Page 16 - Edmonton Antique Car Club

(continued from Page 11)

Pacific water into Atlantic, Port Alberni, Oct. 14th

sidered a brilliant new proposal: the first trip across Canada, trip. Wilby dug out the flask of Atlantic Ocean water he
coast to coast, in an automobile. Ransom and the firm carried thousands of miles across the country and ceremoni-
agreed and supplied a brand new 1912 REO Special touring ously poured the water into the Pacific Ocean. Wilby also
car outfitted especially for the purpose and paid all expens- performed the pouring of the water a second time on Octo-
es. Ransom provided one of his very best mechanics from ber 17th in Victoria. A total of 52 days had elapsed; today,
Lansing for the trip, Fonce V. “Jack” Haney. With a grand a trip from ocean to ocean would take one driver about sev-
gesture, Haney backed the wheels of the REO Special into en days. The route had been referred to as “the all-red
the Atlantic Ocean at Halifax on August 27, 1912. Wilby route” since countries in the British Empire were always
scooped up a flask of water, sealed the small container and shown in red on worlds maps. When Wilby’s book “The
tucked it away until they reached their destination. Motor Tour Through Canada” was published in 1914, Wil-
by did not mention Jack Haney’s name even once and only
Wilby was a 45 year old snob with little patience mentioned “the driver” a few times. (This trip was recreat-
for upstart Americans. Haney was 23 and thought he’d be ed in 1997 by author John Nicol in an antique 1912 REO
assisting another gear-head, an illusion that quickly van- Special owned and driven by Lorne Findlay of Vancouver.
ished. The older man insisted on being called “sir” and sat Nicol’s book, “The All-Red Route: From Halifax to Victo-
in the backseat as if he was being chauffeured. When the ria in a 1912 REO” was published in 1999).
car required repairs, a flat tire fixed, or a push out of the
mud, Wilby refused to assist. The two men were at odds for The new REO Special was the first car to even
the entire journey. Both men made notes, Wilby for his come close to driving coast to coast, and the company
book and Haney kept a journal. By September 4th, barely a didn’t let Canadians forget it. The actual car, accompanied
week into the journey, Haney wrote, “I am heartily sick of by REO employee Jack Haney, was displayed around the
my companion and will be mightily glad when the trip is country in the same state in which it had finished the epic
over.” trip, complete with picks, shovels, steel rope, and cooking
utensils. REO ads showed a map of the route and invited
And did I mention the mud. There were only 10 citizens to come see the car, meet Haney, and “shake hands
miles of paved road in the entire country. When roads or with him… he deserves it.”
even paths were non existent, the car was loaded onto a
train, like the entire 940 miles from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontar- Canadian production peaked in 1912 at 25 units a
io to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Road travel was difficult over week, but that year was also marked by another venture
the mountains and into British Colombia. On October 7th, which would deal the Canadian factory a fatal blow. Right
they temporarily crossed the border into Washington State from the time of his curved dash Oldsmobile, Ransom had
and then back into B.C. where the road was again accessi- sought to build light cars. In 1912, the Canadian factory
ble. Stopping in towns along the route, the REO was a pop- thought it had found a way to make REOs even lighter with
ular attraction and presentations were made by mayors and a new kind of body. One of its suppliers, the Chatham Car-
townspeople. Wilby and Haney travelled 4,176 miles from riage Co., proposed a novel way of making bodies out of
Halifax to Vancouver. The pair with their REO then carried pressed fibre. Convinced it would revolutionize the body-
on by ferry to Vancouver Island. On October 14, 1912, making business, they persuaded REO to give it a try. The
Haney drove the wheels of the REO into the Pacific Ocean Canadian plant had delivered about 125 cars with the very
at Port Alberni to officially signal the completion of the attractive bodies when the complaints started coming in. It

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