries made to meet ,delco needs4 ,one was a twelve-cell weighing sixty-five pounds4 ,when he showed it to ,kettering he was told that it was too big4 ,harrison went back to ,philadelphia and asked for lighter ones4 ,by this time his employers were fed up with his enthusiasm for the self-starter and decided to wash their hands of the whole business4 ,then ,harrison played his trump card4 ,he told the head of his concern that if he did not fill the ,delco order he would go over to its strongest competitor4 ,this threat carried the day4 ,with his own hands ,harrison perfected a light battery that met ,delco needs4 ,before long ,harrison was devoting part of his time to ,delco interests4 ,eventually he became a valued part of the organization4 ,the battery problem was now solved but another difficulty arose4 ,the new and lighter batteries had to be installed and this required time4 ,meanwhile time was slipping4 ,leland telegraphed that he was going to ,bermuda on a vacation4 ,if the electric self-starter was to go on the #aiab ,cadillac1 he must test it himself before he sailed4 ,only three more days remained before the deadline4 ,illustration3 ,to ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering the automobile represented a constant challenge and a lifetime field of endeavor4 ,illustration3 ,to prove the sturdy qualities of the self-starter1 races were run in which the starter itself was the only motive power allowed4 ,when the completed self-starter seemed ready to be shipped to ,detroit something went wrong4 ,for two days and nights ,kettering and the 8,barn ,gang0 labored to find the source of the trouble4 ,if the starter did not reach ,detroit in forty-eight hours1 all was lost4 ,still the trouble persisted4 ,finally1 late in the afternoon1 ,kettering sent an ,s4,o4,s4 to ,chryst who was still at the ,,ncr4 ,when he arrived at the barn all he could see of human life was legs protruding from under ,kettering's car which was now the guinea pig4 ,the gang was completely exhausted after the long ordeal of heat1 toil1 and trouble4 8,you fellows rest awhile10 said ,chryst1 8,i will try to find out what is wrong40 ,wearily ,kettering and ,anderson hauled themselves out from under the car and before ,chryst could say another word fell fast asleep4 ,chryst took out the starter mechanism and found that two wires were wrongly connected4 ,in their utter exhaustion ,kettering and ,anderson had not discovered it4 ,chryst fixed the wires in short order4 ,the self-starter1 now complete1 went to ,leland by express that night4 ,once on the #aiab ,cadillac1 every expectation was realized4 ,the experimental shop in the barn--the setting of so many headaches--now gave way to a factory4 ,quarters were rented on the second floor of the ,beaver ,power ,building at the corner of ,fourth and ,st4 ,clair ,streets4 ,delco was now a full-fledged and going concern4 ,the advent of the self-starter however required money and machinery4 ,deeds and ,kettering had little of either4 ,with implicit faith in the enterprise1 they mortgaged their homes and borrowed money on their life insurance to raise the wherewithal for equipment4 ,in the same year that the self-starter went on the ,cadillac1 ,delco engaged the entire new four-story ,beaver ,power ,building then nearing completion4 ,when ,deeds signed the lease1 ,fred ,beaver1 owner of the building1 said to him3 8,you boys will never fill this building making self-starters40 ,to this ,deeds replied3 8,just watch us grow40 ,and grow they did4 ,the second ,delco order to ,o4 ,lee ,harrison was for #ae1jjj storage batteries1 the largest placed up to that time4 ,an enterprise that began in a barn with scant assets save the faith1 energy1 and inventive genius of the founders1 had created an industry whose name carried weight wherever automobiles were made4 ,illustration3 ,some of the first self-starters manufactured by the newly formed ,delco4 ,ultimately ,delco became part of the vast and far-flung ,general ,motors organization which progressively brought new industries and with them expanded employment to ,dayton4 ,the small acorn1 planted in the barn1 had sprouted to giant proportions4 ,the business arrangement with ,leland developed into a strong and lasting friendship4 ,father and sons could have had no deeper regard for each other than the dean of motordom and the two young men who had made ,delco possible4 ,so satisfactory was the relationship between them that the contract for the ignition system was their first and last4 ,subsequent dealings involving many millions of dollars were arranged by telephone1 telegraph1 or orally4 ,this relationship had an interesting and1 so far as the automobile industry is concerned1 an historic sequel4 ,although the episode did not transpire in the barn it was a direct result of all that happened there4 ,as such it is well worth relating4 ,as ,delco grew in prestige and prosperity ,deeds and ,kettering purchased between them a tract of beautiful rolling country just outside ,dayton4 ,each built a residence on his property4 ,deeds called his place ,moraine ,farm because all the hills around ,dayton are terminal moraines4 ,one of the first features he installed was a model dairy where the milking was done by electricity4 ,part of the dairy became the setting of an experiment that re-enforced motor car equipment4 ,the ,delco electric ignition1 lighting1 and starting system had been born in a barn4 ,the ,cadillac ,v-#h was perfected in a cow shed4 ,the first ,delco system had been put on a four-cylinder car4 ,in #aiad some of the large automobile manufacturers advertised that they would produce a six-cylinder car4 ,leland at once announced that ,cadillac would never make a six-cylinder car and gave it wide publicity4 ,deeds learned that ,leland's plan to meet the six-cylinder car competition was to put a two-speed rear axle on his four-cylinder car4 ,deeds1 as you will recall1 had installed a two-speed rear axle on his 8,suburban ,sixty0 and found it wanting4 ,he realized that with such an arrangement ,leland would trail in the parade of high-powered cars4 ,deeds and ,kettering viewed the situation with concern so they decided to do something about it4 ,if ,leland's competitors were to have a six-cylinder car1 why should he not have an eight-cylinder car8 ,at that time an #h-;cylinder car was undreamed of so far as ,american production was concerned4 ,the idea was revolutionary1 but ,deeds and ,kettering had always done the revolutionary4 ,they now set about doing it again4 ,the first ,v-#h car seen in this country was a ,french ,de ,dion which was exhibited at the ,new ,york ,automobile ,show4 ,deeds and ,kettering purchased it and had it shipped out to ,moraine ,farm4 ,they found it clumsy and unsuitable for study or adaptation4 ,if ,leland had ever seen it he would never have fallen in with the suggestion for a ,cadillac ,v-#h4 ,deeds cast about for a suitable experimental engine4 ,he knew that ,e4 ,j4 ,hall of the ,hall-,scott ,motor ,company in ,california--the same ,hall who was destined to have such an important part in the designing of the ,liberty engine--had built an eight-cylinder aeroplane engine and installed it in a chassis4 ,perhaps this might serve the purpose4 ,deeds wired ,hall to send it by express4 8,do you mean express80 wired ,hall in reply4 8,yes10 answered ,deeds4 ,the engine and chassis were shipped to ,cincinnati where ,kettering and ,chryst1 who was now a part of the ,delco organization1 picked it up4 ,they drove it to ,dayton1 arriving in the early hours of the morning wet1 cold1 and mud-splattered4 ,the engine was put on a ,stevens-,duryea car owned by ,kettering4 ,it was christened 8,old ,steve0 and became a guinea pig to rank in motor car history with 8,suburban ,sixty40 ,illustration3 ,almost #dj years after the invention of the self-starter1 ,kettering and ,deeds sit across from each other at the old desk which they formerly shared4 ,the occasion was 8,deeds ,day0 at ,denison ,university1 where this desk is now preserved4 ,detroit is a rumor factory4 ,if the work had been carried on there1 the whole city would have known about it4 ,it was therefore necessary to carry out the experiments in ,dayton and in secrecy4 ,deeds turned the cows out of his barn and used it as a machine shop4 ,all the machinery was installed at night and most of the work was done while ,dayton slept4 ,the secret was well kept4 ,deeds and ,kettering improved the ,hall engine and then took 8,old ,steve0 to ,toledo1 where ,leland gave it a drastic tryout4 ,it stood up under every test1 proving that the ,v-#h principle was right4 ,leland now entered enthusiastically into preparations for his ,cadillac ,v-#h4 ,secrecy was still necessary4 ,he therefore rented a shop in ,worcester1 ,massachusetts1 and brought over ,d4 ,mc,call ,white who had built the ,british ,napier ,eight to design the car4 ,white did his work well4 ,in #aiad the ,cadillac ,v-#h was launched with proper eclat1 enhancing the prestige of ,american-made automobiles4 ,illustration3 ,thousands of self-starters roll down the production line in modern factory4 ,illustration3 ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering and ,c4 ,e4 ,wilson1 then president of ,general ,motors1 inspect the battery on the #aiab ,cadillac during a #aidi visit to the barn4 ,if ,deeds and ,kettering had not carried out their experiments in the cow barn at ,moraine ,farm1 the ,cadillac ,v-#h might never have come into existence4 ,certainly it would have been long delayed4 ,it was a labor of love on the part of ,deeds and ,kettering in gratitude for what ,leland had done for them when ,delco was little more than an inspiration4 ,they never accepted a cent of compensation4 ,the ,delco achievement stands as a thing apart in the development of ,american productive enterprise4 ,it created a new industry1 revolutionized the use of the automobile1 and launched ,deeds and ,kettering on the road to wider and equally constructive fields4 ,one became an outstanding industrial leader and builder2 the other rose to be the greatest industrial scientist of his time4 ,illustration3 ,the #djth anniversary of the invention of the starter found ,kettering1 ,deeds and other members of the old 8,barn ,gang0 previewing the displays in ,deeds ,barn4 ,the ,liberty ,engine ,illustration3 ,the ,liberty engine1 a milestone in the development of ,american aviation1 is among the historic exhibits in ,deeds ,barn4 ,the ,liberty ,engine1 one of the outstanding achievements of ,world ,war ,i1 represents an engineering and manufacturing triumph that contributed much to man's mastery of the air4 ,conceived in less than six weeks during a time of crisis1 it was the finest aircraft power plant of its time1 and for a decade thereafter remained the nucleus around which aerial advances were made4 ,the story of the ,liberty engine begins in #aiag1 shortly after the ,united ,states entered ,world ,war ,i4 ,air power1 even then1 had become a vital factor in military operations1 and the hard-pressed ,allies desperately needed a quantity-produced aircraft engine that would wrest control of the skies from the ,central ,powers4 ,they turned to the ,united ,states and its industrial might for a solution to this critical problem4 ,how productive this appeal was to be was borne out in the events that followed4 ,at the direction of ,colonel ,deeds1 who was then serving as ,chief of ,aircraft ,procurement1 two automotive engineers literally locked themselves in a ,washington hotel room and went to work4 ,the date was ,may #bi1 #aiag4 ,colonel ,deeds' instructions had been brief but to the point4 ,he cautioned the engineers1 ,j4 ,g4 ,vincent and ,e4 ,j4 ,hall1 that the engine they designed had to be light in weight in proportion to power1 and adaptable to mass production4 ,then he added a final admonition3 the engine must embody no device that had not already been tested and proved in existing engines4 ,there was no time for experimentation4 ,within forty-eight hours ,vincent and ,hall had come up with the rough design of the engine4 ,three days later they had incorporated in the design all of its major features1 and shortly thereafter the nation's auto manufacturers had started production of parts for five #h-;cylinder engines and five #ab-;cylinder engines4 ,deeds had been shooting for completion of the first trial engine by ,july #d4 ,this goal1 which seemed to many the strongest form of wishful thinking1 was more than met in what will remain as one of the classic achievements in ,american production annals4 ,impossible as it had seemed1 a complete #h-;cylinder engine was delivered to the nation's ,capital on ,july #c1 a day before the deadline and less than six weeks after the design was drawn4 ,the first #ab-;cylinder engine passed its tests the following month4 ,in the short span of a year from the date when its designers first met1 #a1ajj ,liberty engines had been produced and put into service4 ,by the time the ,armistice was signed1 #bd1dge engines had been turned out and daily production of the ,v-#ab had climbed to the staggering figure of #aej every #bd hours4 ,the magnitude of this engineering1 manufacturing and management feat is pointed up by the fact that a host of small jigs1 tools and fixtures were required to build every part of the complicated engine4 ,newton ,d4 ,baker1 ,secretary of ,war1 said of the project3 8,i regard the invention and rapid development of this engine as one of the really big accomplishments of the ,united ,states since its entry into the war4444 ,the story of the production of this engine is a remarkable one4 ,probably the war has produced no greater achievement40 ,although the ,liberty engine became a potent factor in ,world ,war ,i1 its greatest achievements were to come in the years following1 when for the first time aviation's horizon was lifted above the level of county-fair stunt exhibitions and the foundation laid for commercial aviation4 ,it was the ,liberty engine that first enabled man to conquer the ocean in an airplane4 ,four of the #ddj-;horsepower engines powered the famous ,u4 ,s4 ,navy ,,nc-#d1 which in #aiai became the first plane to fly the ,atlantic4 ,illustration3 ,aerial mastery of the ,atlantic was first achieved in #aiai in the ,liberty-powered ,,nc-#d1 shown in this ,u4 ,s4 ,navy photograph4 ,illustration3 ,the ,martin ,,mb-#b was used by ,general ,mitchell in the #aiba tests which indicated the destructive ability of big bombing planes4 ,liberty engines supplied the power4 ,two years later1 when ,general 8,billy0 ,mitchell conducted his historic and dramatic demonstration of the potency of air power1 ,liberty-powered planes were called upon to do the job4 ,the big bombers1 as ,mitchell had predicted1 sank a #bb1jjj-ton ,german battleship in only twenty-five minutes4 ,in ,april1 #aibc1 the ,liberty was again in the headlines4 ,two ,army pilots1 ,lieutenants ,oakley ,kelly and ,john ,macready1 flying a ,fokker airplane powered with a ,liberty engine1 stayed aloft for thirty-six consecutive hours1 shattering all previous endurance marks4 ,later the same year they completed the first non-stop transcontinental flight1 again using the ,liberty-powered ,fokker4 ,the following year still another achievement was added to the ,liberty's long series of successes4 ,two ,douglas ,cruisers1 powered with ,liberty engines and prepared for the flight at ,dayton's old ,mc,cook ,field1 became the first planes to circle the globe1 covering #bf1cde miles in #cfc hours of actual flying time4 ,illustration3 ,the famous ,de ,haviland #d1 ,british-designed observation plane of ,world ,war ,i4 ,the ship shown here is an ,american version1 built by the ,dayton ,wright ,airplane ,company in #aiah and powered with a ,liberty engine4 ,at left is ,orville ,wright1 consultant for the company1 shown with ,howard ,rinehart1 a test pilot4 ,illustration3 ,the first planes to complete a trip around the world were two ,douglas ,cruisers1 one of which is shown above4 ,there again1 the ,liberty engine helped establish a memorable record in aviation history4 ,besides holding at one time the world's speed and altitude records1 the ,liberty also was the engine that first made the concept of air-mail service more than just a dream4 ,charles ,a4 ,lindbergh was among the pioneer pilots of the early #aibj's who flew ,liberty-powered ,de ,haviland mail planes along relatively uncharted air lanes through all types of weather4 ,thus1 the war-born ,liberty became the cornerstone of ,american commercial aviation and the forerunner of today's vast and complex network of aerial transit4 ,years ahead of its time1 the ,liberty engine stands today as an outstanding example of ,american productive genius4 ,born in time of war1 it played an important role in time of peace4 ,in aviation's hall of fame1 the ,liberty engine is assured a place of honor for decades to come4 ,illustration3 ,lieutenants ,kelly and ,macready1 dwarfed by the giant ,fokker ,t-#b in which they established a new endurance record in #aibc1 are shown here with the fuel required for the famous flight4 ,the 8,lotosland0 ,illustration3 ,this is a model of the 8,lotosland10 the yacht formerly owned by ,colonel ,deeds4 ,it was placed in the exhibit as an example of maritime transportation4 ,the 8,lotosland0 was for a number of years the second home of ,colonel and ,mrs4 ,deeds4 ,it was a trim vessel of #bjf feet1 built to ,colonel ,deeds' specifications4 ,while it was never used for long ocean voyages1 it was fully capable of making them4 ,the 8,lotosland0 included many innovations1 one of the most important of which was the amphibian airplane which it carried4 ,she was the first ship1 other than a naval vessel1 to be so equipped4 ,when the ,united ,states entered ,world ,war ,,ii1 the ,navy requisitioned the 8,lotosland0 and converted her into a combat ship for anti-submarine patrol4 ,she made a distinguished war record and accounted for at least one submarine4 ,after the war the 8,lotosland0 was disposed of to private shipping interests and1 at last reports1 was plying between ,miami1 ,florida1 and ,south ,america4 ,illustration3 ,this picture of the 8,lotosland0 was taken by ,porter ,b4 ,chase1 who knew her in prewar days and recognized her in port at ,miami on ,january #aj1 #aiej4 ,she is loaded with five busses1 destined for delivery to ,south ,america4 ,the 8,cincinnati0 ,illustration3 ,replica in miniature of the 8,cincinnati10 first locomotive to pull a passenger train into ,dayton on the old ,cincinnati1 ,hamilton ,dayton ,railroad1 which later became part of the ,baltimore ,ohio system4 ,the 8,cincinnati10 prototype of the replica in miniature on display in ,deeds ,barn1 was typical of the locomotives that in the #ahej's were beginning to establish a new transportation network across ,ohio and the ,middle ,west4 ,these locomotives and their successors were to doom the canal system which played such an important role in development of the ,west4 ,although the ,miami and ,erie ,canal--which linked ,dayton to ,cincinnati and ,toledo--had its peak year in #ahea when the 8,cincinnati0 first steamed into ,dayton1 canal operating expenses outran revenue only five years later4 ,in #ahgg1 official operation of the canal ended4 ,in the march of progress1 the railroad had won4 ,the 8,cincinnati0 was built by the ,harkness firm of ,cincinnati1 and was one of the most advanced locomotives of its day4 ,its honest functionalism1 as evidenced by the businesslike cow-catcher and the monstrous stack designed to trap dangerous wood sparks1 makes this type of locomotive1 called an 8,american10 a favorite with railroad fans4 ,how long the 8,cincinnati0 remained in service with the ,c4,h4,h4,h4,d4 ,railroad1 and its ultimate fate are not known1 but the colorful locomotive and others of its kind made possible significant gains in man's never-ending quest for better transportation4 ,the ,cash ,register ,display ,illustration3 ,display of the #bj1jjj parts which make up a modern ,national ,accounting ,machine1 outgrowth of the early cash register4 ,inasmuch as ,c4 ,f4 ,kettering and ,e4 ,a4 ,deeds began their careers with ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company1 it seemed fitting that some representation of that company's products should be included in the barn display4 ,the display includes early models of ,national cash registers and an impressive exhibit of the #bj1jjj parts which go to make up a modern ,national accounting machine4 ,the cycle of events moves in unpredictable and often unexpected ways4 ,when ,e4 ,a4 ,deeds left ,,ncr to help develop the self-starter business1 he probably never expected to be a part of that organization again4 ,yet in #aica he was named ,chairman of the ,board of that company and subsequently played an important part in its very considerable development4 ,when ,deeds and ,kettering first went with ,,ncr1 the line of machines which made up the company's products was limited indeed4 ,it was they who took the first steps toward an electrically operated cash register4 ,the possible entrance of the company into the accounting machine field had not even been considered4 ,employment at the local plant was about #b1djj people4 ,today ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company derives almost as much of its business from the sale of accounting machines as from the sale of cash registers4 ,through continuous research and advanced engineering1 it has created machines which meet the needs of business wherever money is handled or records are kept4 ,the ,company now employs #ac1jjj people at the ,dayton plant4 ,with complete accuracy1 the cash register bell is often referred to as 8,the ,bell ,heard ',round the ,world40 ,illustration3 ,patterson ,boulevard1 on which ,carillon ,park is located1 is one of ,dayton's busiest arteries of traffic4 ,there are two reasons why it is fitting to include this picture of teeming traffic with the story of the self-starter4 ,if the self-starter had not been invented1 the automobile would never have reached the place that it has in the lives of the people of this country4 ,continued dependence on the old hand crank as a means of starting would have been an almost unsurmountable handicap4 ,it is also interesting to know that many of the cars which contribute to the stream of traffic on ,patterson ,boulevard are those of employees of ,,ncr and of ,general ,motors4 ,deeds and ,kettering started their business careers with ,,ncr and were responsible for bringing the first unit of ,general ,motors to ,dayton4 ,,carillon ,,park ,,dayton1 ,,ohio ,one of a series of ,carillon ,park booklets4 ,price ten cents4 ,,as #aba ,e#a,,xx ,,printed ,,in ,u4,s4,a4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4