One could hardly page thru ‘The Album’ without noticing
‘something new’ has been added. I’m sure ‘Sparks
from Old Plugs’ is a long-felt need to tractor and gas-engine
enthusiasts. Can’t say the interest in steam is tapering off,
but ‘The Early Day’ collectors are growing by leaps and
bounds; not only old tractors but horse-drawn equipment and
belt-driven machines as corn shredders, grist mills, etc. I
didn’t get the collector’s name, but someone had a colorful
display of old cast-iron seats at the Rollag Reunion.
Was on our way to George Persons, Chicago City, Minn., with some
engine parts, he fairly insisted to build up the ‘pins’ of
the valve motion on my 50 Case. We paused at ‘Waynes Truck
Stop’ for a burger-basket and overheard one feller telling
another, ‘Sure windy today, I couldn’t go fishing or
canoeing, so that I might as well work’.
This very day April 1st Scout Leader Thomas Halvorson, 33, of
Polk St., Minneapolis, drowned in the swift icy waters of the St.
Croix River near the Interstate Bridge when their canoe capsized.
Cub Scout Steven Quist was rescued after clinging to the overturned
canoe. To think we witnessed part of this sad incident.
Suppose you heard the one about the Texan who wrote a check and
the bank bounced?? Well, Geo. C. was telling one in our favor back
in ’29 a land-dealer got some prospects together on an
excursion to Texas. The southerners were inquisitive, ‘You-all
got lots of hard-wood up there?’ ‘Yup,’ says the
excursioner, ‘we make fence posts so hard they wear out 3 or 4
post holes.’ Seemed the Texans were more interested in the
Dairy State than visa -versa. ‘Kind a healthy climate up
there?’ ‘Well, I should say so. . . .going to Grantsburg
the other day, noticed a 104-year-old man sitting by the road
crying so I see, ‘How come?’ ‘Well, my pa just gave me
a licking” ‘He did! What for?’ ‘For
throwing’ stones at Grandpa.’
Got a letter from the Jackson Bros, of Mondovi, Wisconsin, who
were at that time spending a month at The World Trade Pair in
Colombo, Ceylon, demonstrating the Jackson Lumber Harvestor Mill,
cutting what is possibly the hardest of tropical timber. Clint said
there are lots of oxen in use, but couldn’t locate a traction
engine, though they still maintain steam trucks and steam
locomotives. Imagine an island half the size of Wisconsin with a
population of 10 million people. It’s our hope to soon see the
movies and slides taken over there, and that they will present
their story and experiences in some hobby magazine.
Myron Gleiter from Cochrane drove up one day. He is now a
full-fledged ‘cat-skinner’ and was lining up some work for
the summer. He has a dandy 18 hp Baker Engine used to operate a
sawmill, etc. He informs me his old-time engineer, Clarence Benter
answered the ‘Golden Whistle Call’. Knowing Clarence as I
did, proved to me that engineers are made, not born.
Got a letter from the ‘Combustion-Power’ man, C. D.
Knudson, Gulley, Minn., – is still hunting gas-engines. Wants a two
flywheel New-Way, Ellis, Badger and Otto says he has a 3 hp P. M.
1907 Vertical to trade. It’s a sure thing anybody driving by
Gulley is in Minnesota.
George was visiting a friend out in South Dakota said his friend
used to have two windmills, but he had to take one down ’cause
there wasn’t enough wind for both!
‘The Corliss Kid’ very much so, none other than Jim
Johnson (217 S. Home. Ave., Park Ridge, III.) came during this
Easter vacation. In the Spring this young man’s fancy turns to
thoughts of Corlisses. He got wind of the fact that Wm. Herpst of
Elmwood possessed a nice collection of old catalogs including
Corliss engines, old tractors, steamers, gas engines, etc. I too,
am in pursuit of 1910 editions (for some reason, not my fault).
Herpst insisted we come for dinner, and what an elegant meal that
was, Anna is some cook! Thence we were escorted into the basement
‘licking our chops’ over William’s lifetime collection
of early-day literature. Jim was simply beside himself. You
couldn’t have given him Fort Knox. William is only 81 years
young but feels some younger collector should share the loot. His
generosity sure surpassed our comprehensions. Can’t say how
many catalogs Jim got, but I gathered some very priceless prints
and all for a very tolerant price. (Jim still lacks literature on
the Bates and the Nordberg Corliss engines, has traction engine
catalogs to trade for same.) As if that wasn’t enough, William
took us to Harold Churchills sugar-bush at Rock Elm, something very
new to Jim. This being a very good year for maple syrup, Harold had
passed the 300 gallon mark. William Herpst and Churchill, close
friends for many years, have a 20 hp double M. Rumely engine and
sawmill in partnership as well as several upright boilers and
smaller engines to run on wood-saw, etc.
A small boy went to school for the first time coming home he was
asked, ‘What happened today?’ ‘Nothing much,’ he
said, ‘there was a woman there who wanted to know how to spell
c-a-t, so I told her.’
Was reading the 1910 Sageng Combination Thresher Catalog. Man,
that was some outfit, sorta return-flue job, but it must been
sagging some place, ’cause it seems it never got beyond the
experimental stage. Catalog records 22 testimonials resulting from
a demonstration at Dalton, Minnesota, and again at Sioux Falls,
South Dakota, November 26-27, 1909, but none were listed as owners.
The ‘Sageng ‘ self contained thresher was to be built in 4
sizes 28′ to 40’ cylinder. The 4 cylinder motor had 5 main
bearings – connecting rods were adjustable in length to change
compression to suit any kind of fuel. (The Iron-Men Album carried
some information on this machine May-June ’54, page 21; Nov-Dec
’58, page 13)
Received my N.T.A. ‘Steam O Gram’ No.8 from Lucille
Blaker. She sends out about 4,000 copies – almost a staggering
figure, but has taken on this task voluntarily for the benefit of
steam fans over the nation.
Teacher (Earlene) – ‘How do you spell Mississippi?’
Youngster, ‘River or state?’
The ‘Corliss-Kid’ had put a bug in my ear two dandy
engines whose days are numbered but still on the job at Cargill
Grain Elevator in Duluth. Luckily Harold Gjonnes, who operates
heavy road and dozer equipment was going up to the Highway Building
in Superior to check on road jobs. After crossing the old toll
bridge on ’53’ we fairly ignored ‘no admittance ‘
signs and worked our way to the boiler room at the rear and located
the engineer, Louis Schlichter, who gladly showed us two vertical
Corliss engines. The Hodge Corliss was ‘at ease’ but
powered a major part of the elevator thru a rope-drive, something
new to me. The Colonel Steeple Corliss was in action using a flat
belt drive. It is a 24′ x 48′ x 48′ compound turning 66
r.p.m. under 100 lbs. pres. Has been in use half a century at this
location and was used 20 years prior to that elsewhere. Schlichter
claims it’s still in almost-new condition, but will have to
give way to dozens of electric motors. Sometimes it looks to me we
are progressing backwards!
