"The Best Engine in the World!" (added July 2012)
(Edited from: The Waukesha Motor News Bulletin, July 10, 1936)
"This week (July 10, 1936) an interesting incident occurred in the Sales Department which once again justifies our pride in this company.
In Washington, during 1917, there was this buck private assigned to Quartermaster's Department as an auto mechanic ...just another of the thousands of boys who were serving their country during those days. At the same time there were a couple of dollar-a-year men from Waukesha who were working in secret on the design of a "better than anything yet" engine and motor truck for Uncle Sam's transport service. Fate brought the buck private to headquarters one day where he was assigned to drive the first Liberty Truck to the White House, and show it to President Wilson. On the same occasion, those two one-dollar-a-year men, Harold Horning and Jim Fisher, were on hand for it was Horning who had headed up the secret activities and it was Fisher who worked night and day on the design and brought into being the Class "B" Liberty truck engine. They were there.
During this past week, C. E. VanBuskirk of Freeport, Illinois came in to buy an engine for an arc welder. He was replacing an old engine which had worn out and drove to Waukesha to get, as he put it, "the best engine in the world --one built by Horning and Fisher". It was paid for with crisp new hundred dollar bills with the remark; "I'm putting my bonus (WWI bonus) to work!" It was then that Mr. VanBuskirk commented that he noticed the photo in the company lobby that showed Harry Horning explaining the WWI Liberty truck to President Wilson and that he (VanBuskirk) was the doughboy driver."
Rocky
Oct 2000
Copyright © 2012 Waukesha Engine Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved