SOOT IN THE FLUES

seem to have been washed away during the night. God has granted
another day of life. He has granted another chance to do something
worthwhile for humanity.’

And now onto the communications for the column:

An interested person in steam is JOHN SILVA, S.del Carril, 1880,
3000 Sante Fe, Argentina as he sends us a letter inquiring about
some help with his project. John says he is an admirer of the USA
steam equipment for thresher engines. He wishes to increase his
knowledge about the technology and the history of the early
machinery made by Avery & Company, Advance Rumely, Case and
Buffalo Pitts. He would be most grateful for information, photos or
any reading material that might benefit his study on same.

John is also interested in a personal archive of some
documentations about the engines pulled by horses, made by several
factories of this country.

John is a retired engineer and instructor of locomotive
inspection and locomotive shed master ez., Sante Fe Rys, Argentina.
He now teaches gratuitously the students of the locomotive school.
Any type of help you may send him will be employed only for study
in the school. Many years ago he operated the steam engines and
today conserves the spirit of study and teaching the marvelous
machinery of an era now closed. I am sure he will be most eager to
receive your letters. (This letter of John’s was forwarded to
us by Pat Kreider, President of Rough & Tumble Eng. Historical
Assn. Inc., Box 9, Kinzers, PA 17535. Thanks Patwe appreciate
it.)

MURTON W. PENNIE, Villard, Minnesota 56385 would like to get
some stories in from our IMA family on one of his favorite items
read on, perhaps you can help. ‘I am not a subscriber to IMA
because a close friend takes the magazine, but I am an
‘inquirer.’ When I was a young lad, I remember seeing a
bean thresher in operation, threshing navy beans. It was a small
machine, I suppose it was 4′ wide, 6′ long and maybe 4′
high and powered by a 4 or 5 HP gasoline engine. Now that was 65
years ago and I have never seen a bean thresher since. (Wasn’t
there anything like this pertaining to steam, fellas?) I go to
several thresher shows each year and I run an engine at the show at
Dalton, Minnesota, but no bean threshers. So, I thought perhaps the
IMA with its coverage might know where they used to be made or
might be available. I suppose combines take care of the bean crops
nowadays. One of those old small machines would be an attraction
this day and age. I would like to hear from anyone that might know
something about the old bean threshers.’ (Thanks for writing
Murton. If you can help him, please let him hear from you. I
can’t remember too much about this item, but it does seem to me
we have had pictures or something on this subject. Let me know if
you have any information on this area IMA family.)

The following letter comes from BOB SNOW, SR., Route 1, Palmyra,
Missouri 63461. He says he saw a picture in the Nov.-Dec. issue of
a steam engine. He does not identify the page. I think he must mean
from page 22 or 23 with the unclassified photos. I’ll give you
the contents of the letter and I’m sure it will make sense to
you. Some of the writing is not too clear but bear with me and I
think you will find it worthwhile.

Bob writes: ‘This is a 35 HP Advance straw burner. It is a
tandem compound. Cylinder 9′ the low pressure cylinder 13′
dia. have a 13′ stroke. The boiler shell 33′ dia. Firebox
54′, flues No. 38, dia. 2’. The drive wheels are 72′
high, 30′ face. Normal speed of engine is 220 rpm. This is a
rear-mounted engine.

I have a 25 HP Advance with a 10′ x 12′ cylinder.
Canadian boiler, butt strap with six rows. Same engine the Advance
put on their 30 HP simple engines which were the largest single
cylinders they made.’

W. E. (BILL) NEAL, SR., 613 8th Avenue, Charles City, Iowa 50616
has some thoughts to share with us: ‘I enjoy your column very
much. I’d like to report that the Cedar Valley Engine Club of
Charles City, Iowa had a very good show this year. We had the
largest crowd that we have ever had. The weather was good, had a
little rain early Monday and it was a little sloppy for a short
while. That is where the old 18-36 Hart Parr, on steel wheels
showed up the newer tractors that were on rubber tires. I used it
to park the grain wagons to haul the loads of oats bundles up to
the threshing machine. Then we had to hook on to the steam engine
and help us into the belt. This helped to put on a good show for
everyone.

We had several new exhibitions this year with gas engines and
tractors. We had a lot of new people at the show that had never
been to one before. They all said they wished that they had known
it was this much fun they would have been there before and assured
us they would be back next year. That’s what keeps the shows
going.

The Friday after our show, we took a trip to Mission to visit
relatives. It had been four years since we had been down to see
them. They live at Crocker, Missouri. Then we went on down to the
School of the Ozarks as we had not been there for several years.
The students work for the school for their board and tuition. Only
persons who could not afford to go to another college are admitted.
All this is made possible by gifts and contributions of many who
are willing to help worthy young persons obtain a Christian
education.

They have a real good museum there and anyone traveling in
Missouri should spend some time there. It is called The Ralph
Foster Museum, known as the Smithsonian of the Ozarks. It is an
educational, scientific, and historical institution devoted to the
broad spectrum of the history of Man in the Ozarks region. Housing
a collection of over 750,000 objects representing archaeology,
history, firearms, antiques, numismatics, natural history, fine
art, geology and mineralogy, the museum serves as an educational
adjunct to The School of the Ozarks. (I am sure they will be
mentioned in our 1983 Directory, and thank you Bill for introducing
us to the mentioned museum and history.)

A letter comes from WYON ARENDSEN, 3278 N. Minneapolis Road,
Route 1, Hesperia, Minnesota 49421: ‘I bought some books on
steam at a flea market and in the box was two years of Iron-Men
Albums. Also in one of the issues was a notice to renew
subscription. I almost filled it out as it was $2.00 (chuckle) I
knew that had to be wrong. I enjoy the Iron-Men Album and Gas
Engine Magazines very much. Also in the box were these three
letters and I thought you and readers might be interested in them.
(Perhaps! anyhow, we’ll give it a try thanks Wyon.)

(I think Wyon wants you to read the material in regards to the
prices.) I am not using any names, and deleting some parts.
1st letter: With regard to our conversation re the
Wheelock engine, we have discussed this matter and would dispose of
engine, drive belt and tightener pulley and frame and would also
give you the 1′ injector and the 2′ safety valve off of the
valve for the sum of $275.00. The belt alone is worth more than
$50.00. If you are interested at this figure, please let us know
and we can start to get it ready to take it out. (This was from
Ontario, Canada.) 2nd letter, Nov. 6, 1958: ‘I
am writing to inform you that we will buy your steam engine and
equipment described in your letter. Enclosed is our deposit of
$100.00. The final payment will be made at your mill in cash or by
certified check. As to shipment dates, next spring would be the
best time, but if you would be in a hurry, we could have our truck
there Nov. 29. Please advise to which of the dates suits you best.
(This letter was from Liberty Boro., Pennsylvania.)

3rd letter Nov. 14: ‘Your letter received
and we thank you for the cheque which was quite satisfactory. You-
stated that the final payment would be paid at the time of
delivery. The balance of $175.00 plus exchange. Let us hear from
you sometime before you are ready to come up in the Spring, etc.
(Hope you enjoyed this letter although it is not an antique, there
certainly have been a lot of changes in 23 years, wouldn’t you
agree?)

Some help in trying to identify the unclassified photos in
Nov.-Dec. 1981 issue comes from WALT THAYER, Wenatchee, Washington
98801: ‘# 1 looks like a Big Minnie or under mounted Avery.
Might even be a Nichols & Shepard. (I am not an engine expert
anyone out there have the right answer and verification?)
#2resembles the rear of #1, but it isn’t could be a Russell or
Aultman Taylor. #3looks very much like a Case or a Minnienice,
clean lines. #4We need more rigs like that today. Not much exhaust
to bother you and the waste fuel was good to recycle and raise good
crops. Motive power looks like a light Percherona very nice rig. #5
might be part of an old hay baler. #6a real old horse drawn outfit.
Early oil fields used a lot of boilers like that up into the 30s or
later. It’s a wood burner and possibly an old Case or Russell.
#7looks like an old feed mill chopper or farming mill. The wooden
pulley says it’s a real old timer and not to be found at
rummage sales.’

A newcomer writes a note and needs your assistance. JAMES R.
HOLDER, Route 1, Box 447 A, Monroe, Georgia 30655 says: ‘I am
new to this interesting world of steam and am trying to put
together a Birds all portable engine I recently acquired through
trading. Any information from your readers will be greatly
appreciated. Would especially like pictures.

I enjoy the IMA very much and also your column. Thank you so
much for the cheerful tone of your column and God bless you.’
(Thanks so much Jim your remarks greatly appreciated and you’ll
probably hear from our family of readers.)

A note from JOHN BERGREEN, 4564 E. San Gabriel Avenue, Fresno,
California 93726 tells us: ‘On page 16 of the Nov.-Dec. issue
there is a photo of a Reeves engine showing the flywheel on the
left side. This of course never existed. The only way this could
have happened is a printed photo was used from the wrong side.
(Thank you and we apologize somewhere in our line of processing the
magazine this was an error we are human and sometimes errors are
made we appreciate constructive criticism and do our best to
correct our mistakes.)

Our Reeves of this model 32-110 was cut down for scrap at Osage,
Saskatchewan, a short time before my brothers and myself had
planned to ship it to Vancouver, Washington where I was a John
Deere dealer. A good Reeves now has a price tag of at least
$50,000.’

P.C. WILLIS, R.D. 3, Louisville, Ohio 44641 is seeking an answer
as he writes: ‘Who in the vast area could help me solve the
problem of the dog clutch on a Daniel Boone Frick 1884? I would
also like a picture of a like engine so I can restore one. Thank
you.’ (Don’t let him down fellas.)

I had an interesting letter from A. L. RENNEWANZ, Box 1852,
Kodiac, Alaska 99615. I thought they were visiting Alaska but his
letter proved otherwise. He and his wife have moved there, claiming
it to be the most beautiful area they have ever lived in Al was
very much involved in the Central North Dakota Steam Thresher’s
Association in New Rockford. He says he hated to leave the steam
reunions behind as there isn’t a Case engine or an Oil Pull
tractor to be found in Alaska. Enclosed is a picture of Al’s
¹/₄ scale threshing rig he built some years
ago. He had a lot of fun with this rig but sold it before they
moved up north. I am sure many of you are familiar with the name of
Al Rennewanz as he contributed material to our magazine in previous
years. We wish them many happy years in their new home.

BRUCE ATKINSON, P.O. Box 65, Monrovia, Indiana 46157 sends us a
bit of humor as he puts it for the column: ‘I was at the
Indiana State Fair at the Pioneer Farm Exhibit and it was early in
the morning before the crowd was there. The Keck-Gonnerman had a
good fire in it and there was a lady and three kids looking at it.
One of the little boys started to walk over the Keck when his
mother shouted at him, ‘Don’t go close to that thing,
it’s on!’ (I am sure that will give many an engineer a
chuckle.)

A note comes from CARL M. LATHROP, 108 Garfield Avenue, Madison,
New Jersey 07940: ‘Whenever IMA or GEM runs out of my stories I
look forward to hearing from readers. These range from comments to
questions. But, in each case, I try to answer the letters. And, in
each case so far, everything has been constructive. That tells you
something about your readers mighty nice people!’ (We think so
too Carl.)

I leave you with a writing entitled FOR A CONTENTED LIFE Health
enough to make work a pleasure Wealth enough to support our needs.
Strength to battle with difficulties and over come them Grace
enough to confess our sins and forsake them Patience enough to toil
until some good is accomplished Charity enough to see some good in
your neighbor Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to
others Faith enough to make real the things of God Hope enough to
remove all anxious fears concerning the future. (Some good food for
thought don’t you think?) Perhaps we could work toward this in
the New Year!)

Also some thoughts You cannot lift your children to a higher
level than that on which you live yourself He who knows much knows
how to hold his tongue. Believe there is nothing too small to do
well. Bye Love ya!