At that time Kansas laws regarding Chattel Mortgage Sales,
required Sale Notices posted in at least five public places and at
least. 10 days before the date of the sale. I posted the notices
and went to attend to other business.
Between the date of posting the notices and the sale, no
commitments relative to selling or buying the machinery were
supposed to be made, neither was the machinery to be moved.
When I returned for the sale, to my amazement, during the 10
days, the dealer steamed the engine and moved a church building. It
was a heavy load. The dealer was conscientious. I doubt, he thought
he did a wrong.
After the sale, I drove to Hays-26 miles. An operator’s
engine was too small. He traded for the engine at Plainville
although he had but a day’s threshing. The Company was to
deliver the engine.
It was necessary ho ford the Saline river which flows 10 miles
south of Plainville, but the ford at that point could not be used
to cross with an engine because of quicksand. I was directed to a
ford several miles west. The road from Plainville to that ford was
fairly good. I forded the river with the engine but when south of
the river there was no returning to the Hays road. South of the
river were hills, rocks and canyons for 8 miles. The road was not
much more than a cowpath. Houses were few and water scarce. It
seemed the most lonely and desolate region upon which the sun ever
shone. I was happy when I emerged from those hills and gorges with
a noisy engine, upon the flats northwest of Hays. Many pumps pump
oil from beneath those hills and gorges through which I drove that
engine that day.
When about half way to Hays, in those hills, the engine
developed a peculiar noise. I stopped ;it and examined the
bearings. They were properly adjusted. When started again, the
noise continued, t stopped the engine again and removed the
connecting rod, examined all the bearing and assembled them.
Readjusting did no good. It continued noisy until delivered. The
buyer threshed his work that remained with the engine but it
continued noisy. He said, ‘he could not locate the noise’,
I told him I would return, re-lire and re-babbitt the
crankshaft.
When the piston was removed, I discovered the piston was loose
on the rod. That had caused the noise. The Company shipped him a
new piston and rings. I re-lined and re-babbitted the crankshaft.
The engine was ready for the piston and rings.
He had had much experience with engines. I trusted him to
install the rings and piston. He did. threshed half a day with the
engine and said, ‘it pounded worse than ever.’ Advance
Thresher Co. shipped him a new engine. I wished no dissatisfied
customers.
I have wondered 46 years, what part, if any, moving that heavy
building played in loosening that piston. When I pulled the engine
into Plainville, it made no similar noise. While driving it to
Hays, I was careful with it, running the engine at normal speed, I
never removed governor belts.
