1026 Kearney Manhattan, Kansas 66502
I stopped by Paris, Missouri on my way back to Kansas from a
drive to Ohio. I got to the Monroe County fairgrounds (where the
show is held) a day early, and I couldn’t stay because I had to
get back for work. Too bad, I’d rather be steaming an engine
than sweating at work.
I managed to meet a few of the ‘Iron-Men’ though, and
they were happy to show me around. I chatted awhile with Loren
Miller of Clifton Hill, Missouri who’s been at the show since
it started. Loren talked about his 25 HP Superior engine built at
Springfield, Ohio. He picked her up at Breckenridge, Texas three
years ago where she had been driving four oil well pump jacks at
the same time. The engine was belted to a turntable which turned a
vertical crankshaft with four eccentric journals, each of which in
turn pushed and pulled a connecting rod and these rods powered a
separate pump jack a few hundred yards distant. Loren says the
engine was fired on the gas vapors coming off the top of the oil.
She was cooled by water fed from a large tank.
Marvin Lehenbauer was also there with his 20 HP Rumely. Marvin
bought the double simple engine two years ago. He’s been at the
show about 14 years where he’d been helping his brother with
his engine. That Rumely sure has a fantastic paint job. Marvin
would like to find a clutch for her, though.
From what I saw, I’d say the folks around Paris, Missouri
work hard and put on a fine show. Stop by and tell them you read
about it in ‘Iron Men Album’.
