SOOT IN THE FLUES

fully, but we must go on and cherish the past memories as one has
to accept a different way of life. I am so glad I depend completely
on my faith in God, his son Jesus, and the love of my family and
friends. It helps a lot but it isn’t easy, and it hurts. Well,
on to each day of living, and it helps to know many of you
understand.

I know by now many of you are in your glory either already on
the road to the Steam and Gas activities, or checking your calendar
and packing to get-a-going. Have fun, enjoy your old and trusted
acquaintances, but leave a little space and time for the new
enthusiasts you may meet. Who knows? You may be the deciding factor
to these folks as to whether they accept and continue in this
hobby, or write it off as not being as beneficial and enjoyable as
they might have anticipated.

You know I love Wellsprings of Wisdom writings and excerpts by
Ralph L. Woods, and the stories of men encountering God, life and
themselves. Sparkling messages presented in parable that capture
life’s lasting values, and will bring the reader back to the
book again and again. (If you ever know where you can buy this
book, please let me know. I have inquired many places, but no one
seems to be able to acquire it.) They make great gifts.

This time I have chosen ‘The Inner Light’. Two children
living happily in their father’s house would often look at
evening to another house standing on a distant hilltop. The evening
sun painted it with glory as its rays were reflected from many
windowpanes. One afternoon they started out to visit the house of
the golden windows. They struggled over fields and through brush
and woodland until at last the moment arrived. They stood before
the enchanted house of their dreams and their hopes. But alas! They
found it deserted and bleak. Dust and slime of many years had
covered the panes of glass. They gave forth no golden splendor. The
house was lonely, cold, forsaken. Disappointed, discouraged,
afraid, they turned to go. As they did so their eyes fell on their
own home in the distance bathed in the golden splendor of the
setting sun.

They saw this and more than this. Their sad experience had
taught them to realize the inner light, not the reflected light,
which shines in every home worthy of the name and makes it one of
the brightest and dearest spots on Earth, a refuge, a joy, a hope,
and forever a happiness. But it was under the spell of the light
reflected from its windows that they caught the full vision of the
inner and true light and glory of home. And they both cried out:
‘See our house; our own home is the true house of the golden
windows.’ Ignatius W. Cox.

And now, Dear Ones, on to the center of the column which makes
it so worthwhile: your communications.

The following letter comes from EDWIN. H. BREDEMEIER, R.R.
#1,Box 13, Steinauer, Nebraska 68441: ‘Yes, Mr. Ted Stine of
Streator, Illinois is right on the instructions on how to put a
cable clamp on a steel cable. I have one sheet from a box of cable
clamps that I saved.

‘To Mr. Oakley Ellickson of Colorado Springs, ColoradoYes,
Madison Kipp still is operating and parts can be had for their
oiler. Got the name and address off of the plate on the oiler.

‘I wonder what year the Young baler is at R&T 1990 show,
as I’m gathering the origin and history of the round baler back
to 1908. I need help to find a round stationary baler.’

TOM BULLER, 12623 Fite-Hauck Road, Sardinia, Ohio 45171 writes:
‘HELP! I recently acquired some very old brass handrail which
has been exposed to the weather for over eighty years. It is almost
pure black in color, but still has a beautiful finish and is
exquisitely made.

‘I have tried several cleaners, but to no avail. I hesitate
to experiment too much, for fear of damaging it.’ A company in
northern Ohio, which I contacted, said they had a cleaner which
would restore it, but would not sell it in quantities of less than
fifty gallons. Some of your annual brass polishers out there must
have some special tricks. If any of you do know something to help
me with this problem, please write and help me out.

‘Keep your eyes on the water glass.

‘This picture is of a horse drawn disk plow made by the
Spalding-Deep Tilling Machine Company, patented May 2, 1911.

‘It has patent dates on all the wheels and ten other patent
dates on the foot rest. It has no lettering as to where it was
made.

‘There used to be some people I heard of around Grantsburg,
Wisconsin some years ago, but I don’t believe they had anything
to do with it. This disk plow had a place for a pole. I have a two
disk horse drawn Case plow which does not have a place for a pole.
Also, I have a one disk John Deere plow which uses no pole
either.

‘Does anyone know where the Spalding Company was located ?
It might have a cast iron seat manufactured that would have the
address printed on it.’ Letter sent by MORRIS BLOMGREN,
Blomgren Road, Siren, Wisconsin 54872.

‘I am writing to get the record straight on a letter written
by Tumbleweed Red, Box 2175, Wenetchee, Washington 98807,’
states LEE SUTTON, 301 Southwest Avenue, Box 55, Baxter, Iowa
50028. This is on page one of January / February issue, about
halfway down on column two, concerning some tractors used on the
Garrison Dam.

‘I am well aware of this particular project and the way this
tractor came aboutto my knowledge, Allis-Chalmers never made a 30
Crawler tractor. They made a 35 and later made a Model K which was
about 40 HP.

‘At the time this twin tractor was made, it consisted of two
H D 19 tractors with one side of crawler taken off each one and the
two bolted together at the inside driving flange. Then, two regular
dozers for these tractors were welded together to make one unit and
a one man operation. At that time, the dozers were cable operated.
This unit was called H D 38. The company that put these together
was Western Contracting Company, Sioux City, Iowa.

‘I feel I am qualified to make this correction, as I have
worked my entire lifetime with earth moving equipment and am 75
years old. I have operated shovels, cranes, dragline, steam driven,
gasoline and electric driven machinery. I am still active and run
these machines for short spells each summer. I am now at Apache
Junction, Arizona for the winter months. We don’t change
address on mail while we are out here. Incidentally, we had snow
here recently which is unusual.

‘I plan on coming to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania the last
of May or first of June for my granddaughter’s graduation. We
always come through Lancaster but never have stopped in, but this
time we might stop and visit.’

Here is a request that I hope someone can fill for R. J. DAND,
Box 905, Wainwright, Alberta T0B 4P0: ‘I have a scale Case 65
HP steam traction engine, with a horse drawn water wagon. The tank
on it is alright, but I do not like the wagon part. About all you
could say for it is that it is functional.

‘Therefore, I would like to put the tank on a properly built
wooden wagon, and have it drawn by a team of miniature horses with
one of my granddaughters driving the team, in a parade in which my
steam engine is entered.

‘The dimensions of the tank are as follows: 1. Twelve inches
wide across the top; 2. Thirty-six inches long; 3. Radius eight
inches. What I require is somebody who could make me a dimensional
sketch of every part of the wagon, especially a breakdown of the
parts that make up the wheels.’ (I’ll bet there is an
engine enthusiast out there who can help Bob Dandhe will be most
happy to hear from you).

A letter comes from my good friend, FRANK J. BURRIS, 1102 Box
Canyon Road, Fallbrook, California 92028, of which I will share
some parts with you: ‘Upon receiving a winter issue of our
sanctified IMA, I just about ‘broke down’; that is, what is
left of me. It appears that everything is going ‘Gas
Engine’ with the middle and younger classes of old engine
restorers. But as long as there is breath left in we older
fellows87 for me right now who grew up with the most faithful old
thresher, power plant and steam engines, we do readily acknowledge
that YOU are IMA. {not really, but I give my best). We have not
only matured at your most capable editing {not since
November/December 1984 issue) of Smoke Rings and all that goes with
it, which is now Reflections by C. H. Wendel, but we have advanced
into the twilight zone of this most wondrous past. And whether we
may show it in our wistfully awaiting for the next edition of Smoke
Rings to come out, we are ever aware of it, and it is only the
greatly increased burden of daily living in this country which
makes it seem that we have neglected our attentions in
overburdening you with stories.‘ (It is true, I do wish I
would get much more material for IMA. I know there are a good many
stories and information out there that need to find a way into the
column. If you think you can’t write, think again just tell it
in your ordinary thoughts and speech. This is your magazine;
without your efforts there would be no ‘Soot in the
Flues.’)

‘Consider my case, for instance, and I am certainly not
asking for sympathy, for I have grown up entirely on my own and
readily accept any blame for my shortcomings. However, I do love to
write, but lately Dame Fortune has been a bit tough on me as I have
been hospitalized three times in the past few years, involving
surgery.

‘Now, atop all this, and beforehand, I had been struggling
to produce for my two daughters a very detailed and complete
autobiography, for my mind goes back with great precision to my
childhood, even to less than one year old! I just acquired a new
computer of the very latest high technology a ‘396 monster to
relieve my poor old ‘Nellie’ of some nine years of age
since I put her together from the Heath-Zenith outfit. This letter
is still written on old ‘Nellie’, about
¹/₂₈ the speed of my new ‘Vicki’, so
one may ask: why the rush? But old men are like that; they want the
latest in everything if they are still alive and kicking. And, I
must simply have a new plaything! So, while studying the latest, I
have suffered a bit of shortage of time in productive writing. Oh,
I do carp through the newspapers about the worsening politics and
so forth.

‘But I do have in the back of my mind the submittal of a
good article on valve-setting. Seems that a few of these old Iron
Men, as Elmer named them, are rather sadly in need of a bit of
attention in this their very heartbeat. So, goodness prevailing, I
will get to it in the near future.‘ (I’m ready and
waiting for your communications at any time, Frank.)

‘I so well recall back in the early 60’s when we had
occasion to pass through Harrisburg on a Sunday morn, we were so
fortunate in finding Elmer in attendance at his Sunday School in
Enola. I have a fond picture of him standing on the steps alongside
me in a salutary pose. That dear old fellow! What hath he
wrought!

‘I am still trying to ‘sell’ my second book to some
unwary publisher. But then, I have not sold the first one either.
All they seem interested in is murder, sex, mystery! I should have
spent my time watering my 33 fruit and nut trees instead of carping
about political conditions, etc. I did put up the finest apple and
pear sauce you could ever taste this last summer right off our own
trees. Perchance you come by, I will serve you a real
treat.‘ (I wish!) (I’ll be waiting for your letters and
articles, Frank anxiously).

J. S. GOULD, 520 W. Jefferson St., Naperville, Illinois 60540
comments: ‘The time has come for all good Port Huron men to
take up Leroy Blaker’s banner, and come to the defense of the
grand old Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company.

‘I am referring of course to my friend John Schrock’s
urgent plea for help in finding the correct stack for his tired,
mangy old ‘Tiger’.

‘It was with a sense of surprise, and then indignation, that
I learned that a cracker-jack engine man like Mr. Schrock would
blame his steaming problems on a stack, and indeed a Port Huron
stack at that! Blasphemy! Leave that exemplary piece of engineering
on that ‘Tiger’, John. Perhaps it will teach that Hoosier
engine a thing or two about making steam, and lots of it. Ask the
user!’

‘I own a Mogul Jr. 1 HP, International Corp. Tractor Works,
Chicago, 111.,’ comments RALPH GEHLSEN, R.R. #1, Westside, Iowa
51467.

‘This is cast in the water hopper block. Under the grease,
it’s greenish yellow colors. I thought they were red?? Could
you tell me the right colors?’ (Now, fellows, that I don’t
know. Ralph sent some scrapings off the Mogul thinking that might
help, which doesn’t mean much to me. They just look blackish,
brownish does that mean anything? If you can give Ralph some
answers, he would most appreciate it.)

‘In answer to the desperate letter from John Schrock, I
would suggest he use a Case smokestack. One word of caution: the
engine may lift the grates along with the fire and have more steam
than the old Gaar knows what to do with. On the other hand, John
may think some of us have helped him enough with the stack on the
engine already,’ writes your friend in Illinois, JOHN HULEY,
720 York Street, Chenoa, Illinois 61726.

The information pictured above and below on this page was sent
by D. HOY, R.R. #2, Box 209, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703 in answer
to the request of Oakley Ellickson, in March/April issue, page 12,
concerning the Madison Kipp oil pumps and the address of the
company.

Many of you folks will recognize the name VINSON E. GRITTEN, 401
Burwash Apt. 313, Savoy, Illinois 61874 (new address). Vins has
contributed a lot of good stories to our IMA and is sending some
more in the future, he tells us, which we will be eager to
receive.

I thought you might like to read part of my letter from Vins and
why his new address. ‘Since I have corresponded with you, Hazel
and I have moved to a retirement center in the South Edge of
Champaign, Illinois. Some of our friends call it an ‘Old
People’s Home’, but it is all in fun so we do not care.
Especially since we are old people. (Not at heart, I’ll
bet).;

ANY SIZE OR DRIVE YOU WANT– INDIVIDUAL FEED ADJUSTMENTS

‘We decided at our ages, still being able to make decisions,
that it would be a good time to make a change. We have been here
two years and like it very much. You probably know of similar
homes, so I won’t go into a description. It is nice to be able
to leave and not worry about your possessions. We have security,
dinner in a beautiful dining room, some maid service, limousine
service, many other things all for one reminder at the end of the
month.

‘I am sending you a story or two that you may be able to
use. I have several, since I am putting a lot of them together in a
little book for my boys. Other people have asked for one, so I will
try to get the thing together soon.” (That sounds good to
me, Vins always look forward to any of your writings may be you
could slip one of these books in this way).

L.S. CLARKE, 511 E. Benton, Oxford, Indiana 47971 sends this
picture of his 23-90 Baker engine. The men pictured from left to
right are Glenn J. Brutus, John Hess, and Eric Brutus, all from
Pine Village, Indiana.

JOHN B. MULFORD, 8894 Upper Lake Road, Lodi, New York 14860
sends the answer to Oakley Ellickson’s request in March/April
issue, page 12, for the address of Madison-Kipp Corp. It is 222
Waubesa Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53704. Thanks John, probably
quite a few folks will appreciate this gesture.

Interesting facts from the life of BRUCE McCOURTNEY, Box 121,
Syracuse, Nebraska 68446 add to our letters this issue, as he tells
us, ‘I am 85 years old, born January 13, 1906.

‘My father had three steam threshing outfits when I was
born. I cut my teeth on the rear rim of a beveled gear
Aultman-Taylor engine. He also had a Stevens and Rumely steamer at
that time.

‘My father and I, through the years, owned 43 steam engines
of various makes. I ran my first engine, a 16 HP Aultman-Taylor,
the summer I was nine years old. Dad would set it in the belt. I
did the rest. He let me pull a barn too, that year. He also moved
buildings of all kinds. The next year, he let me pull a house with
a Russell engine. I still love Russells.

‘Dad bought, sold, traded, etc., in engines through several
years. He only owned one new steam outfit 15 HP Case engine, 32
Case separator the rest were used outfits. We would box them up in
winter, and breakdowns were few through threshing season.

‘I owned four Russell engines. Dad owned three. I owned two
Aultman Taylors, one 20 HP #9365 and an 18 HP, #9057. Dad owned
four Aultman Taylors. We had Reeves, Nichols & Shepard,
Minneapolis, Case, Port Hurons, Advance-Rumely, Gaar Scott, Huber,
Avery, Baker, etc. I owned one Russell 16 HP, code boiler #17085,
built in 1927flywheel was 12’ wide.

‘In the January/February issue 1991 is a picture of a
cut-off steamer. I would bet it’s an Aultman Taylor, page
10.

‘I put an old A & T through a; bridge when I was 14
years old. I got beat up quite a little, but the engine looked
somewhat like the picture on page 10. We sold $35.00 worth of
parts, saved a few parts and junked the restevery thing that
wasn’t broken was bent. The man mentioned the proper use of
cable clamps on page 10. The best way is braid the cable eyes, etc.
in the ends of cable like is done in logging on the West Coast and
other places.

‘We braided all our cables for all kinds of cable work. We,
in later years, had two big Mack winch trucks and one Ford winch
truck, International etc. Between my father and I, we had 23 steam
engines at one time. I like them all, but Russell, Aultman Taylor
and Port Huron were my favorites.

‘I am well acquainted with M. K. Schroeder of Syracuse,
Nebraska and his Buffalo Pitts on the cover of May/June.

‘Thanks for listening and Good Luck to all.

‘P.S. I sold a Case, a Russell and a Gaar Scott engine in
the last three issues. I’m out of engines nowI’m an
orphan.

‘I have ridden four steam engines through bridges. It takes
the fun and pleasure out of running steam engines.

‘M.K. Schroeder and wife, Dorothy, got the bug when I let
them run my Russell and Case and Gaar Scott engines in 1960. I knew
where a good Buffalo Pitts was and it was for sale, so they bought
it.’

BOB PERKINS, 302 Fountain Creek, Palestine, Texas 75801 tells
us: ‘I have a question for someone in Steam Land, but it refers
to the Rumely tractor. I have known for some time that a real
operator knows how to adjust the water intake of the engine
according to the load, but I have never heard anyone explain why,
when or how much. Would this same theory work for a large hit and
miss, say 8 HP and above? I’m sure someone out there has the
answer. Keep up the good work!’ (Can you answer this, fellows?
Let us all know.) Say, fellows we are still receiving
correspondence kicking around the correct formula for determining
horsepower. While we cherish our role as providers of a forum for
steam engine buffs, we think this particular issue has been
exhausted. Those of you who are still disputing the accuracy of
different formulas might want to correspond directly with each
other from here on out.

Tractor, Ft. Keogh, Montana, 1915. Jack E. Haynes photograph,
courtesy of the Haynes Foundation Collection, Montana Historical
Society, Helena, Montana.

In closing this timeI came across the following, this most
interesting description. Sound like anyone you know?? It is called
‘I Have Noticed.’ ‘Everything is farther away than it
used to be. It is even twice as far to the corner and they have
added a hill. I have given up running for the bus; it leaves
earlier than it used to. It seems to me they are making the stairs
steeper than in the old days. And have you noticed the smaller
print they use in newspapers? There is no sense in asking anyone to
read aloud anymore, as everybody speaks in such a low voice I can
hardly hear them. The material in dresses is so skimp now,
especially around the hips and waist, that it is almost impossible
to reach one’s shoelaces. And the sizes don’t run the way
they used to. The 12’s and 14’s are so much smaller. Even
people are changing. They are so much younger than they used to be
when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are so
much older than I am. I ran into an old classmate the other day and
she had aged so much that she didn’t recognize me. I got to
thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this
morning, and in doing so I glanced at my own reflection. Really
now, they don’t even make good mirrors like they used
to.’