You know this is a wacky world! Here it is, a beautiful autumn
day near the end of October and along with taking care of the Album
work, I have a few other important items facing me such as the
Halloween costumes that must, simply must, be assembled for the end
of the week as the children are eagerly anticipating the school
party and ‘Trick or Treat Night’ also, my 13 month old son
apron strings, that wouldn’t be modern) with that wistful look
and that ‘Uh-Uh’-which means ‘Take me outside
Mommy’ AND a few unimportant things like, getting the meals,
washing, ironing and etc., anyhow, here I am at the typewriter
getting the Jan.-Feb. column ready which means I actually should be
saying, ‘Happy New Year and hope you had a nice Xmas,’ and
so on – but I just can’t help it, I know you’re going to be
reading this column before Christmas and Jan.-Feb. issue or not,
I’m going to say ‘Do have a blessed and wonderful Christmas
with those you love and may your New Year be most rewarding in
friendship, good health and happiness.’
I must tell you, I did get to PTA meeting last night (I
don’t get to all the meetings, but I do try-after all it’s
like an old friend – I’ve been in PTA 20 years now and I’ll
be in at least 18 more) Hey, I just had a thought- I’m liable
to get a medal of distinction someday for being the only one in PTA
and Golden Age Club at the same time. Anyhow, I went to PTA for the
little ‘cherubs’ were quite anxious I converse with their
teachers and this I was happy to do for them. I also was interested
though, for we were to have a speaker on ‘Modern
Mathematics’ – and this I thought I should BUT definitely hear.
Especially since my son has been coming home talking about Base No.
5 – and so on – I was O.K. for awhile, I thought he was talking
about baseball what with Base No. 2, Base No. 3 and etc. but after
all, even I know there is no Base No. 5 in that game – that’s
when I became serious and found out he really is working in this
modern math with Base Numbers and believe me, I can’t figure
out anything -I do believe it’s Greek.-instead of baseball.
Back to the subject mentioned-the speaker was a Professor, in fact,
a Dr. Lee Boyer from Harrisburg Area College Center and I found him
to be quite interesting. I’m just as confused as ever, but it
was interesting. From what I could gather, a lot of the new concept
of the new modern mathematics is in the vocabulary of the subject.
I also take it, it’s here to stay and if it isn’t doing
anything else, it’s arousing my curiosity and I’m all for
learning all I can-when, and if, they start a class for parents,
I’ll be one of the first signers I’ll have to you know its
getting rather embarrassing!! It used to be-that I could hold my
own fairly well with my two older children until they at least got
to Junior High, but the two that are now in elementary -4th and 6th
grade – well their work is really keeping me on my toes to keep up
with them, (after all I’m a parent, they think I’m pretty
clever – bless them) and if I don’t get some modern
education-think of the predicament I’m going to be in when
Tommy starts Kindergarten. Anyhow, I think after we get him
through, I’ll go to college!! Now don’t laugh at me, for
while some of these sentences can be taken pretty lightly, one is
never too old to be educated – and I find I learn something
everyday. And I think I better stop rambling on here and tell you
of a few letters I’ve received.
Russell W. Templeton of 308 Prospect St., Warren, Pennsylvania
wrote me a few weeks back and he said, ‘Was wondering, if after
seeing that steam calliope, which was built by, I believe some
fellow near Lancaster, if it would be possible, in some future
issue to have a page or so on existing steam calliopes. I
understand that there are very few left. As this instrument created
much interest at the various reunions, I thought that maybe some
writing about them would create a lot of interest.’ Could be!
So, if we get anything on these steam calliopes, we’ll pass it
along to the ALBUM Family.
And a letter from my friend, Frog Smith of North Fort Myers,
Florida and he writes: ‘In answer to the old car question on
Page 15, Sept.-Oct. 1965 issue, I hazard a guess that it could be
an Everett Six of around 1910. Two years ago, I met a man in South
Carolina, Mr. J. R. Roberts of Anderson who has a 1918 or
thereabouts Overland like the one pictured. He had searched all
over for a transmission, but I told him that the transmission in
that Overland, was just forward of the differential in the rear
end.’
And on the same subject a letter from J.P. Davenport of
Naperville, Illinois writes us: ‘That picture in the Sept.-Oct.
1965 ALBUM with the notification, ‘Can you identify’-that
car wouldn’t be a Kissel Car, would it?? They had a long hood
like that and headlights are similar. I thought at first it might
be a Packard, but the Packards had a little different hub caps and
the spokes were closer together in their wheels at that time. At
any rate those cars looked more like an automobile in those days
then they do today.’ Any retorts on this letter, you better
send them to Mr. Davenport.
Also, a letter from Mrs. Alban Leiker, Box 46, Gorham, Kansas.
Mrs. Leiker wrote: ‘I noticed the horse power threshing outfit
on page 16 of May-June 1965 issue and it is exactly like ours,
except maybe the separator has wooden wheels where ours has iron
wheels. I wrote an article for your Mar.-April 1953 issue of our
threshing demonstration. You might like to know since then, the
machine was operated at the Omaha, Nebraska Centennial pageant in
1954, then shedded until May of 1965, and it then went to the
Agriculture Hall of Fame at Bonner Springs, Kansas. The Hall of
Fame was dedicated June 12, 1965. It is located about a 20 minute
drive from downtown Kansas City, Missouri.’
That’s about all my news for this column and so until next
writing-Bye Bye and God Bless and a good thing to keep in
mind-‘Two wrongs never make a right.’
