Sr., 436 North Library, Waterloo, Illinois 62298
I, E. R. Dugan, the flying engineer, had quite an experience
last fall while taking in the 29th Annual Midwest Old Threshers
Reunion at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The weather was good, but very hot
and dusty, as I got out early one morning to fire up William O.
Sater’s 20 HP return flue Avery. While walking over to where
It was Ross, and I said, ‘Good morning, Ross.’ He responded
and then added, ‘Dugan, I think I am crazy!’. I asked,
‘what makes you say that?’ Well, he replied that anybody
that would haul a steam engine up here 300 miles in this heat and
dust had to be nuts. He could have stayed home and sat under a
shade tree and drank cold beverages. He said, ‘Dugan, look I
had this engine pointed east, Now it’s pointed north and the
sun is coming up in the north.’
So, I came to the conclusion that the man had steamitis, for I
have seen several engineers have the same thing in my time. One was
in the panhandle country and one in the Dakotas, and both of these
men were cured in a very short time with this simple cure.
All you need is two gallons of steam cylinder oil, 1/2 bushel
coal soot, and some pine tar or belt dressing. Pour the cylinder
oil down the back of the patient’s neck along with plenty of
soot. Smear the pine tar in his hair and then send him to the
shower. By the time the patient is cleaned up, he is over the
steamitis.
So….. I called on Orville Morey, Ralph Leavings and Edgar
Leavings, who also have small model engines here in Mt. Pleasant. I
explained the case to them and asked for their help. We all agreed
to use the cure on Ross. While Ross was there sweating it out,
Morey got the cylinder oil, Ralph got the soot, and Edgar got the
pine tar. We really fixed him up even his little cigar and then
sent him to the shower. We got him a clean uniform, and after he
was all cleaned up, he was ready to go in the parade. He never
complained about the heat or dust anymore, and the sun came up in
the east ever after.
So fellow engineers, remember the cure. If anyone gets
steamitis, be sure to give him the cure. It’s a dirty mess, but
it is worth it.!