A VISIT

Newton Grinnell, Iowa 50112

On July 9th, 1968, I took a trip to Shenandoah, Iowa, and went
by way of Macedonia, Iowa, to see a Mr. Donald Schultz, who had
advertized a Woods Bros’ 22 H.P. steam engine for sale.

I approached a nice modern farm home and a lady came to the
door. I introduced myself and she also being interested in steam
was quite friendly. She said the 22 H.P. Woods Bros’ Engine was
sold, and Mr. Schultz was in the field combining wheat but they had
a steam boiler in the shed I might like to see. We looked at it and
on the way, in a shop, a portable gasoline was being restored. Then
we went to a large farm barn with a plank floor covered with gas
engines in size from one Hp. up. I had never seen so many gas
engines in one place before in my life. She said there were more
than one hundred.

We then went back to the house to see photos of the 22 hp. Woods
Bros’ Engine. She asked me to go to the field with her to take
refreshment to Mr. Schultz. I refused as I should be on my way.
After looking at the photos she said that in the past when some one
so interested in steam and gas power as I was, came, visited awhile
and went on, afterward when she told Donald about it he would be a
little irked because she did Not bring or send them to the wheat
field so he could visit with them too. So I changed my mind and
said I would go.

We took lemonade and cookies to the field. Mr. Schultz had
started another round when he saw us coming but he stopped the
combine and came back. He drew two bales of straw into the shade of
a large grain tank wagon. He and she sat on one bale and I on the
other and had a delightful visit.

He told me of an engine he had built, it was in Mt. Pleasant,
with an eight H.P. Gaar Scott boiler with a water lined smoke box
from Purdue University where it had been used some as a stand by
for their large heating plant boiler. The engine was a two cylinder
hoisting engine and the frame was from his Father’s old
Chevrolet truck.