SOOT IN THE FLUES

M. VANDER VELDE, George Boyack Nursing Home, 1203 Center Avenue
E, Calgary, Alberta, Canada sent this message in with his
subscription: ‘I’m enclosing my check for one more
year’s subscription. I read it now since 1967. I am 93 years
old now. I ran engines from 16 years old, every year till I was 86,
and I still love the smell of one. I still get to read your
magazine. I live in an old folks home now for four years, and still
read and write. (Praise the Lord and I wish you could see his
writing. It is very legible and beautiful). I hope you may be able
to publish Iron Men Album for many years to come. Wishing you all a
prosperous New Year! (Thanks sir, you are an inspiration and
I’m sure you are a young 93 I’ll bet Mr. Van Der Velde
would be happy to hear from some of the I.M.A. readers).

Recently had a statement from GEORGE Mac DONALD, 23 Landingham
Avenue, Wisbech Caubs PE13 3 ED – England ‘You may be
interested to know that our 3rd Rally was a great success. One of
our club members has built a replica of a Savage Chain Drive steam
engine and this was operating a thresher and hitcher. (An elevator
is referred to as a hitcher and is rather unique in as much as it
pushes the straw rather than carries it).

I have just acquired after many years searching a 1942
Minneapolis Moline ZTN – a type I used to drive 30 years ago, and
it is in original paint. Would be glad to hear from anyone on this
item.’ (I’m sorry to say there was more but I had a very
difficult time deciphering the letter, so I’m not sure if the
above is all exactly right glad to hear they are coming along with
success in the Rallies though).

The next news article comes from one of our contributors, in
name JOHN W. HEDGE, 304 Glover Drive, Longview, Texas 75601. John
is 82 and sent along his picture a fine looking gent, wouldn’t
you say?

TOM McCUTCHEN, SUPT. Milan Field Station, Route 2, Box 133,
Milan, Tennessee 38358 is in need of assistance perhaps you folks
have an idea how to help him. He writes: ‘I need help in
obtaining information on early farm implement wrenchesthe wrenches
that were usually supplied with the implement. I have started a
collection of the above and need to identify those that do not have
the company name on them.’

Had a letter from HICKOK & SON, Amboy, Minnesota 56010 with
this footnote ‘Is this a sign of inflation? We were at a sale
recently. Someone said to the auctioneer (My Gosh for junk!) The
auctioneer replied with (If you think it’s junk, try and buy
it!’).’

WILLIAM E. HALL, 311 West view Avenue, Bristol, Pennsylvania
19007 has this message: ‘Will Jack Norbeck please write me at
the above address. I have the color slides of the green castle for
you. In moving, I misplaced your address.’

MRS. BELVA BALFOUR, R. R. 1, Portland, Leeds County, Ontario,
Canada KOG 1VO says: ‘My husband had the loan of an Iron Men
Album Magazine and has absorbed it from cover to cover really
enjoyed it. He is a polio victim, retired now and enjoying his
display of several small stationary steam engines which he has made
from castings and scraps during the past winter months when
confined to our home. He takes his outfit to engine shows and fairs
has won ribbons and trophies and made countless friends from far
and near many from U.S.A. who come to see us from year to year all
such a tonic for a disabled person. We are ordering a subscription
as the magazines will be company and helpful during winter
evenings.’ (We welcome you to our family it was nice to hear
from you in this manner.)

A few excerpts from the October Newsletter from Central Michigan
Antique Tractor Engine Club Inc. RONALD O. SMITH, 1911 Harper Road,
Mason, Michigan 48854 sent this along with their 1977 Directory
listing I thought you might enjoy part of their bulletin.

‘You have all heard the one about how do you make
antiefreeze? Hide her underwear. This is the time of year to double
check all your Tractor and Engine water systems to make absolutely
sure they are either drained or that the Antifreeze is strong
enough to keep them from freezing up and breaking.

Several of the members were at Greenfield Village over the
weekend to help them with the Fall Festival. There were by my count
65 Tractors at the Antique tractor pulling contest Saturday and I
didn’t count them on Sunday but I know of at least three more
that came in. We expect to have a report for the next issue of the
standings. Also there was a large display of Gas Engines and other
antiques brought in.

Marvin Gauss’ Transfer boat worked very well as was
expected. I think he and his friends and neighbors who spent so
much of their time and energy in designing and building it should
be highly complimented for a job well done.

There were several of the fine folks from the Mid Michigan Old
Gas Tractor Association, Inc. at Greenfield also. We decided it
would be nice to exchange newsletters, and low and behold I
received their October letter plus a copy of their By-laws this
morning. They are both well written and appreciated. Thank you.
Cooperation between groups is something that we don’t see
enough of these days.’

Lately we have been getting a lot of cash in both subscriptions
and book orders. If you can conveniently do so, we would urge you
to send a check or money order it protects you and us. Everyone in
our organization is most trustworthy, but the mail passes through a
lot of hands.

D. ROSS JOHNSON, Operating Superintendent, Ontario Hydro, Box
369, Port Credit, Ontario, Canada L5G 4M1 writes in answer to a
reader’s inquiry.

In your column in a recent issue of ‘Iron-Men Album’ a
request was made for information regarding Drumheller Coal. I offer
the following:

This is a sub-bituminous coal from underground mines at East
Coulee in the Drumheller area of Alberta, Canada. It has a heat
value of about 10,000 BTU per pound and has a low sulphur content.
It is quite useful for steam production. Because of the relatively
low heat value and the high cost to bring this coal over a long
distance, we do not presently use it at our generating station in
Ontario.

Should further information be needed, it can likely be obtained
from: Century Coal Ltd., Suite 610, 140-6th Avenue, S.W., Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, T2P OP5.

The following missal comes from CLYDE D. BORDER, 1473 Westgate
Drive, Apt. 1, Kissimmee, Florida 32741: ‘Just wanted to tell
you I enjoy I.M.A. very much and look forward to each issue. It is
a hard magazine to put down so thanks very much.

Here is a little story from way back in 1919. I got a job as
separator man on a small rig 10-20 Titan gas tractor and 26 X 46
Red River Separator. My first job was to put new laggin on the
cylinder driven pulley; made out on that one fine this all happened
at Ness City, Kansas. Then we started out to thresh some oats that
were tough and not too dry; all went okay until time to quit for
the day, then the machine just plugged up. There were two old
timers, separator men, working with us and they said that I
couldn’t thresh it as the oats were too wet, so being
suppertime we all went in and had our meal. Then I borrowed a
lantern as it was dark by then and went back to the rig to find out
what the trouble was and why the thresher wouldn’t take the
bundles. Well I soon found the trouble as beater that was loose on
the top of beater shaft. I tightened the screws and did not tell
anyone what the trouble was, not even the boss. Next morning these
two old separator men began to heckle me and wanted to know if I
could thresh it this morning, so we got started up and I told them
to pitch those bundles in, of course, all went as I thought it
would and this was the start of a perfect day.’

In closing this column, I’d like to remind you of the prayer
of St. Francis of Assisi I know of no better way for us to begin
1977 Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is
hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there
is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is
sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be
consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be
loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in
pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born
to eternal life.

God Bless Each One Of You and Make YOU a Blessing!