Good morning (or whatever it is). Hope you’re all well today
and have nothing else to do but read the Album. Today I’m
looking for two men. (I sure wish Kitty could have found some other
way of putting that – signed her husband, Earl). Anyway, I’m
looking for Mr. James Hanna, Sr. and Mr. Anton Simanek. These men
sent me a renewal or subscription and somehow their names got
the magazine. If anyone knows these gentlemen, please let me know
their addresses or ask them to write
I’d like to thank all of our readers for their patience and
understanding during this ‘fouled up’ time. As I said last
month, we’ve had to change our mailing system and many
oversights have been made. You have been just wonderful about it.
We’ve received such ‘nasty’ complaints as the one from
J. B. Hess of Xenia, Ohio telling us that he didn’t get the
last Album and ‘he can’t keep house without it’. That
surely makes us feel good. We didn’t get Art Dickey’s
subscription renewal marked properly and he wrote telling us that
he figured we would eventually get this straightened out but gosh!
what if we didn’t. ‘I just got to keep the magazines
coming. As you see, it’s the only thing exciting ever happens
around the store.’ Art’s from Corydon, Iowa and this is his
store in Shantytown.
We’ve had other real nice letters too. Mr. Charles Martin of
Batavia. New York says he has a complaint (the Album should come
out every week) and a wish (to see a Beam engine and an article
about it). He says the Beam really takes one back in the history of
steam.
Mr. John Carpenter of Owensboro, Kentucky wrote telling me how
much of a horse and mule lover he is. He enjoyed the picture in the
September Issue of the 8 mule team and would like to see more.
Perhaps some of you readers could supply those. Ed Seig of Sleeply
Eye, Minnesota tells me that he enjoyed the reunions this summer
and that the Album doesn’t come often enough for him either.
Speaking of reunions, Miles Lusk of Knox, Pa. really sent a letter
of commendation for the show at Kinzers, Pa. He says he felt
perfectly safe in leaving his car unlocked, found so many good
people there, didn’t see beer cans all over the place, the rest
rooms were clean and the food wonderful and fairly priced.
That’s really a pat on the back to those who arranged the show
at Kinzers. (Earl and I were there too, Miles, and we certainly
agree with you).
Mr. Harry Bonnema of LeMars, Iowa is trying to find out the
original color of a 10-20 McCormick Deering that he has. Under the
dirt and grease he finds a dark gray-blue but at the shows they
seem to be painted light gray. Does anyone know for sure? Amos
Klingler of Buffton, Ohio would like to see stories and pictures of
big loads (such as wheat). The biggest load he knows of was 140 bu.
of un-threshed oats and 54 bu. of un threshed wheat. Alvin Andrew
of Detroit likes to see pictures and stories from the railroad.
Maybe Alvin will write one for us himself, along with any of you
other railroaders. Fred Hart, Williams-field, Ohio tells me he
wouldn’t miss a single copy of the Abum – even if he had to
travel to Enloa after it.
A word to 13 year old Donald Klinkner. Donald has been running
his fathers steamer for 2 years and this year at the Madison, South
Dakota show, some old timers were ‘ribbing’ him a little.
You keep it up Don, I’ll bet they weren’t running steamers
at 11.
I received a note from William Lamb of Washington D. C. telling
me of how he met Mr. William Waters and his Greencastle engine. He
says ‘He (Waters) has a fine looking engine – it’s just a
little odd looking. But there’s sure nothing odd about Mr.
Waters. He sure has done one of the best jobs I have seen in
restoring that engine. And he’s a dyed in the wool steam engine
man-not a speck of dirt or grease on it. He’s always with a rag
in his hand wiping it off. Mr. Waters in my estimation is a
credited young steam engine gentleman. I believe if he could get it
in the house, he would sleep with it. But them’s the kind of
young men we need to carry this thing on and on.’ My deepest
congratulations to William Waters. That’s quite a tribute.
One more reminder that from now on you’ll only receive one
expiration notice. In the last issue of your Subscription. Thanks
for your many letters about this and that. I’ll answer all I
can – by mail or at the next ‘coffee break’.
A very Merry Christmas from Earl (my husband), Kathy (4), Ricky
(7), Buddy (2 – our faithful dog) and me. Kitty.
I would like to explain a little bit about the code number that
appears on your envelope. The first number is the zone in which you
live (postal zone). The letter stands for the last issue which you
will receive. If it is ‘F’, then the January-February Issue
is the last you will receive (unless you renew). The last two
numbers are very important, because it is this that enables us to
find your record of payment in our books. If you have received a
renewal slip or expiration notice in this Album and you feel that
you shouldn’t have received one, look at the open edge of the
envelope. If there is a red mark along the side, then our records
show that you haven’t renewed your subscription yet. (Please
allow us enough time to get them recorded). If there is no red mark
along the side of your envelope, then the expiration notice is an
error. Just ignore it. I’d like to remind you, that from now on
you’ll get only one expiration notice – the one that appears in
your final issue. It takes a while for us to get your renewals and
get them recorded, so if you have sent in your renewal in the three
weeks preceding the arrival of the new Album, just figure that it
has come through but not in time to be recorded before the new
Album was mailed. I don’t know if I’ve helped to clear
anything up or not. I will gladly answer any questions, or check on
any errors. Thanks for bearing with us.