Dear Folks: Our section of the country has had many very
unpleasant experiences due to the recent flood. If your mail to us
doesn’t get a reply, perhaps you’d better try again to
write.
I understand there are still thousands of pieces of mail lying
in the terminal at Harrisburg. They are trying to dry them on
shelves like a baker uses for loaves of bread in a bakery. Some may
never get to their destination, as you can see, due to these
conditions.
I’ve escaped all of this anxiety and inconvenience by being
at Wauseon, Ohio. It was cold and rainy there at the beginning of
the show. Thank goodness it cleared enough so that it didn’t
spoil the entire Reunion.
This is certainly a very good name for these affairs. They bring
us together from far and wide after being separated over the winter
months.
It was wonderful to see my old friends again and make new ones.
Because of the weather Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Scheafer and I had time
to visit the Martin Peterson’s new camper. It was lovely, warm
and cozy. We were served cookies and coffee. Perhaps this was
another means of the Good Man slowing down we humans so we can
appreciate each other’s fellowship a bit more. Who knows? We
all enjoyed it. I’m sure.
I fully intended to try to get to a Canadian Show this year, but
due to circumstances beyond our control, it will just make it
impossible. Hope you Canadians will understand and forgive. Perhaps
until another year or so it will work out for me.
There are more and more of you folks from Canada subscribing to
our magazine. For this we are most happy, but please DO NOT SEND US
CANADIAN CASH. Instead, we’d appreciate if you’d use CHECKS
or MONEY ORDERS expressed in U. S. A. CURRENCY.
John Kauffman from R. D. 3, Milton Grove, Mount Joy 17552, has
been ill in the hospital in Lancaster. We certainly wish for him a
speedy recovery. Remember he’s the man who has done a great
deal of painting of farm scenes, and also striping of steam engine
equipment for our hobbiests. Perhaps you’d like to send him a
card!
Again I wish to ask each of you who send in pictures that you
wish returned, please write RETURN TO and Your Name and Address ON
BACK OF EACH PICTURE. There are times you state so in your letters
only that accompany them. This is not enough. These letters get
separated from the pictures at the printer’s. Later you ask to
have them returned and it is an impossibility to know to whom they
belong. We do try to return all which have this request and
information on the back of pictures.
We had a letter from Mrs. Howard Langdon, R. D. 3, P. Q., CANADA
(Stanstead). She said she is collecting glass paper weights and
would like to buy outright or trade. I have old and odd silverware,
ladies magazines from the early 1900’s, old jewelry, old
bottles found in a wall of a well we had to tear down, and also old
tobacco tins in the wall. Would you know of any paper weights?
Can any of you Ladies or Gentlemen help her? Notice her address
given if you know anyone interested.
A letter also came from Mark A. Hutton, Box 531, Franklin,
Tennessee 37064. I thought someone could come to our rescue and
give a reply if you knew.
‘Since I am interested in Steam Engines and Threshers, I
enjoy ‘The Album.’ I grew up around an Advance Rig; the
Advance is especially interesting to me. I would like to ask that
men who have worked in the Advance Factory, write articles or a
book giving such details as the names of any workers and foremen
that are remembered, and such details as the step by step process
of building the drive wheels of the engines. I have wondered how
the spokes were lined up and cast into the hub and rim. Any detail,
no matter how insignificant it might seem, would be interesting to
me, and I believe, to many other lovers of steam traction
engines.
A man told me long ago that Mainrad LaFever designed the Advance
Line, and that Mr. LaFever was descended from a Frenchman who
designed artillery for a French king. Our Advance thresher had a
weak spot. The sills were weak back to the rear axle, allowing the
sills to bend down, throwing the whole rear end of the thresher out
of line.
Our engine was 12 horse No. 12401, which the late Mr. Marcus
Leonard said was made in the Spring of 1911.
Someone mentioned the name of the foreman of the test shed at
Battle Creek; I was very glad to see it.
Any other thresher factories would be interesting to read
about.
I hope I do not appear out of line in this request. Thank
you.’
Mr. G. E. Shelman, Union Star, New York 40171, wrote asking if
any of you could tell him where he could get a book covering the
modern steam locomotive, such as the 5000 class as used when the
Diesel took over. He has the book by George B. Abdill showing the
old cabbage stack burner, but prefers the modern type. Any help
will be appreciated.
My appreciation is extended to all far and wide for your
cooperation for volunteering to take subscriptions and sell our
wares at the Reunions. It is the only way our magazine can get to
the public. As I said before, it is not possible for me to attend
myself, or even send a representative from the office. There are
just too many of you now and too great a distance for us to travel.
You are doing a fine job. Please continue. Thanks.
Had a letter from Sterling McKinney, President of the
Northeastern Montana Threshers and Antique Association, Culbertson,
Montana 59218. He tells us of Raymond Petersen, who had been an
active charter member of this group until recently he had the
misfortune of having both kidneys removed at Rochester, Minnesota.
He will soon return to Culbertson, which has always been his home,
but will have to be on a kidney machine for the rest of his
life.
I’m sure Sterling McKinney would see he would get any
remembrance you sent. Wouldn’t you like to help him?
I’d like to close with a little poem I found in a magazine.
It is very good for me to remember and use. Thought I’d like to
share it with you.
The Silent Answer
When anger comes, the best answer is silence.
Anger feeds on angry words
Silence supplies none.
Anger is smothered by silence and sputters out.
Like a blanket of snow, silence covers all faults.
When the sun shines again, you will give thanks.
That all the inflammable words you wanted to say were left
unsaid,
Leaving no wounds or regrets to repair.
Silence is shelter from the storm of anger.
