SOOT IN THE FLUES

While visiting relatives at Barrington, Illinois late in July
and early August, I visited the State Railroad Museum at Union,
Illinois and got many fine photos. Their steam powered train and
old trolley attracts capacity crowds, plus the many old engines and
coaches waiting to be repaired. My 24 year old niece tagged along
with me and learned a lot about railroads, engines and old trolleys
and I was happy to be the teacher. Due to circumstances beyond my
control, I couldn’t get to Hedtke’s Steam-Up at Davis Jct.,
Illinois, but better luck next time. I’m sure he had a capacity
crowd, as did other shows in Illinois and Wisconsin.

GEORGE WARE, Nicholasville, Kentucky 40356 says he would like to
see more articles on where different parts, relative to this hobby,
are made, or where they can be located. For example: parts and
grates bars. He also feels we have too many show reports, but as of
now, most folks like to read them and we are trying to please now
we know it is impossible to satisfy everyone’s desires, but
we’re trying. Constructive criticism is always welcome it
doesn’t mean the outcome will always be as you expect, but we
do consider each letter and try to feel what our Magazine families
desire.

FRANK A. PFLUG, 10505 S. 168th Street, R.R., Gretna, Nebraska
68028 writes: ‘Last year a certain party wrote asking about the
first grain binders manufactured and by whom McCormick was the
first, according to my father. There was a wire-tied binder, but as
soon as a twine or cycle tied binder came into manufacture, the
wire ceased. This was in early 1880. My grandfather bought one of
the first McCormick binders made. It was a great deal of oak wood
construction and had a knotter head on a cog gear affair, 5 ft.
cutting platform with wood elevating to carry it to the knotter
head or tying it into bundles. No bundle carrier, it just dropped
them in a row. Then came the Deering very shortly afterwards. It
was of a more steel construction, then very shortly after that, the
Milwaukee and the Piano. The knotter head was an European patent,
English or German origin. They were all 5 ft. cuts or platform. In
1918 we bought a McCormick 8 ft. binder. It took four horses to
pull this, the older model horses. In the early 1920s or later, the
tractor-pulled 10 ft. swathe binder came out quite a different
story and did they cut grain!

Emil Ulrich of Crescent, Iowa, submitted this picture of the
wreck of the almost new 20 HP Aultman Taylor outfit owned and
operated by his Uncle John Menter and Albert Sager (lower right
hand corner of photo). This event happened in 1908 on what is known
as the Turkey Creek bridge near DeWitt, Nebraska. This occurred at
a time when the creek bed was almost dry which helped the wreck to
have a happier ending. There were no broken pipes or serious damage
to the steam engine and no one was injured except for John Menter
who got his foot caught under the engine, but with the use of a
spade was soon free, with no ill effects. A stump puller was used
to pull the machine out. The well dressed man standing by the
bridge bannister was none other than a concerned creditor, Joe
Bryer, who was the Implement Dealer.

I have been a regular subscriber to I.M.A. since 1961 and also
am an old G.E.M. subscriber and do I love these papers! Last March
13th, I celebrated my 78th birthday.’ (Nice hearing from you
Frank and hope you celebrate many more birthdays.)

L. M. GUSLER, Route 1, Box 400, Salem, Virginia 24155 is writing
in regards to a return flue Frick portable steam engine: ‘In
1932 I contacted agent in Roanoke about parts for sawmill. He gave
me a large Frick catalog showing line of sawmills and engines. This
engine had 2 ft. fire tube in boiler, made special for sawmills
18-20 HP. Several sawmill men said it was the most satisfactory
engine they ever owned.

In 1940 we were away from home and when I came home everything
had burned, including the catalog.

I attend the steam show in Bridgewater and Berryville and have
been looking for this special engine but have never seen one.’
(Anyone able to help Mr. Gusler on this special engine?)

STANLEY R. ECKSTINE, Route 1, Box 182, Hagerstown, Maryland
21740 reminisces: ‘While visiting a friend near Purcyville,
Virginia our conversation got around to steam powered equipment
such as traction engines and threshing rigs, etc. I discovered he
was a (steam-power fan) and he showed me his magazine and the good
stories of the good old-time days, of which he also enjoyed.

Well, I’m 78 years old and when the threshing rig came to
our place in 1910, it was my job to haul water from a neighboring
farms spring; big job for a boy of eleven years old, but I liked it
very much and ever since, it’s sorta my hobby too. I had been
at Kinzers in 1974 and taped some of the (toots) of the whistles
and the calliope music, and the attractions to me were Ernest
Lapp’s Belgian 6-horse team with team bells from the
museum.

I hung around the horses waiting for the parade, just to record
the jingle of the bells. My father was born in 1838 and between
1860-1890 drove a 6-horse bell team hauling farm products and
wholesale groceries to and from markets; and Lapp’s bells
chiming was a thrill of a lifetimeI play the tape often just for
the nostalgia of it.’

CLEO E. MIKEL, Route 3, box 263, Edwardsburg, Michigan 49112
would very much like to have a colored print of a Studebaker Goat
Wagon, wooden one (anybody have any they would like to show Cleo? I
don’t even know what it is!!)

JEROME D. PEDERSON, L. R. 232, Box C-26, Wolf Point, Montana
59201 writes: ‘I read with interest Charles Chiarchiaro’s
letter in the July-August Iron-Men Album about the largest steam
engine left in this country. Try these engines on for size: at Iron
Mountain, Mighigan, a two cylinder compound, 100′ and 50′
bore, 10 foot stroke. Height of the engine 54′, diameter of the
flywheel 40’ with a weight of 64 tons. Total engine weight 600
tons, four to ten R.P.M. I don’t know at what boiler pressure
it operated or whether it is still in operating condition, or the
horsepower rating.

The other engine was installed at Republic Steel Corporation,
Cleveland, Ohio in 1916. It has been in continuous service to this
day giving good reliable power every day rolling steel ingots into
slabs. Twin tandem compound reversing horizontal operating
condensing 76′ and 46′ bore by 60′ stroke on a four
main bearing crankshaft directly connected to a rolling mill bar,
200 psi. steam, 200 R.P.M. max., 65′ long, 30′ wide and
10′ high. I do not know the weight of the engine or the size of
the flywheel if it has one. Anyone living closer to these engines
tell us more, maybe send some pictures.’ (Maybe some of you
will know what Jerome is referring to and can let us know more
about them. He read about these engines in a magazine.)

COL. N. D. STUCKEY, 4777 Upper Valley Pike, Dayton, Ohio 45424
sends this note on a show: ‘The London, Ohio Annual Miami
Valley Steam Threshers Show in July 1977 was highlighted by a most
historic event. A tug-of-war between Col. N. D. Stuckey’s 35-70
Minneapolis and 30-60 Aultman Taylor tractors was staged in front
of the grandstand Sunday afternoon. It was a thrilling sight as the
two antique monsters moved back and forth in seeking to pull the
other to prove the best in traction and strength. The bow string
tight chains separated by a large truck tire held the two mighty
tractors together during the see-sawing-wheel digging performance.
The final result, most agreed, was a draw with great fun for all.
(See picture).

ANDREW GOODMAN, 12000 East ‘O’ Street, P. O. Box 80957,
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 is seeking help: ‘Among our collection
of older tractors, we have a Model C Co-op tractor. This is a very
unusual tractor and we have not been able to obtain any information
concerning it. We would like any help in this regard. The tractor
is pretty much complete with the exception of the wheels.’

I want to thank M. B. Martinson, treasurer of Lake Region
Pioneer Threshermen’s Association for sending me a book of
their last year’s show (which was the Bi-Centennial year). It
is really nice and lots of good pictures and information. I
appreciate it. Perhaps we’ll be using some of the material in
the I.M.A.

Hey Fellas please remember to get your Reunion dates to me for
next year just as fast as you can I’ll really appreciate
it.

A short letter from LES WELLNER, Steam Engine Valley, Thorp,
Wisconsin 54771 tells us: ‘I have always wanted to write a
little on my past experience with threshing and sawmilling, but
guess I was only a machine operator, not a writer.

I have sawed lumber for quite a few years and I still do some
custom lumber sawing, most of this sawing was with steam power. I
have three other steam engines which I have also used now and then,
but I like the Minneapolis best on the mill.

I also like the Iron-Men Album very much.’ (Thanks Les, and
why don’t you write us a story of your experiences?)

‘Last fall my husband and son attended the steam show in
Dover and were quite taken with all the engines. Due to this
interest we came across several issues of the Gas Engine Magazine
and the Iron-Men Album.

In several of these magazines we found references to a
Keck-Gonnerman steam engines. We are curious to find out any
information concerning this company.

We would appreciate any information you could give us and names
and addresses where we could write to find out about this company
as you read our signature you will probably understand!’

This came from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Keck, Jr., 6341 Cardinal
Hill Street, N.W., North Canton, Ohio 44720.

WALTER E. SCHRAGE, 1219 Lawn Avenue, New Haven, Indiana 46774 is
looking to you folks for much needed information on five antique
inboard and outboards wants to know where they were manufactured;
by whom and when? They are as follows: 3 HP Harvard outboard, about
1908; 3 HP Kenwood about 1908, inboard; 3 HP Champion A/C about
1936; 6 HP Motor Go Jr. has Bosch magneto on it, Tillotson
carburetor outboard, 1932; and 5 HP Motor Go inboard. All five sold
by Sears Roebuck, Chicago.

GERALD DARR, 215 Oaklawn Avenue, Fremont, Ohio 43420 writes a
letter: ‘I read the letter Gilmar Johnson wrote in a previous
magazine. We visited him in 1960 after reading his name on the
Board of Directors of NTA when that show was being held at
Montpelier, Ohio. That was by first show.

It so happened we had a cottage rented in 1960 at Siren,
Wisconsin which is near Frederic, Ohio. I recall he had a lot of
machinery, plus several engines and he had his Case engine fired up
that Sunday.

I am 59 years old and I recall threshing with steam in the years
of 1924 to 1928. After we moved to another community, they threshed
with an Aultman Taylor gas tractor.

My father and his brother owned and did tilling with a steam
powered Buckeye traction ditcher. I cannot say whatever happened to
that machine.

I had read a few issues of I.M.A. and last September I decided
to subscribe to it I certainly enjoy it. One of our other interests
is going to antique shows and now they are combining them with some
steam engine shows.

I have worked at Whirlpool Corporation plant in Clyde, Ohio for
27 years. My wife is an R.N. and a licensed nursing home
administrator and manages a 100 bed home here in Fremont. We have
pleasant memories reading I.M.A. keep them coming!’

Well by the time you get this you’ll be doing some of your
Christmas shopping and also getting the Thanksgiving goodies ready
aren’t we a lucky people though? Do you ever stop and think
just how many, many blessings we have for which to be thankful? May
I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a Blessed Christmas Season and
here’s a bit called ‘Summertime Christmas’ Sometimes
when I was still a child, Christmas came for me in the summer, when
we visited my father’s folks in Mississippi.

There were beautiful (summer Christmas trees) on the front lawn,
adorned with velvety white magnolia blossoms. I remember the
heavily loaded fig tree just outside our bedroom window, and how I
reached out and touched it. This was Christmas, too, in our hearts,
for there was an abundance of peace and love for God and each
other.

I learned that Christmas could come on a summer’s day.
Christmas could come at any season, if that sense of love were
strong in the family.’ – Dale Evans Rogers.

(Think about that Christmas can mean many things to many
people!) Bye for now and God Bless and I love you all!