SOOT IN THE FLUES

First communication comes from DONALD L. LOOSLI, 196 South Lloyd
Circle, Idaho Falls 83401 as he exclaims: ‘Praise BEyour cover
picture of May-June 1981 was just what I have been looking for a
picture of a steam engine that matched my father’s ‘Old
Rosie.’ I had thought Old Rosie was a Case engine, but I was
wrong. It was a Reeves 2 cylinder just the same as the one shown. I
should have remembered because I was the water monkey on it while I
was in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades at Marysville, Idaho
(1926-1930).

My, how this picture and article brought back memories of those
years in Idaho. My father’s name was Dimond and he had two
engines, Old Rosie (as we called her) and Jumbo, also a Reeves 2
cylinder, but much larger. Each one of father’s sons took our
turn at being a helper; water monkey, and finally full
responsibility in running the engine. My brother, Leo, ran the
separator which was a Case.

We did have two full outfits, Old Rosie and the Case separator
harvesting seed peas and old Jumbo and another all wood separator
to harvest wheat. I remember pulling into our farm yard late one
evening after finishing the season’s wheat harvest. Old Jumbo
belched sparks back over the chaff on the wood separator. Leo
didn’t know that a spark had started a smoldering fire on the
separator. About 5:00 a.m. the next morning, we were awakened to
find the separator engulfed in flames. All that was left were the
iron parts.

After that, we used Jumbo and the Case separator. After the pea
harvest we had to change pulleys and then go onto the wheat
harvest.

In the ’30s a junk drive was started to collect all scrap
and as the two machines were not used any more, they were sold for
scrap. How I wish I had had the foresight to have saved them.

I enjoy very much your magazine! (Thanks Don, and I imagine
there are many folks out over the country lamenting the demise of
some of those old engine critters. But then isn’t that so with
many things in our lives? We keep things for a long time and then
we think we are getting too cluttered up and get rid of the items,
only to discover too soon we should have kept ‘umif we would
only have gotten rid of our faults, prejudices, tempers, bad
dispositions and etc. in that manner but sometimes, seems when we
think we are rid of these worthless intangibles they pop right up
in front of us from time to time not so with those precious iron
castaways). Ah well, we all know of what I speak so we start over
and try again.

ERWIN SCHUENEMANN, Box 26, Twin Bridges, Montana 59754 would
like to know how many different makes of steam traction engines
were manufactured. Anybody know or care to give some educated
guesses? Erwin has a 40 HP Pitts Buffalo engine that he has
restored.

Some comments on an article came in the mail from LESTER C.
NORRIS, 33 North Street, Marcellus, New York 13108: ‘I read
with great interest Mr. L. A. Wright’s letter (p. 16) in the
March-April IMA. I too was born and brought up on a farm about 4
miles east of Marcellus on the West Seneca Turnpike. Nothing
pleased me more than the day the threshers came to work at our
farm.

Over twenty years ago I had five steam engines: 3 Cases, one a
65 and two 50’s. A Lang & Button and a Buffalo Springfield
roller. The Case 50 I purchased from Cortland, New York Highway
Department and we did a lot of work on that one. Through this, I
got to know Mr. Jewell who worked for the county and used to run
that engine.

The article talked about the Stevens engine. About 30 years ago,
I went to the Rough & Tumble Steam Show in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. I found Donald Fields from Jamesville, New York
there; we had known each other for years. While at the show, he
purchased a Stevens traction engine from Mr. Young who ran a farm
machinery business and bought and sold steam traction engines. This
one was made in Auburn, New York. Later Mr. Fields had it taken to
Charles Hitchcock’s farm in Lavanna, New York. He had several
shows on his farm which were excellent, but the cost of insurance,
etc. put an end to those fine shows.

I had my Case 65 there several times and threshed with it and
enjoyed it very much. I still have my Case 65 which I had at the
New York State Fair last year. Had it there before, but never saw
as much interest shown by the crowd as last year. So many people
stopped to chat and ask questions about it.

I am a charter member of the New York State Steam Engine
Association of Canandaigua, New York and served as Vice President
for several years. I am now a life member. This year I will have my
engine at Summer Hill, New York. Summer Hill is located between
Locke and Cortland on Route 90. Hope to see you there!’

Some data on our unclassified pictures comes from EDWIN H.
BREDEMEIER, Steinauer, Nebraska 68441: ‘In May-June issue, No.
1: The young man is real proud and has reason to be. The engine in
the background, I think is a Nichols & Shepard. No. 2: The
large sign tells us where it is at and it is a Case engine. No. 3:
The tractor in back ground is a Massey or a IHC M. The thresher is
a Case with another brand of weigher or grain handler and feeder,
my guess is a 32′ or 36′, from the smokestack, I think it
is a Case engine. The picture was taken where the wide type wagon
boxes were used. No. 4: I pass and No. 5: Scale of Case. No. 6: An
early 110 HP Case, I say early because the smoke box is so short.
No. 7: All I can say that it is a good shot of belting up.’

W. O. KRUMWIEDE, Voltaire, North Dakota 58792 states: ‘I see
in your Jan.-Feb. ’81 issue on page 12 that Carl Lathrop would
like to know where there are other 30-60 Big Four tractors.
Clarence Butler, Parshall, N.D. has one at the Makato, North Dakota
show. Also John O. Tysse, Crosby, N.D. and W. O. Krumwiede have two
30-60 Big Fours at the Crosby, N.D. show. Don’t forget to look
for them.’

A letter from one of our regular contributors comes from AlaskaI
believe he must be visiting there as I know that isn’t where
the letters came before from Al. AL RENNEWANZ, Box 1852, Kodiak,
Alaska 99615 and he has some deep feelings about the following:
‘It’s been a long time since I have written to you and I
would really like to write about a more pleasant subject than the
one at hand. I am writing in regard to the picture on page 17 of
Mar.-Apr. 1918 IMA. The engine pictured is not a 150 HP Case. It is
a 110 HP Case engine. It is clobbered up with so much junk and
paraphernalia it is almost unrecognizable and mounted on a platform
about two feet above the floor which makes it seem much bigger than
it is. Nameplate and serial numbers have been removed, perhaps to
further conceal its identity. It is a crime that a beautiful engine
like the 110 Case the aristocrat of the big steamers should be
subjected to such shamful indignity as to be displayed
carnival-type show engine, which it isn’t, wasn’t and never
could have been.

A great many people in this day and age have no recollection of
the era when steam was King. They are easily confused between
fiction and fact. I hope not many people are being deceived by this
display False prophets shall arise and deceive many. (From time to
time we get letters commenting on a picture or article. They are
printed because I know you like this column as a means of exchange
of interests with your steam buddies, but they won’t be put in
if they are damaging to one’s character. Different strokes for
different folks in exchanging ideas. We love all of you.)

A note from ALLAN LINDEN, Route 2, Box 276, Isanti, Minnesota
55040: ‘In your March-April’81 issue of IMA you had a
picture of a Model D Bates steel mule tractor. It is a 1918 Model,
12-20 HP. It had an 800 RPM ERD 4 cylinder engine. The ignition was
an Eisemann, high tension magneto. The forward speeds were from 2
to 4 MPH. Hope this information is of some interest to your
readers.’

Please help if you can! JOHN T. WYMON, Box 609, Fruitland, Idaho
83619 is trying to obtain information on a Bull tractor 1915 or
1916. He’ll be so happy to hear from you.

In answer to inquiries this letter will be of great interest to
those who would like to know more on the subject of steaming
tobacco. MENNO L. HESS, 303 S. Market Avenue, Mount Joy,
Pennsylvania 17552 writes: ‘The hand on the steam gauge has
been going up and when I read that Bruce Atkinson wanted to know
more about steaming tobacco beds, the safety valve popped. First,
it’s done to kill insects and diseases in the ground and to
kill the weed seeds. The ground is plowed or spaded late in the
fall, before or early in the spring when the ground is dry. It is
raked off fine and left to dry off another day if possible.

Then the steamer comes. It can be any kind of boiler, traction
engine or portable boiler. The pan is about 6 feed wide and 8 feet
long. It is a rectangular frame of 6 or 7 inch boards set on edge.
One inch blocks can be set in the corners for strength. Over this
frame, heavy tin is placed and the four sides bent down and nailed.
In the center, another 6′ board is placed across the 6 foot
way. In the center of this board, bore a hole
⁷/₈‘ or large enough for a ‘ pipe to
turn freely. Make the hole through the tin. Then an 18′ piece
of pipe with a tee on one end is run up through the hole, A collar
is placed on the top end of the pipe. It should fit fairly loose,
but should allow the pipe to turn in the hole. An elbow is screwed
to the top of the pipe and another piece of pipe 30’ long
screwed into the elbow.

A steam hose about 30′ long is slipped over the horizontal
pipe and fastened with a clamp. The other end of the hose is left
to slip over the pipe from the boiler. There is a short pipe with a
valve screwed into the steam dome. An elbow called a service ell is
attached to the nipple just above the valve. The service ells are
made by two elbows screwed together. The large end has a thread
inside and the small end has the thread outside. By screwing the
small end of one into the large end of the other, a fairly good
swivel is made. These service ells are also placed between each
piece of pipe in the line.

An extra valve can be placed on a pipe near the ground, so you
won’t have to crawl up over the hot boiler every time you
change a pan. Now, set the pan on the loose ground, slip the pipe
from the line into the open end of the steam hose and open the
valves. The pan can stay set for 15 or 20 minutes. Then two fellows
get hold of the ropes alongside of the pan, turning off the steam
first, of course. When the pan has been set at the end of the
previous set the steam is again turned on. We used heavy leather
welder’s gloves when changing pans or working around hot pipes
or boiler.

We also had a little caper I’ll tell you all about. We would
sometimes take a couple of eggs and bury them about an inch and a
half deep in the loose ground about where the middle of the next
pan would set, marking them with small twigs. In fifteen minutes
when we hanged that pan the eggs were hard boiled.

I might tell you of foaming boilers, safety plug blowing and
broken steam lines and so on, but I must cut off the steam for
now.’ (Thanks Menno, and we’ll be anxiously awaiting these
other stories.)

GEORGE W. EVES, 30 Bladen View, Milborne St. Andrew, Dorset DT11
Olf, England writes us: ‘I recently received two copies of IMA.
How lucky are your preservationists to have a journal such as
yours. Enthusiasm glows through every page and recalls my steam
beginnings at the turn of the century down in my native country,
Kent, until 1928 when the I. C. engine ousted steam from our homes,
farms and fields.

Now, may I ask a favor of you? For a good many years I exchanged
letters, slides and IMA with one William Hall of Seaside Heights,
New Jersey. But my last letter several months ago was returned
marked DEC. which I can only presume means deceased. He was a
contributor to your journal and this makes me wonder if you or your
readers can set my wandering mind at rest. (George, I just stopped
and checked through the magazines and my card file and I cannot
find him listed there so I have checked further with the Lancaster
office and I find, yes, William Hall did die on April 10. We will,
I am sure, have many who extend their sympathies. Mr. Hall
contributed many letters and show reports to our magazine for many
years. We will all miss him.)

And in closing, my best wishes from me and my steam pals who
eagerly wait for me to pass on my copies, because your steam scene
brightens their days in a manner words cannot convey. For this, our
combined and grateful thanks.’

A note from IRVIN E. STOWELL, Canton, New York 13617 as he says:
‘I have had the privilege of working on an old steam engine to
restore it. It was built by A. B. Farquhar Company Ltd. of York,
Pennsylvania. The following information is all I can find on it.
Shop No. 18177. A number on the stack end on door plate is 1381.
The following numbers are stamped in metal over the fire door1598
N.Y. STD. 47 HSB Farquhar Co. 14338 or 14388 (not clear) 1922, 254,
125 lbs.

It has about a 60′ diameter belt pulley and was used to
drive a rock crusher. I have tried tracing the company through
York, PA Chamber of Commerce but no luck. Anyone got any help as to
where I may be able to obtain information?’ (Help him if you
know anything about the company or the engine I’m sure he is
waiting for letters.)

Another short story from Well-springs of Wisdom by Ralph L.
Woods entitled God’s love. Charles Spurgeon, a noted English
clergy man, noticed that the weather vane on the roof of a farm
building bore the phrase ‘God is Love’ and was troubled.
‘Do you think God’s love is as changeable as that weather
vane?’ he asked the farmer.

‘You miss the point, sir,’ replied the farmer.
‘It’s on the weather vane because no matter which way the
wind is blowing, God is still love.’

Get feeling down sometimes and your spirits are blue just
remember and say to yourself. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot
do every thing, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought
to do and by the grace of God I WILL DO IT!