[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E6]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO GEORGE N. SCHUSTER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS M. REYNOLDS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 15, 2008

  Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today 
to honor the memory of a great American, George N. Schuster of 
Springville, NY. The year 2008 marks the centennial of one of America's 
greatest achievements, in which George played a vital role. He was a 
part of the 1908 American team that competed in the New York to Paris 
Race.
  This 1908 automobile race consisted of six teams representing four 
different countries. George was brought in to be a mechanic for the 
American car, the Thomas Flyer. The New York to Paris race took 
contestants through North America, Asia and Europe. George and his team 
departed Times Square on February 12, 1908 to begin the race. This race 
would take 169 days to complete, and would only be finished by three of 
the teams, one of which was the Thomas Flyer.
  George Schuster was the only member of the Thomas Flyer team to 
remain with the car for every inch of the 22,000-mile journey. In 
addition to the great length and poor infrastructure making this race a 
great challenge, the weather also proved to be an obstacle. The team 
had to drive through rivers, deserts, and blast narrow mountain passes 
to make their way across the United States. At one point George got his 
car designated as a train on the Union Pacific Railroad to get through 
tough terrain. In order to cross the Bering Sea the Thomas Flyer had to 
be taken apart and loaded onto a dogsled.
  Moving on from the position of mechanic, George Schuster became the 
captain of the Thomas Flyer Team as they made their way to San 
Francisco. It was up to him to make the critical decisions along the 
way. George acted as a negotiator to people such as Russian soldiers in 
order to get past obstacles that the team encountered on their way to 
being victorious in the New York to Paris race.
  In 1908, automobiles did not possess the advanced technology needed 
to complete the trip without numerous mechanical failures. At one point 
the Thomas Flyer needed a new transmission, which had to be shipped by 
train while they continued on with the help of a horse for 13 days. 
George was determined to be victorious in this race and motivated his 
crew with these words: ``as long as the wheels will turn . . . I'm 
going to drive this car.'' On July 30, 1908 the Thomas Flyer Team led 
by George Schuster drove into Paris with the help of a bike light 
strapped to its fender, becoming the first team to complete this feat.
  Thus, Madam Speaker in recognition of his contributions to the 
American automobile industry and the history made by the Thomas Flyer, 
I ask that this honorable body join me in honoring George Schuster.

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