Worcester, New York 12197
Here is ‘Old Abe’ keeping a watchful eye over his old
work warriors a Case 6 HP center crank portable engine and a Case
12 HP return flue center crank engine. Photo courtesy of Calvin
Whitaker, R.R. #1, Box 14, Pendleton, Indiana.
A couple of years ago, in the deep, dark center of Pennsylvania,
I spied a tractor that I needed, in the far back corner of a
quonset hut.
Now, the tractor just happened to belong to a man named Aaron
Heisey, and he was infected with the same strain of ‘ol’
Iron Mania’ as I am. Needless to say, acquiring that machine
would be no easy task.
For the next couple of years, I enjoyed seeing the tractor at
Penns Cave. Finally, Aaron and I came to terms, and I became the
owner of his International Titan 10-20. Well, it proved out that
ownership does not necessarily mean possession. You see, Aaron
lives in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, and I live in Worcester, New
York. The distance between the two is about 400 hours on the Titan
and several traffic tickets for scratching up the road, holding up
traffic, and frightening the children.
For several weeks, I sat up here in the parsonage dreaming of a
big handsome TITAN in the church barn and Aaron sat in Centre Hall,
with my Titan.
I knew that Aaron just happened to have the nicest trailer I had
ever seen. The trick was to get him to quit farmin’ long enough
to load the Titan and deliver it to Worcester.
When I visited him at Centre Hall, I couldn’t help but
notice a whole passel of green and yeller tractors parked in
several out-buildings around the farm. Finally, it hit me! What
Aaron really needed was a ‘grand pappy’ to all that green
and yeller iron. My search began! Just off route 23, about 25 miles
from my home, parked in a shed by the side of the road, I found
ol’ grand pappy Deere. Right there before my eyes sat the most
handsome, strongest ol’ John Deere I had ever seen a 1949
streamlined ‘D’. I climbed on the seat, cranked him up, and
drove him home in a mere 3 hours and 45 minutes. We could pass
anything that wasn’t movin’, except a gas station. Those
nearly 7-inch pistons really like to eat!
Only a few weeks went by before I found the Heisey’s trailer
and Titan parked out behind the church.
We unloaded the Titan, loaded the ‘D’, fed the Heiseys,
got them started on the ice with the help of a few cinders, and
they left me standing in the snow with a BIG smile on my face.
I’m hoping to return to the nicest engine and tractor show
around, at Penns Cave in September of 1982, with a nicely painted
and restored Titan to drive around. Aaron knew just what he was
doing; now maybe he will get a chance to drive his Rumely.
(We’d be interested in getting an ‘update’ from Dr.
Goodwin and Aaron Heisey, their – respective tractors, and this
year’s meeting at Penns Cave.ed.)ss
