SOOT IN THE FLUES

A happy member of our family writes: ‘What a wonderful
surprise it was when I saw my photograph ‘Ghost Past’ on
the front cover of the Jan/Feb 1991 issue of the Iron-Men Album as
well as having one of my photographs published on the back cover of
the same issue. Making the front and back cover of your magazine to
a steam fan is like making the cover of Time magazine.

‘Presently I am building a small portable steam engine. At
this time, I am doing the plumbing/pipe fitting now which enables
the steam to flow from the boiler to a 3 x 2 x 3 Snow steam pump
and also to my 3 x 4Vi steam engine. Restoring steam engines is a
hobby of mine, since I am an electronic technician by trade. I am
learning as I go along. I am planning to send pictures and write an
article about the process I went through to build my little
portable engine when I complete it. (Please do).

‘I would like to see more articles from readers who have
restored old steam engines, telling how they overcame the problems
they encountered while restoring them.’ (This letter came from
LARRY D. VAN DE MARK, 209 N. Grimes, Carl Junction, Missouri
64834).

LOWELL HAYES, 275 Weed Drive, Columbia, South Carolina
29212Telephone 803-781-6603 writes: ‘I have a Tozier engine
manufactured by John A. Willis of Columbia, South Carolina. I
bought it through Mother Earth News a couple of years ago. It is
supposed to be in operating condition but I have never been brave
enough to fire it up. Are there any readers out there who would
like to help me? Please call or write.’

‘I have been hearing about miniature steam power amusement
park rides and would like to see articles about them in the
magazine that you send out.’ writes WAYNE ‘DENNIS’
NALE, 3335 Latham Drive, Texas 75229. (How about it? Anyone have
any information on this subject? Let Wayne hear and let us know
too. We would appreciate it)

C. R. SINDELAR, S47 W22300 Lawnsdale Road, Waukesha, Wisconsin
53186 sends this concerning Jan/Feb 1991 issue: ‘I sure do hope
you’ll publish any findings you get regarding the inquiry by
Ted Stein of Streator, Illinois, and the remains of that mystery
steamer he located. What are those wheels from? The answer will
help educate us new kids on the block, and it also might well
surprise some of the old kids who think they know it all.

‘Regarding a picture in the same issue in an article by Art
Brigham about the Oak Creek Show: The caption under the picture on
page 18 implies incorrectly that the engine pictured is Jim
Tesch’s 80 (#35202). It is not! Rather, it is Willard
Griswold’s 65, #35326 that is now owned by Jim Ecker of
Stockbridge, Wisconsin. I’m sorry about that Jimbut to many of
us that engine will always be Willard Griswold’s 65.

‘Regarding the ‘Dorset Steam Fair’ on page 20 of the
same issue the Case engine pictured is surely not engine number
C-632. That would make it an 1879 model which it is not. That
number would rather appear to be a part number. My parts book calls
C-632 a Reverse Shaft, prior to engine number 9046. The picture
clearly shows the short smoke box which indicates production prior
to 1910. In some ways it is similar to my 1907, 9 HP, engine number
18630. One can see the two bolts on the side of the smoke box where
the engine number plate should be but it is missing. Maybe the
number should be 18632? or ? but it certainly is not C-632.

‘I am concerned that each issue of IMA seems to be shorter
than the previous issue. We must take steps to reverse this
alarming trend. You readers get busy! Write up a story on your
engine, or your show, or something you’ve seen. Maybe you could
send in a picture or two or more. You surely have something that
you don’t need. I urge everyone to do their part to help.
Let’s make the IMA as great as it can be it would be great if
there were more material.

‘I admit I am not a writer and I’m sure there are
critics among you who will be able to find considerable fault with
what I submit. Maybe there are those of you who are saying’
he’s just blowing smoke’. Well, I am committed to doing my
part. You just watch the issues yet to come. My name will not be in
every issue, but I assure you it’ll pop up from time to time.
Your goal should be to do the same. I know there are some who say
they don’t have time. I say to that horse feathers! I have long
considered myself to be the busiest person I know. I learned long
ago that if you need help, don’t ask the person who appears to
have nothing to do, as he surely feels he is far too busy. Look for
a person who is truly swamped with work. A person with his fingers
in many projects burns up a lot of energy but some way always find
the time somewhere to help a friend when needed.’

(Thanks for trying to get some more material in to me, Chuck. I
would really like that, but I realize IMA stones are not as
available as gas engine ones as they must all come from people who
own engines or pass them along down to the next generation, and
there are only a limited number of steam traction engines gas
engines are more widely owned and less inexpensive. But, I do
believe there are many stories and pictures out there that need to
find their rightful place in our magazine. So, how about it, steam
lovers, I’ll be eagerly waiting for your communications. And
yes, you can write I’ll figure it out and it need not be
perfect, just interesting).

CORNELIUS F. PAULUS, Route 3, Box 79AG, Douglas, Georgia 31533
sends us these three pictures with information. No.1 is a
Minneapolis engine plowing; Ken Brownell is driving. Steve Moe,
Route 1, Downing, Wisconsin is operating the engine. This engine
was purchased new in 1911. Steve’s grandfather was hired to run
it, later bought it, then left it to Steve’s father and now
Steve has ita one family engine! No. 2 and 3These pictures were
made with a Kodax box camera about 1934-35. On the engine is C. F.
Paulus, about 16 years old. Mr. LeTendre is talking to him he was
the tank man. With his back to the camera by the bundle wagons is
my father, George Paulus. Threshing was at our place, Pioneer Farm,
Drywood, Wisconsin. Baker 23-90 Uniflow engine, and Rumely 36-60
Separator.

‘The man by the engine, Amados LeTendre was my very good
friend. He spent many hours telling me about 1886 until the logging
days as known by him were just about gone. He was a first class
river man and I personally knew three men who felt they owed their
lives to him as he had rescued them from drowning at one time or
another on river drives. If only I could have all his stories on
tape!! (Or written and sent in to this column).

The following communication comes from STUART ROSE, 6342 Bliss
Road, Saranac, Michigan 48881: ‘Here is something to discover
in this new year. Does anybody know the whereabouts of this engine
and/or the location this picture was taken?

‘Several clues are obvious, such as the sign George L.
Johnson, Auctioneer-Realtor, LaCross, Indiana; the
‘decorated’ silo, windmill in background etc. The engine is
perhaps a Case 60 fitted for a street parade and how about that
headlight on the frontsure is a dandy!

‘I sure enjoy your magazine and am involved in the slow
process of building a 7/l6 scale Advance Rumely 22 HP steam
traction engine. The boiler is nearly complete. I need the
following information on (1) procurement of engine castings, or
patterns; and (2) differential gears. (Massey-Harris ’55’
differential would work).

‘This picture belonged to my grandfather, Sheldon A. Rose,
who passed away on June 9,1967. Grandad farmed north of Saranac
most of his life and was knowledgeable on just about any engine or
tractor with which he came in contact.’

‘As my wife wrote the check for ‘re-fuel’ time, a
funny thought went through my mind, writes JAMES BYRD, 1310 Via
DeLuna Drive Beach, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561.

‘I turned 70 not too long ago and I thoughtI’ve lived
through hay and oats re-fuel, to gasoline or more often, kerosene
or fuel oil.

‘In threshing, I worked the last years of steam power, to
tractor power and then worked a combine rig for two or three
seasons before World War II took me away from the farms.

‘During the farm years, I went through the big Depression
and as if that wasn’t enough, we went through five years of
dust bowl, about the middle of the Depression, and many of us were
tested again as we fought and won a war on two vast fronts that
divided the world on each side of us.

‘A question!Are there any reprints available of literature
on the Twin City tractor line? I recall the 18-25s that were used
to pull eight foot blade Adams leaning wheel graders in the Byrd
Township Road District where I grew up.

‘Also, Massey Harris threshers?? Anything on them? Their ads
in the farm magazines always featured a pair of masculine hands
rubbing grain loose from a group of wheat heads, with the caption
‘Massey-Harris Threshers rub the grain from the straw.’
They never elaborated, but I wonder if they were pioneers of the
rasp bar threshing cylinder that became almost universal later in
combines. We all remember the ‘harvest brigades’ of
combines, mostly Massey Harris, that harvested the wheat in the
western plains, mostly right after W.W. II.

‘In Jackson, Missouri there is a thresher in a farm museum
named ‘The Freeze Thresher’. It was built in Cape
Girardeau, Missouri. It has an unusual shaker system to sift the
grain from the straw following the main threshing cylinder. It is
different, being of a series of fingered shafts that intermesh with
each other and keep slipping the straw over and over them. It must
have been a very smooth running machine.

‘Yes, I know Billy Byrd. We are good friends and very
possibly distant kin. All the Byrds I know of came from England
Commonwealth and were active in the Williamsburg Colonial
Government.’

WILLIAM FLOWERS, Route 1, Box 332, Adena, Ohio 43901 sent this
in pertaining to a sale of some of the equipment belonging to the
late William Humphyville of Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Thought some
folks might be interested in it. 16 HP Russell, 1921, #17025,
$11,000; HCK Huber 1930, $700; 1968 Cub Cadet garden tractor, $900;
South Bend 9′ lathe, $1000; New Injector, $35; 3′
Lukenheimer Plain Whistle, $210; Crane 3′ Plain Whistle, $150;
Uprite Steam Engine, $600; Uprite Boiler, $275; Small 1 cylinder
Model Steam Engine, $600; and Small 1 Cylinder Model Steam Engine,
$275.

Since this is the May-June issue and Mother’s Day is May
12th, I thought you might be interested in part of a letter to a
mother from an adoring daughterthus:

‘My mother is one of the most important people in my life.
Sometimes, I think if I give her everything she really deserves,
NOT presents, but the most important things in life like love, care
and thankfulness, that would be more loving.

‘She barely has any time to herself. All day long she is
either watching us kids, cleaning up all our toys and things that
we leave out and never pick up, or cooking to feed us. And what do
we do while she is doing all that? We’re always playing with
something or other. We don’t really think about how hard it is
to take care of us kids. There are three of us, you know; my
younger sister, Megan, 6, and my brother, Timmie 4 and me. And
sometimes it is very hard to do everything that she needs to
do.

‘A lot of times, I used to think, ‘Boy, my Mom is really
mean because she won’t let me do anything,’ but now I know
that’s not true. She really does love me when she says
‘No’she just doesn’t want me to do whatever I had asked
her.

‘I think I should start being more thankful. The things she
does don’t seem very big, but they really areI really care
about my Mom because she is very caring, loving, nice and she loves
all of us the same.

‘So, from now on I’m going to start being more thankful
and helpful. Mom, I really love you. Sometimes, I don’t act
like it, but I really do. You are the best in the world. Thanks for
everything! One thing is for sureno matter what happens, if we get
in a fight or if we don’t agree, I will never stop loving
you.’

This was written by my granddaughter, Kortni, 12 years old. She
had told me about writing it for Mother’s Day and I suggested
that I put it in my columnI thought many of you would enjoy itand
it probably brings back some memories of your daughters.
Kortni’s mother is Keliremember she worked for the magazines
for quite awhileI know some of you remember her.

And actually I guess the children do leave things out etc., but
in all honesty, they are all well-disciplined, well-mannered
children, but I think the above letter was sweet and this is a
surprise for her mother. She knows nothing about this letter.