"The Standard Gas Engine Co., Oakland. Cal., found permanent factory quarters in that city shortly after the earthquake in San Francisco, when their old factory was destroyed. The plant is now under course of construction. The machine shop is to have a concrete foundation throughout and the building will be two stories, 145 by 250 feet. It is claimed that this will be the largest factory on the Pacific coast devoted to the manufacture of gas and gasoline engines. Between 150 and 200 men will be employed. There will be six acres of ground in the plot of land, and as the location is on deep water there will be private wharf facilities as well as excellent railroad connections. Everything pertaining to the engines, including the castings, will be made in the plant as far as is possible. As soon as conditions permit an office will be opened in San Francisco." (Quote from 1906)

      "The Standard Gas Engine Co., of San Francisco and Oakland, Cal., build the well-known Standard gasoline motors. These are of the simple and reliable positive type, and have given excellent service wherever put to the test, and are largely in use along the Coast, as well as on the inland waters of the Western states. In their advertisement they use several terse phrases which are direct and to the point, such as “Standard motors always run”; “Never seen in a repair shop"; also, “Ask any owner of a Standard." The company have had long experience, and the Standard is endorsed and used by the U. S. Government. They give a written guarantee with each engine and will send complete information anywhere upon request." (Quote from 1910)

      “Announcement has just been made of the purchase by the Standard Gas Engine Company, of the plant and equipment of the Corliss Gas Engine Company . By the terms of the deal, which was closed at San Francisco on August 8, the Standard concern will take over at once all of the machinery, engines and patterns, and in fact everything entering into the construction of the Corliss gas engine.

      While the Standard Gas Engine Company has not yet announced in detail its plans for the future, it has been definitely decided that in addition to the regular Standard line, the complete line of Corliss Gas Engines will continue to be manufactured. Babare Bros., the present Puget Sound agents for the Corliss, will continue to sell this engine through their establishments in Tacoma and Seattle. The decision with regard to other Corliss agencies will be announced in the future. Present and prospective owners of Corliss engines assured by the Standard Company that a complete line of parts will always be available.

      The machinery which has been acquired by this transaction will be concentrated at the Standard plant in Oakland, where new buildings are now under construction. The Standard Company is to be congratulated on the acquisition of this equipment at a time when machine tools of all sorts are very scarce, owing to the heavy demands of the munitions makers. Much of this added machinery will be utilized in the manufacture of Southwark-Harris Diesel Engines, as recently undertaken by the Standard.

      Coincident with the announcement of the purchase of the Corliss comes the news of the retirement of James S. Hawkins, as secretary and manager of the Standard. C. C. Kriemler, who has long been associated with Mr. Hawkins, virtually as assistant manager, has been appointed to succeed him and has assumed the active management. This change does not imply any departure from the policy which has made Standard one of the foremost organizations of its kind in the country, as it will still be operated under the active direction of the owners, George W. Emmons, acting as president, and W. L. Hughson, vice-president and treasurer, respectively. Mr. Kriemler's appointment does not come to the trade altogether as a surprise, since his fifteen years continuous service with the company makes him Mr. Hawkins' natural successor.

      The complete manufacturing crew of the Corliss, headed by the designer and chief engineer, Richard Froboese, have the Standard factory organization and will continue to build Corliss engines in their Corliss department. Mr. Froboese is recognized as one of the foremost internal combustion engineers in the United States, and is a valuable addition to Standard's engineering force.

      Arthur B. Cameron, formerly manager of the Corliss Gas Engine Company, but for some time past, Northwestern sales manager for the Standard, will act in this capacity for both engines in the future.

      The purchase of the Corliss marks a new chapter in the history of the gas engine industry on the Pacific Coast. The Standard was organized about 1900, and was incorporated the following year and the Corliss was incorporated in 1902. The Standard has always confined itself to the building of an overhead valve engine with cylinders cast en bloc, in sizes of 4 to 175 horsepower in one, two and three cylinders more particularly. On the other hand the Corliss limited itself to the production of a T head motor with individual cylinders built in sizes from 7 to 300 horsepower, having one, two, three, four or six cylinders. The concentration of these two lines under one roof and one management places the Standard in the enviable position of being able to fill any requirement up to 300 horsepower for either of these recognized successful types of heavy duty engines.” (Quote from 1916.)

Information Sources

• The Gas Engine Magazine, Sep 1906 pg 297
• Handbook of Manufacturers in and about San Francisco, V1, 1910, pg. 62
• Pacific Motor Boat and Motor Ship, V8, Sept., 1916, pg. 42
• American Gasoline Engines Since 1872 by C. H. Wendel, Volume #1, 1983 page 477