EARLENE

weeks ago. Mary and Dave Egan accompanied me. We were very well fed
to a delicious meal at the Fire Hall in Blue Ball, Lancaster
County. The entertainment was given by a group of Barber Shop
Quartets, which was most enjoyable to everyone.

Last week-end, Anna Brandt from Bainbridge, drove with me to
Shenandoah Valley Association banquet. It was held at Winchester,
Virginia. The food there was also plentiful and delicious. It was a
pleasure for Anna and me to see old friends down that way once
more. Neither were able to attend their show this past summer, so
this gave us the golden opportunity to see them.

After a good nights sleep in motel, we visited again in the
homes of Robert Reeds’ and Paul Giles’ on Sunday. This is
always a joy.

We had the pleasure of eating and making friends with Mr. &
Mrs. Ray Anderson from Winchester. We heard by the grapevine, he
had made quite a nice little engine for himself. Congratulations,
Ray!

Mr. Frank Stark from Billings, Missouri wrote to say he was one
of the lucky few who received a sample of the first magazine from
my hubby. At that time it was called the Farm Album-published 4
times a year at a $1.00in 1947. He said he has each and every copy
since then.

Mr. Ernest Pawson from 12756 Sandy Beach Road, Manitou Beach,
Michigan 49253 also wrote to say he has Volume I, numbers 3 and 4.
I don’t believe this is quite as good as Mr. Stark’s
collection, but there aren’t many to beat it.

Bill Jones of 2700 Eashman Street, Midland, Michigan 48640 says
he is building a Case 1 scale steam tractor. ‘I’m up to
fuel and I would like to burn propane gas. Is this possible and if
so, how do you do it?’ Please help him Fellows!

From Oscar E. Buescher, R. R. 3, Edwardsville, Illinois 62025
comes this letter I would like to share with you. ‘In the last
issue of the ALBUM you ask for original subscribers to write to
you. I am one of them.

Elmer visited us here on his first trip this far west. He wrote
a letter about the trip and sent a copy to everyone that he and
Catherine had visited on the trip. We got along fine. I had five
traction engines and took him around to see others that I knew of
in this part of the country. That is what Elmer like dengines,
separators and sawmills. I remember they spent two days and nights
with us, and how we all enjoyed it.

I have all of the magazines from the first issue.’

From Bill Burke, Jr., R. R. 1, Box 102, Peotone, Illinois 60468
we have this note. ‘I received a copy of your Iron-Men and Gas
Engine Magazine from a friend and enjoyed them very much. I am
sixteen and have been working on antique tractors since I was ten
and am probably one of your younger readers. ‘Yes, you are
Bill, but we surely need the younger folks to be interested in our
magazines and the related hobbies.

Don C. Joyner, Bourbonnais, Illinois 60914 sends us this letter
of his past experiences: ‘Iron-Men is my favorite magazine and
we fit each other all right, as I began messing around with farm
engines when I began to walk and talk. I have been told that I did
both at an unusually early age and I can remember seeing wheat
threshing being done by horsepower and as for steam, there was the
old reliable ‘portable’ steam engine, and it was one of
these I started on. It was an 8 HP return flue Huber belted up to a
well drilling rig in June 1893. The last real engine that I handled
(excepting my models) was in 1964. My last and largest model is a 2
inch scale model of the Case 65 of 1920.

One of my uncles brought the second traction engine that was in
the neighborhood and I saw many funny things happen around that
thing. It was a 12 HP Keck-Gonnerman, and it was a dandy.

I got the first engine that I owned in a strange and unusual way
and before I ever thought of owning one. I got this engine from one
of my uncle’s neighbors. I lent him some money and he fixed up
a mortgage as security and wanted that to be good for one year, and
as you might suspect, I received that engine instead of my money
back. I did not lose anything in the deal, but I had something that
I did not know exactly what it was and what I was going to do with
it. It was just something to play with. But, before long the
Highway Commissioner wanted me to work for him, doing some road
grading. Well I made good on that job. I learned later, that I had
gotten this engine at just about one fourth of its original cost
and it was practically new, as it had been run only two seasons of
threshing wheat. This engine was an Advance 16 HP and I purchased
an old thresher from another farmer and then I was a Thresher
Man.

The next thing that happened I thought I wanted a larger engine
and traded this outfit in on a brand new outfit consisting of an 18
HP engine and 32 x 52 separator, and as Ripley says I had something
there, as my new separator was the first one in my territory that
had a self feeder, wind stacker and weigh and bagging attachments
on it. This machine placed me as a real threshing machine operator,
as I got more than any other machine man. I handled my own engine
from 1905 to 1946, then gave it up.

With all of my experience, I have never had but one serious
incident happen to any of my machinery. I busted through a bridge
with a 20 HP Reeves double engine and a brand new Bird sell clover
huller (the huller had been run only three days). It was a complete
wreck and the damage on the engine cost more to get it out of the
creek and repair, than what it cost new. But as Ripley says that
engine is in use yet today, or was just about a year ago I’ve
heard. It is running a ventilating fan and water pump at a coal
mine, and during the time that engine has had several different
owners. Also, I was told that the Keck engine that I had was still
in use on a sawmill. That engine was bought new in 1910.

And now about Iron-Men Album, I see many things that sometimes
bring back old memories and some are very interesting. At times, I
think of writing about some of them.’

Here is something I found that I thought would be most
interesting for the ladies Just as there is variety in fabrics for
clothing and home fashions, so dinnerware differs, not only in
pattern and shape, but in basic materials and range of quality.
POTTERY, man’s earliest dish making material, is today a heavy,
opaque, informal, gaily decorative type of tableware. It is easily
chipped and broken and the glaze may may eventually scratch and
craze leaving the porous substance underneath unprotected.

We have, in our collection, a complete and compact steam engine
from a sternwheel steamboat, used on Lesser Slave Lake in the early
1900s.

This engine was manufactured by the ‘Marine Iron Works’
Chicago, Illinois. There are no other stamps, maker’s plates,
on the various parts or boiler that would indicate horsepower, etc.
Any information or history on this Marine Iron Works Company would
be greatly appreciated.

EARTHENWARE, developed in the 18th century, is made with finer
clays and fired at a higher temperature than pottery, making it
more durable and somewhat less porous. It is also thick and opaque,
though stronger and lighter than pottery. Earthenware should not be
washed in boiling water or put in the oven to warm. These may cause
it to craze. When crazed, chipped or cracked, the porous body will
absorb liquids and darken. This type of tableware is available in a
wide range of price and quality.

SEMI-VITREOUS WARE, called fine earthenware in England, is fired
at high enough temperatures to become partially fused or vitrified
and less-absorbent. Made from partially refined clays, it is
opaque, thinner than earthenware but thicker than china.

IRONSTONE AND STONEWARE are similar and harder than any of the
above types of tableware. Very good strength, chip resistance and
interesting forms make it a popular choice particularly for family
meals. Hard, close-grained clays are used in the manufacture and
fired at temperatures high enough to fuse the clay particles to
present an opaque, nonporous surface. Developed during the 19th
century, early examples enjoy popularity in the antique market as
collectors’ items.

CHINA OR CHINAWARE is porcelain. It is called china after the
country of its origin. For a long time its manufacture was a
well-kept Oriental secret. The effort to duplicate the Chinese
product led to the discovery of ‘bone china’ in England
around 1789. Grades in China vary widely depending on thickness,
cost of ingredients and quality of workmanship.

CASUAL CHINA is informal, heavier and very durable. It is often
ovenproof and highly resistant to chipping and cracking.

FINE CHINA made from a variety of super-refined clays and
powdered minerals, is fired at intense heats for longer periods of
time at each firing than less costly dinnerware. It is strong, thin
and very translucent. In making fine china, the hard glaze is
actually fused onto the body making protection complete and
permanent. Decorations, usually by hand, are added after the glaze
and then fired.

BONE CHINA differs from fine china in color. Fine china tends to
be cream of ivory colored, while bone china is chalk white because
animal bone ash is added to the mixture.

MELAMINE, an inexpensive, practical, break-resistant plastic for
informal use, is one of the two strictly modern dinnerware
materials.

PYROCERAM, the registered trademark for a family of
glass-ceramics, is the other miracle material of the 20th century.
Connocted for nose-cone duty in outer space, Pyroceram eventually
found its way into earthling kitchens in freezer-to-range-to-table
pieces. Then came dinnerware that is guaranteed not to break, chip
or crack but has a ring and feel akin to fine china. A glossy glaze
protects decorations and wards off stains. Of course, it is
dishwasher-safe and oven-proof.

Mrs. Wm. Strayer from Dillsburg, Pa. had another visit to the
hospital but has returned home. I talked with her on the phone. I
know she’d be happy to get a card from you ladies.

On my birthday this past week, I had a lovely card from Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Hope in Virginia. He had another setback but is coming
along nicely, I understand. It was nice to hear from them.

Mrs. Dayton Nichols had a birthday too this month. That is
reason they weren’t able to join us at the banquets down this
way. We did miss them. It was nice to have them stop here over
night last month while on their journey southward.

From Lloyd Lehman, 2201 Bloomington Road, East Peoria, Illinois
61611 comes this amusing and entertaining writing: ‘This fall I
enjoyed a visit by R. Dayton Nichols of Stafford, New York. I
showed him this write-up I put together and he said to be sure and
send it to Earlene, as he was sure you would print it in your
magazine. Anyone is free to copy this and print them on cardboard
to hand out. I enjoy IRON MEN ALBUM very much.’

WARNING-ENGINE POX-Very contagious to adult males. SYMPTOMS
Continual complaint as to need for fresh air, sunshine and
relaxation. Patient has blank expression, sometimes deaf to wife
and kids, has no taste for work of any kind. Frequent checking of
engine catalogs. Hangs out at engine buddies homes longer than
necessary. Numerous phone calls to engine owners. Mumbles to self.
Brags to everyone about his engine. NO KNOWN
CURE-TREATMENT-Medication is useless! Disease is not fatal. Victim
should go to Steam and Gas Engine Shows as often as possible.