ONE OF THE RARE ONES

By Harlan S. Sumner
Published on May 1, 1966
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My father's D. June 12 hp traction engine. This picture was taken in the fall of 1910 when I was 9 years old. The man standing next to the tank wagon is my father.

1221 E. 20th St., Erie, Pa. 16503

How well I remember back in those days. My father and
grandfather owned a 300 acre dairy farm four miles south west of
Albion, Pa. My father delivered milk in Albion. It was a railroad
center for the Bessemer and Lake Erie railroad. I can recall so
easily the two black horses that he drove on the muddy road to
deliver milk.

The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad had a branch line that ran
from Albion to Conneaut Harbor, Ohio. This branch line ran right
through the farm. I remember coming home from school, my older
brother and I. (by the way the school was a one-room and it was
from first to eighth grade). My brother and I had a yoke of calves
and in the fall of the year at threshing time and silo filling, we
came home and yoked our calves up and hooked them to a small sled
or skipper, put 4 or 5 bushel crates on it and go along down the
railroad and pick-up coal to fire that D. June engine. The railroad
was very rough and a lot of coal fell off those 30 ton hopper
cars.

Those were the good old days for sure. I am now a retired
railroad machinist. I have a nice little shop in my basement and am
in the process of building’ a steam traction engine and I
really like your Album.

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