Box 85, Salina, Kansas
I thought the Mt. Pleasant Reunion a success anil enjoyed, every minute of the time was there. It was worth the 3WI mile drive, through southern luwa, on Highway 31, a narrow crooked hilly road, one of the worst I ever drove.
I went to that Reunion, partly because I wished to meet the Assistant Editor and Editor of THE ALBUM. I was highly pleased to have had that opportunity. It was a pleasure to meet Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Blaker, Fred Kiser, Ray H. Ernst, Grover Caldwell and those who had written me after my articles and other:, who had rend them but hail not written.
Of tile many meetings I have attended, I never attended one where people were more friendly. They seemed the finest people in the world.
One reader of THE ALBUM told how anxiously he awaited my articles and how much he enjoyed reading them, lie said ‘I want, you to know it.’ His remark was a surprise to me. Those articles, to me, were ordinary and contained little of interest.
One thing happened when I was operating the 6 H.P. Nichols and Shepard engine pulling. the old overshot cylinder separator, I will be slow to forget. Many had stopped and asked about the engine. A woman from Chicago, not young, stopped. She seemed interested and asked many questions. The afternoon was warm. No drinking water was close. In the conversations I inquired about water. She said nothing and walked away. It was not long until she returned. In her hand she held a glass fruit jar filled with Mt. Pleasant water and handed it to me. ,V1 y thirst was satisfied. It was nice of her. I would be ungrateful to for/vet her act, soon. I wrote earlier in this letter about the fire ;’ people at the Reunion. They were.
A good line of engines were on exhibit. The 6 H.P. Nichols and Shepard attracted many onlookers. The small Frick and the small Russell were Smooth running engines. The Advance Rumely was a late engine It was equipped with the Marsh reverse gear. Operators of steam engines were given the opportunity to study its principle and operation.
Looking at those engines, brought many things to memory incidents on .roads, in fields, of bad bridges crossed and rivers forded.
Names on those engines brought to memory names of men prominent in and a part of the threshing machine industry. Among them were Frick, Landis, Russell, Huber, Meinard Rumely, B.F.. Skinner, M. LeFerve, John Nichols, A. D. Baker, A. W. Stevens, C. Aultman, Taylor, Abram, Gaar, .J. B. Bartholemuw, F. J. Wood, George Westinghouse, and John Case. Those men are reminders of Branch House Managers, co workers of Branch House employees and friendly competitors
‘kick’ out of reminiscing by a rare old Case return flue straw burner engine at the Pontiac Reunion. The engine was built in 1868?? and is now owned by Charles Atkins Polo, Illinois. Photo by Dale Nitzel, Photographer. Bloomington, III
I could repair and adjust, a separator but did not care to work with or around one but that old endless apron Horse Power separator at Mt. Pleasant was of interest to me. I instantly recognized the sidegear which drives the cylinder as similar to the one later used on C. Aultman and Company’s New Model Horse Power machine. With the exception of the sidegear, that C. Aultmao and Company’s separator closely resem lilpd the Buffalo Pitts endless apron machine, which when a boy, I sat for hours on slacks, and watched to operation.
The Buffalo Pitts sidegear was designed with a large spur gear and pin-ion, the C. Aultman with a combination of pinions and gears and the vibrator with a large bevel gear and pinion.
In about 1882, C. Aultman and Co., made what was known as the New Model separator. George and Mike Dick owned and operated a New Model Horse Power machine. When T was a boy, not tall enough to reach and cut the bands without a box on the hand cutters stand, 1 cut bands for George and Mike Dick. When I stood behind the feed table, the side gear was at my side but when I stood in front of the table, the sidegear was before me. I could see it in operation all the time. It was of much interest to me. Had I not gazed at it so much I might have cut bands better. George and Mike Dick were tolerant with me.
1 was alone when I looked at the side-gear on that old separator at Mt. Pleasant, As 1 stood there, in my memory I turned the hands of the clock back nearly 70 years I saw a New Model separator with a boy cutting bands and shoving the bundles over to the feeder, who stood by his side but ever casting a wistful eye on that sidegear. The feeder, a large man, with a beard, was George Dick.
A few years ago visited a well kept cemetery at Aurelia, Iowa. I went to the east side far back from the road and. saw chiseled on two Stones, the names of George and Mike Dick.
There is much in heredity, but more in integrity
