HARRY MERLE JONES
HARRY MERLE JONES, Little Falls, Minnesota, a well known steam
man, passed away Thursday, November 10, 1960, in a Rochester,
Minnesota hospital.
Mr. Jones dealt with steam in various capacities during most of
his life. As early as 1910 at the age of 16, he operated a steam
traction engine for a threshing crew in the state of South
Dakota.
During the past five years Mr. Jones devoted almost all of his
time to collecting and restoring steam traction engines, boilers,
and steam accessories. Many of these items were collected and sold
throughout the United States to men with similar interests. He was
very dedicated to steam and did not want to see any of this
equipment destroyed. Many items were salvaged from scrap yards and
restored by him to a usable condition.
In 1959 and 1960 Mr. Jones had considerable interest and
participated in the ‘Rich Prairie Steam Threshing Bee’
which was held in the fall of the year at Pierz, Minnesota.
R. N. Jones, M.D., of 1008 Riverside Drive, S.E., St. Cloud,
Minnesota, sends us this sad note with a beautiful tribute to his
friend. When we make others happy life is worth while. -Elmer
I wish to inform you that Mr. Harry M. Jones, of Little Falls,
Minnesota, was the one who first told me about your valued and
interesting magazine some nine years ago. I regret to inform you
that Mr. Jones passed away at the Methodist Hospital, Rochester,
Minnesota, November 10th, 1960. With him we attended a number of
reunions and he himself owned a number of old steam engines. It was
through him that I spent many happy hours operating his engines. It
made me relive the old days I spent on the farm in Ohio. We who
loved this hobby sadly miss our friend.
R. N. Jones, M.D.
CHARLES B. QUICK
CHARLES B. QUICK 1860-1960
On November 7th, Charles B. Quick, one of the last of the
pioneer manufacturers of steam engines and agricultural machinery,
died at the Seabrook Home at Auburn, New York.
On April 15th Mr. Quick celebrated his one hundredth birthday.
At that time he was honored by the Mayor, City Manager, and civic
leaders who presented him with a birthday cake commemorative of his
100 years in Auburn. Two of his prized possessions at the birthday
party were a birthday greeting from President Eisenhower and a
letter from Vice-President Nixon.
Isaac Quick, father of Charles, in 1868 purchased the business
of Thomas Hussey, brother of Obed Hussey, famed inventor or the
Reaper and Steam Plow. Thomas Hussey started building the Hussey
Reapers in Auburn in 1840.
For many years Charles B. Quick was secretary of A. W. Stevens
& Son, manufacturers of Steam Engines and Threshers. When the
Stevens Company was sold and moved to Wisconsin, Mr. Quick, with a
partner, then purchased the Wide-Awake Steam and Thresher business
and moved it from Union Springs to Auburn.
With the passing of the old Steamers and Threshers, a retail
farm machinery business was conducted by Quick & Thomas.
The noted authority, F. Hal Higgins, of the Higgins Agricultural
Research Library, University of California, after a visit with Mr.
Quick at Auburn in June. 1960, wrote: ‘Mr. Quick
probably comes nearer being the ‘man who has seen it
all’ in farm machinery manufacturing than anyone living
today.’
Sent in by Willard Durkee, 212 Kensington Place, Syracuse 10,
New York
GLEN ROY DERBYSHIRE
Glen Roy Derbyshire of Brantford, Ontario, Canada, passed away
Nov. 17, 1960. Mr. Derbyshire was employed as Engineer at the
Brantford Cordage Co. until his recent retirement.
He was a model builder of great ability. His two inch scale
Model Case 75, complete in every detail, was a masterpiece of the
model builders skill.
He was an ardent reader of the ALBUM, having been a subscriber
from a very early date, and a staunch supporter of the Steam
Traction Engine.
Reported by Jim McGinnis, Vanessa, Ontario, Canada
