SOOT IN THE FLUES

JOHN L. BRIEN, Athol, Kansas 66932 sends this letter to be in
the I.M.A. but I am sure the tractor isn’t steam, but here
goes: ‘I have been thinking of writing for some time. First, I
want to say I particularly enjoy your magazine and look forward for
the next issue to come. I see in the Nov.-Dec. issue my name was
mentioned by my good friend Loren L. Butler, of Kearney,
Nebraska.

I am sending two pictures of the same tractor, but taken a
number of years apart. And, yes, I have had quite a lot of
experience and sweat operating it–mostly threshing, and a person
earned what you got out of it.

My Dad often said there were more Emersons worn out cranking
them than from running. And, of course, I got my share of cranking,
because I was young and stout. My Dad bought the tractor from the
Smith County Roads Department. He had given up on it for grading
roads because it had only one forward speed.

But later on, he bought another from the Foster Farms near
Colby, Kansas which had a three speed transmission and using parts
from the two made one pretty good tractor. Incidentally, my Dad has
a letter in the May-June, 1957 issue on page 13 titled E. R. Brien
Writes, and you fellows that may have that magazine can read about
his experience as a thresher man for 55 years.

I have a number of pictures of his three threshing rigs that he
bought and will send them to the Album from time to time. (Please
do and perhaps stories to go with them??)

One picture shows the engine on the way to the Stuhr Museum at
Grand Island, Nebraska after my Dad sold it. The other picture is
of an Emerson Big 4 running a Rinessylinder corn shelter. I am on
the tractor. The cobs went in the cob shed and the corn went in the
granery. This picture was taken in the Spring of 1933.

Chatting with us through his letter comes this: ‘I want to
thank you from the bottom of my heart for printing the article
about Mr. Donahoo and Mr. Hill. If you could only have seen the
expressions on these old fellows faces when they saw it. It really
made their day. They wanted all their old friends to see it– you
know, these old timers and others like them, helped make this
country what it is–they are both what I call Country Christian
Gentlemen. I felt it would be nice for them to have some
recognition of some sort and you have made it come true. We are all
grateful.’ (Happy to oblige.)

This next letter is one written to Carl Lathrop of Madison, New
Jersey from ROBERT J. WORBOIS, 2849 Schade Hill Road, North
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 15642: ‘Dear Mr. Lathrop: Your article
and picture in the September-October 1980 Iron Men Album Magazine
on the Big Four tractors interested me as my father ran one in
Saskatchewan in 1913. He had a picture of it published in the
September-October 1963 issue of I. M. A.

My mother still has the 1912 booklet on these tractors. In it is
a picture of a Big Four tractor in Utah clearing sage brush.

I wonder where the other two Big Four tractors are located in
the United States? My father saw the one in Saskatoon just before
he died in 1957.’

NOW–the next two papers of communication are letters written to
two men from CARL M. LATHROP, 108 Garfield Avenue, Madison, New
Jersey 07940 after they had written letters for the column Soot in
the Flues–

The first letter from Carl is to EDWARD STAUFFER, R.D. 2, New
Holland, Pennsylvania 17557–and these letters are being placed
here so you can benefit from them also: ‘I saw your letter in
the Soot in the Flues column of the November/ December issue of the
Iron-Men Album. You asked about removing steam cylinder oil from
condensate. Perhaps I can help.

You might look up the May/June issue of the I. M. A. I did an
article in that issue called ‘Bangor Packet.’ On page 7 I
talked about a sponge like material that is placed in the
condensate tank to remove the oil that carries over with the steam
from a reciprocating steam engine.

The sponge is a natural sponge that you can buy in drug stores
or the bathroom supply section of a department store. One brand
name is Loofah which is distributed by Distinctive Distributors,
Boston, Mass. 02215. This material comes from the Luffa plant and
is the dried fruit of that plant. In its natural state it is about
a foot long and three to four inches in diameter. As sold in the
stores for about 75? it is about 6′ long–they get two from one
seed pod. In the dry state they are ‘rough as a cob’ but
when wet are quite soft.

They have a natural affinity for absorbing oil. When they are
saturated with oil from absorbing it from the water they can be
regenerated by simply washing them with detergent.

These were used by seagoing engineers for years before the
turbines took over from the reciprocating engines. Hope that this
helps. Let me hear from you.’

The next letter written by Carl is to DALE H. HOPKINS, of Ryder,
North Dakota and to LOREN L. BUTTERFIELD, Kearney, Nebraska:
‘Each of you have letters in the Soot in the Flues column in
the November/December Iron-Men Album about the Big-4 tractor item
that I had written. Your letters were both along the same line so I
am writing one letter to both of you. However, before going any
further, I wish to express my appreciation for your interest in not
only my article but in the I.M.A. itself. I think that we all feel
a real kinship with that fine publication.

Of the many articles that they have run from me I believe that I
have received more mail from this one short item than from any of
the others. It all began quite simply in that my wife and I were
visiting our son who lives in Moab, Utah, and works for Southern
Paving Company as their business manager. They have a mix plant in
Monticello and we were there in October last year in Monticello
while he was showing us some bean land that he had purchased.
Knowing of my I.M.A. interest he showed me the display that the
local Chamber of Commerce had arranged. I would say that about 98%
of what I wrote in that article came from the plaque that they had
erected.

Based upon all of the letters that I have received I believe
that there are sixteen of the Big-4’s still around. Mr.
Hopkins, there are actually five in North Dakota, two more than you
mentioned.

Blaine Griggs has been keeping a list. I hope to work with him
and put together some more information about the list. Bob Worbois
has an old catalog. Perhaps he will let me borrow it so that I can
make photocopies of the pictures and other interesting data.

In the meantime, thanks again for your interest.’

This man needs some help and so sends this writing along with
some pictures: and it comes from M. A. (MIKE) HALL, 44W059 Empire
Road, St. Charles, Illinois 60174: ‘I have been reading your
column in both Iron Men and Gas Engine for some years (Gas Engine
from the original issue, and Iron Men for some time prior to that)
and enjoy both magazines immensely.

Since it appears that your column has access to a world of
information, I should like to avail myself of this service.

A few years ago I acquired a two cylinder steam engine that has
me buffaloed. The party I got it from told me that it came from a
sawmill that burned down in upper Michigan.

There is no question that this engine was in a fire as it was
covered with tar which apparently melted on the roof and dripped
all over the engine, plus the babbitt in all of the bearings was
melted out.

All in all, it’s pretty much of a basket case; however, all
the parts are there so it really won’t be too much of a job to
get it running.

Here are the statistics: twin cylinder, 3′ bore, 4′
stroke, inverted ‘V’ with reverse. I am enclosing a front
and rear view of this engine as it appeared when I got it.

Incidentally, I called the Erie, PA Chamber of Commerce and they
informed me that they never heard of the Crossley Company.

I would certainly appreciate any information I can get on this
engine relative to horsepower, color, original use, etc. If and
when I ever get it completely restored, I’ll send along a
couple of pictures.

Thank you so much for your time and for a couple of fine
magazines.’

CALVIN ANDERSON, Glenham, South Dakota 57631 has some more to
say on the Big Four: ‘In an article in the September/October
issue of I.M.A. it was stated there are only 3 Big Four tractors
remaining in the United States and that there is only one West of
the Mississippi River.

There is one in our family in running condition, in South Dakota
along Lake Oahe, at Glenham, South Dakota. It was purchased at
Chamberlain, S.D., in 1968 and hauled up here on a flat bed to be
used at a threshing bee. Due to the death of the operator the Big
Four is no longer used. It was purchased by my brother, Palmer
Anderson who sponsored threshing bees at his farm each fall until
his passing in 1975.’

This next writing is quite informative and interesting and comes
from FRED FOX, 233 County House Road, Clarksboro, New Jersey 08020:
‘Looking through some old company magazines loaned to me by a
friend, I came across a few items which I thought might interest
readers.

The first item is naturally the steam engine, which according to
its dimensions must have been powerful enough to drive a factory.
The outrigger bearing other side of the flywheel was probably
mounted in or on the factory wall with the drive shaft running the
length of the building.

The governor was obviously driven by a belt off the crankshaft
to the little pulley seen to the right of the square bevel gear
box. The main steam valve is shown but where the governor was
hooked to–I can’t make out. Another unusual point is the
method used to operate the valve gear.

The double ended turning lathe is certainly a link with the past
for this was used for turning locomotive drive wheels after they
were mounted on their axles. Notice the chain and ball weights
around pulleys on the carriage feed screw. I finally came to the
conclusion that their purpose was to drive the top feed as the
carriage moved, thereby cutting the taper on the wheel tires.
Perhaps there are still some of our old locomotive machinists out
there that could give us more information.

The third and most outstanding item I think is the construction
of a 42 foot vertical turning and boring mill built for export to
Canada. The table driving gear for this machine being
26¹/₂ feet in diameter with a 13 inch face,
there being 330 teeth at 3 inch pitch. Containing six segments, the
gear ring was bolted together and mounted on a central web of cast
iron with the whole weighing some 30 tons.

Apparently the gear hobbing machine was no toy for it must have
been constructed special. The time taken to cut this gear was
around 230 hours, the hob used 12 inches in diameter, and 12 inches
long, and at that time was the largest gear of its kind ever cut.
After 30 years I wonder if it is still in existence and whether a
Canadian reader could tell us.

As to the Craven Company, two brothers started the business in
1853 in Manchester, England, and seemed to have been quite
prosperous up until 1953 at least. Some time later the company was
taken over by another company and so on, as happens in these modern
days, with finally a liquidation. Seems a shame really for here is
another severance with the past.

P.S.: A reader was asking how the grease and oil was removed
from feed water. In the marine world there were three methods, the
first being to pass the water through Terry toweling (very course
and unbleached). Second method is to pass the water through
sponges, but real sponges are expensive. The third is to use
coconut fibre which in the old days was much cheaper. In each case,
each was placed in a basket (tray full of holes) and fitted into
the top of the main feed tank. The toweling once oil soaked you can
do little with, sponges were sometimes washed out in kerosene and
boiled in caustic soda; coconut fibre was thrown away. In these
modern days why not try the synthetic sponges, they are fairly
cheap and can be bought anywhere.

RAY SHERA, Box 250 Lyens Valley Road, Lander, Wyoming 82520 is
interested in corresponding with people who collect early John
Deere A tractors.

I came across this interesting poem recently and thought I would
share it with you–we all go shopping –but how about this
list?

I MUST GO SHOPPING

My kindness shelf is almost bare,
I’m getting low on love, Completely out of thankfulness . .
,
Must send for more, above.

I should exchange some jealousy,
I didn’t order that!!
I need a box of tolerance
For mine tastes rather flat!

Oh, yes, I must put on my list
The fragrance of God’s peace.
I need a big supply of joy Before the price increase!

I noticed patience is on sale . . .
I need so much today.
It looks becoming anytime
And mine is tell-tale gray.

Humility is terribly dear …
I can’t afford it now.
But oh, my stock is almost gone,
I’ll pay for it somehow!

My sense of humor is a mess
Should be repaired today.
My flask of goodness has been lost
Somewhere along the way.

Extravagant my shopping list?
I wonder how I’ll pay.
I can’t afford to skimp or save . . .
So I must shop-TODAY!

(written by Marjorie Cooney)

Next comes a letter from RODNEY M. PITTS, president, Western
Antique Power, Inc., DBA Antique Powerland which is in the state of
Washington. ‘The unidentified photos in the November/ December
1980 issue rings a bell with me in at least two of the pictures.
The head-on view of a Russell (No. 3) with an Advance separator
just HAS to be the George Scheideler 20 HP #15472. Photo was taken
sometime in the mid-thirties. We presently have this engine loaned
to us here at Antique Power-land. It is still in fine shape and
threshes every year during our show. Mr. Scheideler lived two miles
south of Woodburn, Oregon. His son is still on the place.

The photo of a gent leaning in cab window of a 22 Hp Advance
straw burner (No. 7) was taken in southern Alberta in 1907. That is
Cortex ‘Cort’ R. Miller who later lived near Yacolt,
Washington and had a steam powered sawmill. He was, to our part of
U.S., what the late Leroy Blaker was to his part of the
country–that is when it comes to steam engine operating. He taught
classes at the college in Pullman, Washington, about the turn of
the century. Mr. Miller passed away in the early fall of 1961. He
ran one of the early Remington engines about the same time he was
teaching the college classes. They were the forerunner of the best
steamers of San Leandro, California.’

JOE KEARSE, 13 South view, Rolla, Missouri 65401 needs help as
he writes: ‘I have a Bean engine, serial number 6957, 6 HP, 800
RPM. Right now the old Bean is in pieces on the floor–Gollybill,
hope I can put it back like it was–would like to hear from anyone
who can tell me about this critter. I would sure like some
information on it. The carb is a whizzbanger to look at–Hey, have
I already given it away that I am new at old engine fixin? I better
stop or you will cancel my subscription.’–(No, we would never
do anything like that Joe, and I hope you get some letters of
aid–we’re glad you’re interested in trying to repair or
restore the old Bean engine. Also, might say I enjoy your type of
conversation–gives us a chuckle.)

I’ve come across an article on How to Know You are Growing
Old from time to time I will use some of the illustrations hope you
enjoy them and get a laugh. Everything hurts and what doesn’t
hurt, doesn’t work. The gleam in your eyes is from the sun
hitting your bifocals. And now for a few words of wisdom:
Prosperity begets friends, Adversity proves them. Sometimes the
Lord calms the storm; sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms
His child. When an optimist gets the worst of it, he makes the best
of it. Bye Bye for now much happiness in ’81 and with all your
trials still have some fun Love you all.