Well, about this time of year, we all begin to feel a little
humble and start to count our blessings, and with the world crisis
as it is and as terrible as it was a few weeks ago, I think we
still have so very much to be thankful for-this is a fine season we
going into and it brings out the good in us -it’s too bad that
we can’t be that way all year. I know I certainly fail many
try to set a goal to be better in the forth coming year than I have
been in the past one. I think most of us are two people, the one we
are by our actions and the one we aspire to be, and goodness knows
I’ve never reached my goal. But I suppose as long as we keep
trying, that’s what really counts.
Had a letter from a Mary Collect Farris from Route 2, Box 939,
Punta Gorda, Florida and she writes: In 1911 a steam engine
threshing machine was hooked up to an experimental flying machine
in Goodland, Kansas and I am especially interested in what this
machine might have looked like. The belt was attached to the flying
machine, which rose until it slipped off of the belt. I am not just
sure what the steam engine was, or how long the belt was, etc. and
would appreciate it if you would be able to supply me with any
further information. Can you help the lady? I know, I can’t so
if you know of what she is speaking, please drop her a line.
As you will notice with this issue, we regret it, but we have
had to raise the price of our Album and also the price of the
classified ads. We hope this will not cause any ill feelings, but
it is a necessity. Just in passing, I’d like to tell you folks
that the Album was raised to $2.00 in the July-August issue of 1952
and was a magazine of twenty pages, so you see we have gone a long
way in 10 years at the same price. It will now be 50cent per copy
or $3.00 a year. As Elmer stated elsewhere in the magazine, we do
not promise anything better, but we shall try as always to do our
best. It is nice working with you fine folks and we hope you are in
the Album Family a long time. Classified ads will be 5cent per word
or a minimum of $1.00. We feel this is fair, we hope you do too, as
any ad no matter how small entails a good deal of work as the
letter must be handled personally and recorded in two places. It
must then be typed two times to be ready for printing. We hope not
to lose any of our good friends, but to be able to have more new
ones, and I must tell you I do appreciate when you folks send in
your renewals, if you place your code number on the renewal slip. I
know there are times, when you have thrown away the envelope or
etc. and that’s all right, but if you think of it and jot it
down, it helps me out a great deal.
We had a letter from W. J. French of 558 June St., Alpena,
Michigan and in it he writes: ‘I read a letter in the magazine
from a Mr. Dave Gilson, Lodi Trailer Court, Lodi Ohio, and how he
thinks a short course in Steam Engineering would be of great
interest to the younger generation and I think it would be O.K.
too. Even if the men who have engines at the show would try and be
more sociable and ready to talk to the ones that act interested. It
sure would make people who attend the reunions feel that they
learned something by being there. I know that some ask some very
foolish questions, because when I go to the parades with my steam
car, I have to answer a lot of questions too. But, Gentlemen, as I
see it you’ll have to add something more interesting along with
the steam shows to keep the old timers coming as well as the ones
who go just to be with the crowd.’ Now there’s a
thought-how about it?
That’s going to be about it for this time, and may I wish
you and yours a most Blessed Christmas season and many wonderful
things in the new year. In closing here is a ‘food for
thought’ poem entitled
Out Of This Life.
Out of this life I’m unable to take-
Things of silver and gold I make.
All that I cherish and hoard away,-
After I leave, on earth must stay.
All that I gather, and all that I keep,-
I must leave behind when I fall asleep.
And I wonder often what I shall own-
In that other life, when I pass alone.
What shall they find and what shall they see-
In the soul that answers the call for me.
Shall the great Judge learn, when my task is through-
That my spirit has gathered some riches too-
Or shall at last it be mine to find-
That all that I’d worked for I’d left behind?
(Author unknown)-but it was sent to me by E. B. Loy of Route 6,
Burlington, North Carolina.
Bye for now-Steam celery, Anna Mae