The knight on the gasoline steed

Theodore Werle was a man committed to stopping the ‘white plague’; tuberculosis, consumption, TB, whatever you called it, it took a devastating toll in the early 20th century.

But before he became a leading anti-TB warrior, Werle was just another Wisconsin kid who loved the outdoors. The problem was that getting there was definitely not half the fun. “The labour of getting to a favourite spot was so great,” he once said, “that it fairly annihilated the charm.” Enter his ‘motorcycle man’ – local HarleyDavidson dealer – and the longing was now satisfied. By 1911, after hearing from lecturers and survivors of the devastation that TB wrought on families and towns, Werle had joined the Wisconsin AntiTuberculosis Association (WATA) in the fight against the terrible disease. Werle and his WATA colleagues travelled the state to provide lectures and the occasional lantern slide show to the public. In the summer of 1911, Werle covered six counties on foot, horseback and rented buckboards. Not that he minded the various tasks his mission required, later noting: “Groom, teamster, wagon boy, exhibit rustler, speaker – all were a thrill. But there had to be a better way – and Harley-Davidson provided it.”

According to legend, a fast-talking WATA middle manager named Otto Bradley may have talked Harley-Davidson into donating a bike to WATA. Motor Company co-founder Arthur Davidson was so impressed with the organisation, he invited Werle to the factory and presented him with a new bike. More bikes were to come.

In return, Harley-Davidson gained the ability to promote the relationship. The agreement even provided a means of testing new parts and components, something today’s engineers refer to as durability testing. The motorcycles were commonly branded on the front of the fuel tank with the WATA logo, the double-armed cross now recognisable as the logo of the American Lung Association.

Before long, the ‘flying squadron of health’ began rolling into towns all across Wisconsin, displaying an impressive array of gear. Perhaps first was a box of literature, ready to hand out to the masses. A simple white bed sheet also doubled as a projection screen for stereopticon lantern slides when night fell. If no table was available for the projector, the motorcycle luggage rack worked just as well. The projector light was provided by the ‘Prest-O-Lite’ acetylene gas tank that normally lit the bike’s headlamp. Werle himself continued to camp between stops – not just for economic reasons but because he loved the great outdoors. Other WATA workers followed his example.

By early 1915, Werle proudly reported from the stage at the Majestic Theatre in Milwaukee that Wisconsin had the lowest death rate from TB in the U.S. – while making sure his motorcycle was on stage to share the credit. Even among other state anti-TB associations, the Wisconsin health campaign was known for its high level of organisation and mobility. It was later believed that Werle personally recruited more than 500 local campaign managers across Wisconsin alone.

In later years, one author dubbed him the ‘Knight on the Gasoline Steed’. As a side benefit, Werle also became quite an expert at the art and science of motorcycle touring. By default, he was a tester of H-D’s very first touring accessories, including luggage racks and saddlebags. In 1915, Harley-Davidson published a guide authored by Werle entitled Camping Hints When Touring With a Motorcycle.

It’s unknown when WATA ceased the use of motorcycles, but by the mid-1910s they had already struck a major blow against a terrible disease. Between 1904 and 1919, the national mortality rate from TB dropped 33 per cent. By 1954, TB in the US was under control. The national and regional associations evolved into today’s American Lung Association, now combating multiple health threats.

Theodore Werle would have been proud – and no doubt inspired – to take a celebratory ride.

The Harley-Davidson Museum® in Milwaukee has more unexpected stories to share. To plan your visit, go to www.h-dmuseum.com

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