Spokane, Washington
I have just received my first copy of the ALBUM and am much
pleased with it, and found many articles of interest in the letters
of Old Timers and the pictures of those old steam engines. My being
used to the big 25, 30, 35 and 40 hp. kind, they looked like
midgets compared to the large plow engines.
On some other pages I have written about plowing and threshing
in the Northwest and if you like the articles I will send more
later on. I am retired on pension and it gives me a chance to
relieve the pressure in telling of the old days and I am interested
in telling all who would like to know how it was done in the good
old steam engine days.
The experience of fires set by the old straw burners, machines
being burned over grudges and even one murder being committed with
a crew as witnesses, story of two engines that blew up and killed
two men have come under my observation. I have had a few mishaps of
my own in the threshing business, for instance a 110 hp. Case in a
14 foot irrigation ditch and no damage to anyone or anything. Also
bundle team running away with rack wagon and bundles on fire and
setting fire to a field of grain as they ran. According to the
ALBUM these 1950 guys want to rename everything on the old
steamers. Engineers don’t call the reverse the throttle or the
clutch the controls and the steering wheel is a steering wheel not
like Wheel of an automobile. If the steam engine regeneration is
here to stay some company should start making the steam engines we
had 50 to 60 years ago and we kids had plenty of fun with them. The
little upright boilers were about the size of a 1 pound tobacco can
and the fuel used was wood alcohol At the age of 10 I had two of
them and they were lots of fun. They should create interest of the
young people about steam. I’ll pull the whistle and close.
