Brrrrr! I don’t know about you, but where we are it’s
pretty cold and I know many places are much colder than here – but
what you do is get those catalogs with the beautiful fruits and
vegetables brightly colored and make out a list – even if it’s
only a few spring flowers and before you know it -Spring will be
here!
I’m certainly not about to preach a sermon, but I came
across this little verse and maybe it will help you today –
It’s called PRAYER by Henry Van Dyke – Lord, the newness of
this day Calls me to an untried way; Let me gladly take the road,
Give me strength to bear my load, Thou my guide and helper be I
will travel through with Thee.
And now I must get on with letters from our I.M.A. Family -From
one of our members RALPH C. HUSSONG, Hancock Co. Shelter Care Home,
Augusta, Illinois 62311 comes this writing:
I told you about two years ago by phone that I was done writing
stories, but Mr. Chandler’s article on page 3 of Jan.-Feb.
issue so intrigued me, I will try again. The Reeves 32 as it was
kept cleaned up and polished by its owner, would appeal to any
engine lover.
However, it was not a Peacock engine, it was owned by a Mr.
Danueser of Fulton, Missouri. The present owner might be located by
contact with the former owner.
This nice reunion where it showed several years was the pet
hobby of Ed Peacock personally.
While I am writing Anna Mae, I have at hand a very unique
picture which I would like to see in I.M.A. It is a 12 H.P. level
geared Aultman-Taylor built in 1896. This engine is stored at Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa and takes part in the parade and this year powered
my ELI hay baler.
It is owned by Marc Lamor-Eaux of Waterville, Kansas. I think
the men are the owner and his son.
I am now in the Shelter Care Home at Augusta, Illinois.
(I bet Ralph would be glad to have a card or hear from some of
our readers).
I’d like to remind you folks to send me recipes for our Book
we hope to publish at some future date but please send me your ONE
favorite goodie. I’ve heard from quite a few and I appreciate
it but some have sent 14, 20 or more and it will be hard for us to
decide how to pick them out. We would like to have a lot of
recipes, but from many people not a deluge of recipes from just a
few people – I know you understand what I’m trying to say – as
we want to use your name with the recipe.
WILLIAM N. STARKEY, 6701 Dorsey Road, Laytonsville, Maryland
20760 would like to pass this little note – ‘Ward F. Bruhn on
page 14 of I.M.A. for Nov.-Dec. 75, wants to know the year of the
engine on the Case postcard. Well, I am not good enough to tell the
year of the engine from looking at it, but I do have several
postcards like the one pictured and others which appear to be from
the same series. Postmarks on several of these cards run from late
in 1908 to 1910, suggesting that the cards were published in 1908.
The only conclusion I would draw from this is that the engine is no
later than a 1908 Model.
See if you can help ROBERT J. MALLEY, 120 Linwood Place,
Williamsville, New York 14221, as he tells us: ‘My father was
killed by an explosion of a Monarch traction engine in 1914, less
than five miles from the factory. I remember the factory well – it
was located in Groton, New York where I lived at the time. I would
appreciate any information, pictures, etc. concerning the Monarch
that you might have. Thank you very much!’
Maybe someone could help EMERY PADDOCK, Box 303, Tarrs,
Pennsylvania 15688 who writes: ‘I have a problem and would like
a favor. I had an ad in the Jan.-Feb. issue for a Marion steam
shovel for sale and only received one answer. I hate to scrap this
shovel and would like to sell it to someone who would use it at
Steam Shows.
Within the last couple of years, there was a picture of the same
model Marion steam shovel in the IMA – I think the owner is located
somewhere in Ohio. I would like to get in touch with him’.
(Anybody out there know who he means, or perhaps this man will read
this and write to Emery – it is very hard for me to go back and
find these things -I do have records of what is in the magazines,
but only if I know names or pages of what issues -please help).
DAVID L. WATSON, Box 245, Loogootee, Indiana 47553
(Daviess-Martin Country Joint Park and Recreational Board) tells
us; ‘West Boggs Park, a two county park in Southern Indiana,
located approximately 4 miles North of Loogootee, Indiana on U.S.
231 is planning an antique show on June 18-20, 1976. After reading
your column in The Iron-Men Album magazine, I felt that your
readers might assist me in having some threshing machines, steam
engines, etc. here for the show.
I am completely unfamiliar with the steps to successfully
setting this up and can use all the assistance and advice I can
get. Thank you for your cooperation! (Well, I printed the letter,
now the rest is up to some good hearted steam fan who will write
Dave).
LARRY WERTH, Route 1, Manawa, Wisconsin 54949 asks: ‘Do you
think one of your readers could help me? I need some information on
a rack and pinion sawmill manufactured by Curtis Mill Company,
Chicago, and St. Louis. I am presently rebuilding one and could
sure use some help.’ (I think probably someone out there could
help Larry-so he’s waiting for your letter).
From HASTON L. ST. CLAIR, R.R. 1, Box 140A, Holden, Missouri
64040 comes this informative missal:
In the Iron-Men Album-Magazine of Sept.-Oct. 1975 Mr. Charles F.
Scheetz of Route 1, Solon, Iowa 52333, sent an old postcard of a
threshing scene. He would like the have the engine identified.
After looking at the picture through a magnifying glass I
concluded that the engine is a Peerless – about a 12H, I would say.
I remember in 1903 a man in our community bought a power baler and
bought a Peerless engine to power it with. The engine, as I recall,
had exactly the same type wheels that are on this engine, and the
same kind of smoke stack.
Peerless was the only company that ever built a rear wheel using
one row of spokes in the center of the rim, as I recall. I remember
so well that these spokes in the rear wheels were wooden.
I might add to this that this power baler baled so much faster
than the old horse power balers at the time, they thought they
could bale straw as fast as it could be threshed, so they decided
they would have a contest.
At that time my father had a threshing machine which was made up
of a 13H Reeves engine and a 28′ Compound Reeves Separator,
28×48, but the test proved otherwise. It did a pretty good job, but
it could not bale as fast as one could thresh. This happened about
1903 or 1904. I am not certain of the exact year but I remember so
well the contest.
I might add to this that some time ago my friend Larry
Bohlmeyer, R.R., Shipman, Ill. 62685, inquired about what company
built a double smokestack engine. The Minneapolis did this, and
they said that a double engine should have two smoke stacks. Now
why they had this idea I could not under stand as all locomotives
had double engines but they only needed one smoke stack. As a
matter of fact, the old Malleys had four engines and they still
continued to use one stack.
CLYDE D. BORDER, 1473 Westgate Drive, Apr. 1, Kissimmee, Florida
32741 writes: ‘Just a short note to tell you I look forward to
each issue of I.M.A., enjoy it very much. I have a question for our
readers. Regarding Peerless engines, what was the largest one ever
built by Peerless? I know the Q is a 10 HP, R is 12, S is 14, T is
15, TT is 16. I know they go higher, but don’t know how
much.’
From JOHN WETZ, Watson Road, Waterman, Illinois 60556 sends some
information on pumps as follows:
‘Concerning Laurence Graves question concerning the steam
required to run a feed pump, I think the 2% he quoted is more
likely to be a 2% drag on the main engine at full power, rather
than using 2% of the total steam to run, say, a steam driven
pump.
Steam driven pumps are very inefficient steam-wise because of
full stroke admission and a big exhaust of hot live steam.
He tells of pumping feed water by hand for one hour and twenty
minutes at 600 PSI to 1000 PSI and expresses doubt that 2% of steam
will pump the feed water. I don’t know how much water he
pumped, but I think we all have an overgrown idea of how powerful a
man’s arm is. Some engineers say a man’s arm develops about
1/7 H.P. We are usually pretty busy doing the work of a 1/4 H.P.
Electric Motor.
I have some data on Cat Pumps, Model 280. This says power
required to pump 1.6 GPM at 300 PSI is 0.3 H.P. This is about 786
lbs. water pumped per hour which at 2% gives you 15 plus lbs. steam
per hour to develop 0.3 H.P. or over 45 lbs. per H.P. hour.
So, properly engineered pumps will supply a boiler with water on
2% or less of the total steam, but if the pump is too big, you will
be pumping a high pressure with a lot of excess water which goes
back thru the bypass, but takes power to pump.’
MRS. LEWIS M. BIRD, 7000 South Dent Road, Hixson, Tennessee
37343 sends this letter to the I.M.A. Family:
‘With all the gloom of inflation, the energy crisis, wars
and rumors of wars surrounding us, I would like to share my
happiness and good news with your retired and about-to-be-retired
readers.
For instance, how would you like to retire in a place with: no
pollution; no tax on retirement income, capital gains or dividends;
no teenage subculture (elders still rule the roost); no major
crime; and one of the world’s highest literacy rates? Well, you
can … in Costa Rica!
Would you like a really stable government? In 1948, Costa Rica
disbanded its Army and put the money saved into their very fine
medical and educational institutions. And, to top that off, it has
Hawaii’s beauty and climate, while the cost of living is so low
you can easily afford to live very well.
Before long, well drive down to our few acres in Guanacaste
Province, near Liberia city. We will build our home for about $10 a
square foot (check your local builders to see what it costs in your
area). We will fish in one of the fresh-water streams near us, go
hiking or camping, ride horseback, play a little golf or tennis, or
just do nothing. If we feel like it, we will take a short drive
down to the Pacific to fish, lie on the beach, or go sailing.
For two very special reasons, our lives have taken on a whole
new dimension, a whole new reason for existing. Like our courageous
First Lady, Betty Ford, I have had successful surgery for breast
cancer. And now, with our discovery of Costa Rica, for the first
time since my husband retired from the U.S. Navy 14 years ago, we
are going to be able to live really live on our retirement pay!
We are very excited about this. So much so, in fact, that if any
readers would like more information about this beautiful, amazing
little country and its Retirement Law, they can write me. I will be
happy to share what I know with them.’
CHARLES KLUTE, 3830 W. US 12 R3, Buchanan, Michigan 49107 offers
this bit: ‘In regard to your article (Smallest Steam Engine at
1876 Exposition) from I.M.A. Jan.-Feb. 76 issue – that engine is
still around. I recently read a short article in a newspaper about
it. The Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield Village, Dearborn,
Michigan, had the engine. I went through a whole stack of old
newspapers trying to find the story for you, but no luck.’
(Thanks Charlie, we later received a letter from Ford Museum
stating ‘In your January-February 1976 issue you wondered where
the 1876 Centennial Miniature Steam Engine is presently located. It
is preserved here at the Henry Ford Museum. It is currently part of
our Christmas exhibit,-Paul H. Leskinen, Assistant Curator, Power
& Shop Machinery, Greenfield Village – so now we all know where
the little engine is being displayed-thanks to both writers).
This interesting bit comes from MICHAEL M. HOBBS, 15 W. 414
Fillmore, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126 as he writes: ‘Since the
Bicentennial is upon us, I thought you’d like to see a clipping
I enjoyed
Sept. 20, 1876 Frank Leslie’s Illustrated10th of MAY OPENING of the Centennial Exposition
at Philadelphia Scenes and Incidents of the Magnificent
Spectacle.
The Grand Procession Starting The Engine The
Foreign Commissioners then move to their respective offices in the
Main Building; the President, escorted by the Commission and Board
of Finance, and their chiefs of departments, architects, engineers,
etc., and the invited guests, enter the north doors of the Main
Building and move, accompanied by the music of grand organs, first
to the east and then to the west, along the great avenue, in such a
manner as to pass by each National Commission. The procession then
crosses Belmont Avenue to Machinery Hall, and walks down the main
avenue to the centre, where stands the great Corliss engine, which
is the subject of another illustration in this paper. This gigantic
motor, by which a mass of machinery extending over almost thirteen
acres is to be operated, is 39 feet in height, weighs 1,792,000
pounds, drives eight miles of shafting, has a fly-wheel 30 feet in
diameter and weighing 70 tons, is of 1,500 horsepower, with a
capacity of being forced to 2,500 horse-power; has two walking
beams weighing 22 tons each, two 40-inch cylinders, a ten-foot
stroke, a crank-shaft 19 inches in diameter and 12 feet in length,
connecting-rods 24 feet long, and piston-rods 6-1/4 inches in
diameter. The platform upon which it rests is 55 feet in diameter,
composed of polished iron plates, and resting upon brick
foundations that extend far down into the earth. The inventor,
patentee and exhibitor is George H. Corliss, of Providence, R.I.,
who is also a member of the Centennial Commission from that State.
The President of the United States and George H. Corliss are
represented in the illustration, each with a hand upon a wheel,
both in the act of giving the initiatory push. At a signal from the
President, steam is put on, the monstrous walking-beams move, one
upwards and the other downwards, the engine is under way, the
thirteen acres of machinery are in motion, and the last act of
opening the Centennial Exhibition to the world is consummated.
JAMES W. CHANDLER, 54 Taylor Street, Frankfort, Indiana 46041 is
so appreciative as he writes: ‘First, may I say I am
overcome by the response to the picture of 32 Reeves #6660. Many
knew the exact whereabouts of the Grand Old Girl. She is now owned
by Howard Pross of Luverne, North Dakota. I also wish to thank your
magazine and staff for the many cards and letters of genuine
sympathy of the passing of our Mother, May E. Chandler and her
brother, Fred Eggleston. And, some chose to call, by telephone,
many states away. As I write, I am nearly overcome, with
thankfulness, that there are so many thoughtful folks left in the
world.’
And here’s a couple of witty words – Everyone should own a
comfortable bed and comfortable shoes because he’s in one or
the other all his life.–If everyone kept out of business because
there was a chance that he might fail, no one would succeed.–and
here’s a winter one–One good thing about a snowfall is that it
makes your lawn look as good as your neighbor’s.