Viewing page 23 of 38

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

3 East 51st. Street,
New York, New York.
October 28th., 1938.

Dear Mr. Fulda:

Mr. Germain Séligmann read me your letter asking for information about STEAM driven automobiles and trucks, and I have devoted a great deal of time the last few days, to researches along that line.  Below I shall give you a list of the organizations I contacted, reference books consulted, etc., from which you will have the opinions of the best posted people in New York, as well as the little information I have been able to gather as to the manufacture of steam cars in this country:

REFERENCE BOOKS: Thomas Register of American Manufacturers - 1938 edition doesn't mention Steam vehicles.

Industrial Arts Index - no steam vehicle[[x]]] manufacturers mentioned 

Engineering Index - no steam vehicle manufactures mentioned

ORGANIZATIONS contacted:

WHITE MOTOR COMPANY: (First important manufacturers of steam trucks in U.S.A): 
Though they gave up manufacturing steam vehicles thirty years ago, were very much interested in inquiry (the first they have had in twenty years) and very cooperative, going in to the reasons why they were no longer made. 

To me the most important result, from your point of view, was the fact that the head of the White Motors lives in France, and aside from his connection with that company, is one of the best informed men on steam driven vehicles and their history in this country. Should you wish to consult him, he is

Mr. T. T. Harrow,
c/o Guaranty Trust Co. of N.Y.
4 Place de la Concorde, Paris.

Further than that they explained that (1) the operator of a steam driven car, according to laws here, has to hold a LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS license, (2) the length of time needed to get a steam up, compared to the facility of starting a gasoline motor, (3) the low cost of gasoline here. 

FRANKLIN MOTOR: It took me two days to find that they have an office here.  But they no longer manufacture anything, they simply supply parts.  Furthermore, the gentleman to whom I spoke said they never did manufacture a steam car - their's was a gasoline engine with an air-cooled motor.  They have no intentions of manufacturing in the future.