Well, they say in the Spring a young man’s fancy turns to
thoughts of love-well I know in Spring a mother’s thoughts and
energies (whether she so desires or not) turns to thoughts and acts
of PTA Fairs, class trips, house-cleaning, changing clothes about
for the different seasons, (only to find after all the winter
clothes are put away, another cold spell is here and up to the
worn just enough to require another washing and another putting
away), attending baseball games and I could go on and on but I
think you get the idea which after all comes back to the first part
of this paragraph it also comes from thoughts of love a different
kind of love, perhaps, but a definite love what other word could
better describe these endless activities!
We had a little trouble with our last issue of Iron-Men Album
and in some of the magazines the pages were all there, but not in
consecutive order. I’m sorry, but I’ve lost track of the
name of a man who had a cute comment on his renewal slip, and I did
want to give him the credit for it, but this is what he said,
‘I didn’t care for the way the pages were numbered in the
May-June issue, but maybe it was Kennedy’s orders.’ Far
from it, but it was good for a laugh.
Spring gets the people on the move for it is a beautiful time of
year to travel, and we were happy to meet Rev. and Mrs. Harry D.
Painter from Route 4, Amelia, Virginia as they were passing by this
way. We were sorry they could not locate the Ritzman’s at home
that day, but they stopped here at the office, for a word and we
were happy to visit with them.
Also Mr. Frank McGuffin of 3531 Tea St. N.W. of Washington 7, D.
C. was a visitor at the Ritzman’s a few days and he was in to
chat with us a while he is a grand fellow and quite a teaser, and
I’m sure a person who has enjoyed life to the fullest and given
others enjoyment in the process.
I have a letter from a David P. Weiler of 1000 W. Franklin of
Taylorville, Illinois who would like some HELP-he states, ‘I
have a Flywheel gas engine that has been restored, and I wonder if
perhaps you could give me some information about it. Any help will
be sincerely appreciated. It is a Lauson-Lawton one cylinder,
overhead valve, hopper called, 4 hp stationary gasoline engine. It
operates at 400 RPM and has the serial number 5914. On the date
plate it says Lauson-Lawtoh Co. Manufacturers of the Wisconsin. I
have found through reproductions of an old ad of theirs, that the
company was located at 200 Washington St. in DePere, Wisconsin.
However even though it says ‘Wisconsin’ I have been told
that it is not a product of the Wisconsin Motor Corp. now located
in Milwaukee. The engine is in excellent condition. I would like to
get material pertaining to it as I hope to exhibit it.’ Any one
know more of this engine and would like to write to David, he will
be most happy to hear from you.
Here is a poem written by Franz John Wood, Jan. 1, 1956 entitled
Atomic Energy. In the ocean deep-More wonders are Yet to be
found.
On the seas great shores Many wonders are found More precious
than gold. In the earth-A great power-Was recently found. The air
in great wonder We strive to control. With the earth’s great
power- It soon may be told.
And it soon may be! after such flights as has been going on-how
about that Gordon Cooper?? I don’t understand all of this, but
I certainly feel a part of history and a feeling I can’t
describe as these astronauts take off for outer space just
can’t you imagine how amazed the people were back when the
Wright Brothers were getting a few feet off the ground? I think of
that so much these days, for to us we think very little of it now,
but don’t you think we are feeling the same way about the Space
program as they felt about flying in the air at that time?
Well, I think love rambled on enough for a July-August issue so
full of interesting Reunions and you. folks will have time for
little else now. Have fun and enjoy this summer. And who knows with
as heavy as those rockets are and they get off the ground, we may
some day have a Steam Reunion on an outer planet oh well, it was a
timely thought.
And don’t forget-Youth and Beauty fade but character endures
forever.