R.R. 13, Box 302, Muncie, Indiana 47302
The letter by Dave Kreitler of Libby, Montana in ‘Smoke
Rings,’ GEM January-February, 1979, pg. 12, in which he
inquires about a Dan Patch engine and asks if Dan Patch was a
famous ficticious race horse prompted me to do this article.
Dan Patch, a real horse, and Dan Patch, a real engine, had one
thing in common-M.W. Savage of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dan Patch
was foaled in 1896 and became a world champion pacer with mile
records in 1903-1905. In 1901 Dan Patch was purchased by M. E.
Sturgis of Buffalo, New York for $20,000. In December, 1902 M. W.
Savage of Minneapolis purchased Dan Patch for $60,000. M. W. Savage
once refused a $180,000 offer for his great Dan Patch. In 1909 the
undefeated Dan Patch was retired and was returned to Minnesota. Dan
Patch and M. W. Savage both suffered heart conditions and on July
11, 1916 Dan Patch died. The next day M. W. Savage died!
Dan Patch, the engine, was made by the M. W. Savage Factories
Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, M. W. Savage, President. In
their engine line-up, they also had an engine named Dazzle Patch,
after another race horse Savage owned.
In checking my 12-year cumulative index to GEM, there are only
two references to pictures of Dan Patch and one reference to a
picture of Dazzle Patch. The one of Dazzle Patch is of an old ad of
1912. The two to Dan Patch includes one courtesy of Morris Blomgren
in which he reports the 5 HP and larger engines were named after
the horse, Dan Patch, and the smaller engines Savage named Dazzle
Patch. The 1912 ad states engines range in size from 1? to 12 HP.
M. W. Savage Factories Company backed their engines, according to
the 1912 ad, by a 30-day free trial offer and 5-year guarantee
backed by $5,000.
I have, unfortunately, never seen a Dan Patch engine, so I can
be of no help as to color. Apparently two or three Dan Patch
engines are still showing off their horsepower.
