Stevens-Duryea Model L owner's manual, 1904

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Up for auction is an original 1904 owner’s manual titled How to Operate a Stevens-Duryea Gasoline Carriage Model L This vintage automobile was a true “horseless carriage,” manufactured by J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. in Chicopee Falls, Mass. The company was noted for the manufacture of both firearms and machinists’ tools, all made to the highest standard quality. The brochure measures 7-1/2 x 5-3/16" and contains 31 pages, with several illustrations and a wiring diagram. The green cover has apparently been damp at some point in its history and the color has bled onto the facing pages. All of the rest of the interior is unaffected. Someone has drawn a small diagram in pencil on page 11, as shown. The center two pages have come loose from the staples. The brochure has obviously been used but is clean, clear and legible. After a detailed table of contents, the booklet begins with a description of how a four-cycle engine works and then goes into the details of such things as the sparking mechanism, clutches, starting the motor, the kind of gasoline to be used, various gears, “best way to stop carriage,” cleaning sparkplugs, etc. It ends with a list of “Don’ts,” including “Don’t forget that oil is a mighty good thing to use on bearings.” This is a fascinating read, even if one doesn’t own a vintage auto. See our other listing for read more

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