EXHIBITORS – HELPERS & HONORED SHOW OFFICIALS from a large
part of the continent outdistanced an ‘old time Barn
Rais’n’ ten-fold. THEY RAISED AN ENTIRE SHOW.
Upresidented Ice, Show and Rain throughout Jan-Feb-Mar (90
consecutive days of All Day shoe wearing weather) had precluded
other than token development of electric lines, buildings, water
at FARM MUSEUM’S (formerly Acres of Antiques), new
showgrounds.
The Magnitude of Exhibitor-Helper cooperation, fellowship and
‘overcome all setbacks attitude’ spurred this Retired Rebel
to subsequently jump, that is jump all the way to the River. They
liked all potentials. The Location, the Weather, the Campground
potentials, the nearby Motels, Shopping Centers and Friendly
Attitude. Their wholehearted willingness to ‘build a show’
and their request to ENLARGE NOW, resulted in subsequent land
purchase resulting in a 100 acre showgrounds beginning within sight
of 1-95 & Hwy. 9 interchange and extending over one mile along
1-95 to Little Pee Dee River. Occupants of the 21,000 cars per day
that travel 1-95 can’t help but see tractions, waterwheels, and
representative portions of the 1000 tons of equipment, that will
hereafter operate 50 weeks a year as FARM MUSEUM & CAMPGROUND
and reserving two weeks at Easter time for Exhibitors and Helpers.
Providence seemed to prefer candlelight to electricity for campers,
atmospheric pressure to compressed air for models, hot sun on hot
sand for Gatekeepers, etc. until everybody pitched in and overcame
development delay caused by upresidented elements. Thank you
everybody.
A complete list of Registered Exhibitors, Helpers and Honored
Show Officials (accumulated) from 35 states, Canada & D. C. are
carried in the Gas Engine Magazine, Iron Man Album and Engines
& Engineers.
This report emphasizes involvement of Exhibitors & Helpers
in the Relocation, development and expansion of the
Showgrounds.
Telling about ‘Engine Running Exhibitors’ can best be
done with captions beneath pictures in the Trade Magazines. Please
send us your favorite Black & White pictures taken here. We
will return. In addition to material sent for the Media, also send
material and pictures for a soon to begin bimonthly sheet that will
be mailed without cost to members. This will be a story telling,
truth stretchin, humorous sheet sprinkled with truth’n and
pictured facts. What say everybody, your pictures, captions etc.
are needed NOW.
The Donahoos, Kirk & Sug (Ky) and the Balletines, John &
Bessie (Ky) arrived by camper a few days ahead and worked from
can’t see to could see. (By Electricity). They strung about
4000 feet of power line in a professional manner. John is a top
electrical engineer and he knew how to get results with the
plentiful supply of volunteer help. Thank you Kirk, John and
Helpers.
About January, Milt Lang (Wis) wrote that Ava (Mrs. Lang) was
deeply concerned about flowers in our new location. She had rated
Cheraw, S. C. as her top choice of shows because of Bomar Gardens.
My zealous reply (before the Feb.-Mar. ice and snow) included
‘Ava can sit on the roof of her ‘motorized apartment
house’ and still be in the shade of dogwood in bloom.’ When
they arrived for the show in late April, this ‘brave hero’
got behind a large dogwood to tell Ava that peak dogwood this year
was mid-April and that no blooms remained. Later she sent word that
she wanted to see me. Not until seeing a big smile on her face was
this ‘brave’ eager to get within frying pan range. She
pointed skyward. She was happy. About thirty feet above their motor
home, blended into the bright sky, waved disbursed dogwood blooms.
Scratch one name from her non-truthy list. Thank you Mrs. Ava, . .
and . . . Thank all you other Exhibhitors for your understanding,
your encouragement and your visions, the visions of early floral
beauty. To you that seek massive spring beauty, we have allocated
about 30 acres to be developed as: Bruce P. Rogers Memorial
Gardens. (My Mother).
Teenagers Gregg & Rick Spink, sons of Dick & Irene (NY);
Royce Roberts, son of Don & Isabelle (NY) easily qualify as
graduate plumbers. For the second time, they extended water &
sewage to SPINKS SPOT & ROBERTS ROTUNDA. Then presto, the
utilities were extended to the camping Shumways & Snavelys
(NY). Could it be that teenage daughers Cristal, Nancy &
Frances had something to do with the bucks showing muscles. Our
stockpile of pipe etc. had been well protected by 11 inches of
unpresidented snow. Thank you Gregg, Rick & Royce.
Bus Longrod (NY) gets credit for Two Bests & one Citation.
He is the Nation’s Best Model Manager, Perfection Timest, and
truthy stretcher. He timed his arrival the exact minute that about
forty volunteer carpenters had completed the deck for the Model
Building. All that was left for him to do was to connect up about
200 feet of pipe with about fifty properly spaced valve outlets for
about 50 modelers. Thank you Bus & Helpers.
Bus brought Wallie Goodspeed, Canada’s Top Model Manager.
(Steam-Era, Milton, Canada). A group celebrated Bus’ 39th
birthday several times the night before at the Halls (Vic &
Florence) (Canada). Bus induced Orion Holen (NY) to bring Mary
(Mrs. Holen) to come down and cook ‘Mary’s Farmous
Hamburgers’ for the Model Group. Mary probably didn’t know
it, but somebody used the Model Building identification sign
‘LONGROD’S LOOKOUT’ in making a framework for her
griddle. Sorry Bus. Thank you Mary, Bus & Wallie.
Jean (Mrs. Richard) Metcalf (Ohio), intermittently operated our
plastic sign embossing machine while hubby, sons Randy, Scott,
Daryl and daughter Amy operated their models. They have a sign
embossing machine and a line of steam models in Ashtabula. Each
Exhibitor was supplied an embossed sign with 4 inch letters whereby
pictures identify Exhibitor-Exhibit. Picture identified
Exhibitor-Exhibit helps our memory when assembling material for
IMA-GEM-EE. Thank you Jean.
Setting up Exhibitors names prior to being embossed by the
machine and painting them after being embossed was handled by
Exhibitorettes (wives and daughters of Exhibitors). We are not
Fully Knowledgeable about Exhibitor demand for the identification
signs because of an article in Western N. Y. Gas & Steam Engine
Association’s ‘Flywheel News’ – Bus Longrod, Editor
Quote ‘what a busy place that was . . . people were climbing
over each other like worms in a can.’ End of quote. Thank
you!!
Over 100 NEW Exhibitors and Helpers came this year. Three NEW
BLOODERS’ wanted to tackle GRANDPA, a name given our 15 h.p.
Westinghouse Traction. We were both delighted and apprehensive.
GRANDPA had been sitting unattended since being purchased several
years ago from the Arthur Young estate, Kinzers, Pa. We keep saying
‘COME RUN SOME’. We need to borrow a good Black & White
picture of Dick Everett and Lloyd Holland of Conn, and Howard
Freeman of Ohio, as they put GRANDPA on Parade. Thank you Dick,
Lloyd & Howard. We also Thank All Engineers that kept GRANDPA
busy.
The Jones, Basil & Mary (Pa.) camped with us from March
through June. Basil hooked up several stationaries and the Stanley
Steamer Mountain engine to the little 4 H.P. portable peerless. He
later extended wires to the welder and air compressor. Mary whiled
her time soaking up sunshine, sowing grass seed and keeping the
sprinklers going. These retirees have more energy than the big
petroleum companies. Grass now covers open spaces and Mary has
planted more shrubbery and border plants. Within a short span
exhibitors wives will again say ‘we are definitely going to the
South Carolina Show.’ We hope that other qualified
‘engineers’ will follow the precedent set by the Jones.
Thank you Mary & Basil.
Willard Jackson (Wis.) arrived in March, scoffed at our weather,
rented a nice room in a nearby boarding house and pursued his Labor
of Love. He scraped, polished and painted our 6 H. P. Portable
TOZIER which was mfg. in Columbia, S. C. He then tackled the
Garr-Scott. Willard used Dillon as a base for about two months,
taking one day trips, seeing and buying nostaligic things. During
the show, he operated his scale sawmill in the Gas Engine Area.
Thank you Willard.
Willard’s Labor of Love finalized previous thoughts about
building a ‘Barracks’ type building whereby a limited
number of ‘congenial qualified engineers’ can stay on the
grounds. Retirees from Pa., Ohio and Indiana had mentioned such an
arrangement. So, coming one day, one Barracks.
Four months of continuous Shoe Wearing Weather caused indecision
and delay, therefore a lot of catching up will be done during the
1974 Reunion, April 19-20-21.
Marjorie (Mrs. Dennis Webb) (Canada) will be ceremoniously
crowned ‘QUEEN OF STEAM’. She was crowned in 1972 and we
apologize for the weather man forcing coronation delay. Ladies from
Florida to Canada to the Midwest are asked to formulate and
participate in the coronation. Make it Regal. What say Dot (Mrs.
Joe Hanson) (Fla.) you take charge?
Bus Longrod (N.Y.) will be crowned KING OF MODELS. Bus is a good
guy and not more than 39 tricks (one each year) should be played on
him. What say Frank Warnock (III.) You take charge?
Jim Riley (Md.) will be crowned KING OF GAS. Jim writes that his
near loss of hearing will preclude his continuing to serve as
manager of Gasoline Alley. Jim has built Gasoline Alley
participation to ninety-seven Exhibitors. Three gas engine ‘new
blooders’ are needed in 1974 to bring Jim’s undertaking to
100. We prefer to accept his resignation not before 100 gas engine
exhibitors is reached. Bring your BANGERS and help honor JIM as a
100 Exhibitor KING. What say Dennis Williams (Va.). You take
charge?
While you engine runners, gas’ers, flea’ers, etc. were
having fun, these ‘shopkeepers & helpers’ rotated and
produced wonderful spectator PR.
OFFICE HELPERS
Bess Ballantine (Ky.)
Sug Donahoo (Ky.)
Dot Hanson (Fla.)
Mary Holen (N.Y.)
Mary Jones (Pa.)
Corky Jenkins (N.Y.)
Jean Metcalf (Ohio)
Marge Shumway (N.Y.)
Barbara Varner (N.C.)
Beth Varner (N.C.)
Sarah Varner (N.C.)
Marge Webb, Mgr. (Canada)
REGISTRATION
Judy Blessing (S.C.)
Gladys Hume (Canada)
Isabelle Roberts (N.Y.)
GATE HELPERS
Marion Bauer (N.Y.)
Marge Matthews (N.J.)
Ruth Owens, Mgr. (N.Y.)
Don Roberts (N.Y.)
Esther Schrader (Fla.)
Betty Schultz (N.Y.)
John Shumway (N.Y.)
Marge Shumway (N.Y.)
Barbara Snavely (N.Y.)
Irene Spink, Mgr. (N.Y.)
PARKING
Frank Hume (Canada)
Gordon Hume (Canada)
Royce Roberts (N.Y.)
Gregg Spink (N.Y.)
Rick Spink (N.Y.)
Cristal Shumway (N.Y.)
Nancy Shumway (N.Y.)
