Hi! to all our dear family out there! Boy, is it hot!! And I
guess I’m not supposed to say it but this is the last issue of
the year, the Nov-Dec. one, the cold and snowy time of year right
now, it sounds deliciously cool. Well. We are never satisfied, are
we? Comes winter, we’ll be wishing for spring and summer, but
it is fun though to have four seasons of course that’s what
I’d like living where the weather is always the same. Well,
anyhow it is that time to think of house cleaning (that’s
changed a good bit these latter years too) fall activities,
Christmas surprises, festive dinners, helping others, not thinking
of No. 1 so often and those New Year resolutions good luck -how did
the last year’s ones hold up? Anyhow, good times ahead for you
in 1984, may you have many blessings in store!
MEL GRENVIK, Kenmare, North Dakota 58746 sends a letter
regarding the inquiry by George W. Mairs of Pinckney, Michigan in
the July-August issue concerning license agreements between
American and Canadian firms for building American designs in
Canada. ‘I know of only two in addition to the Baker-MacDonald
deal he mentions, ‘ relates Mel.
The Robert Bell Engine and Thresher Company of Seaforth, Ontario
completed a license agreement in about 1900 to build the Port Huron
steam traction engine in Canada. This was a design by the Port
Huron Engine and Thresher Co. of Port Huron, Michigan. I believe
the Bell Company is still in business and offers to manufacture a
complete new boiler for steam traction engines.
Also, the John Abell factory in Toronto was purchased by the
combination of Advance Thresher Co. and Minneapolis Threshing
Machine Co. in 1902 and reorganized as the American Abell Engine
and Thresher Company. This factory was absorbed by M. Rumely
Company in 1912.
Possibly older readers know of other such agreements across the
border. I hope this information is of some help.’ (Any other
folks have any data on this issue, please let us hear from
you.)
‘I’m writing in regard to a letter on page 13 of the
July-August I.M.A. from R. W. Creek. I enjoyed his letter but I
feel the R.P.M. figures for the drive pulley and mandrel pulley are
turned around. I believe it should read a 14 inch drive pulley
turning 900 RPM. Driving a 28’ mandrel pulley will produce a
saw speed of approximately 450 RPM. Using the sizes of pulleys
listed and the RPM figures given, this is the only combination that
would produce a reasonable saw speed, as I don’t believe you
would want to turn the saw at 900.
On page 18 of the same issue, Mr. Carl Erwin cautions against
running a saw too fast. He mentions 475 to 500 RPM depending on
horse power and I agree with his figures.’ This letter came
from DARVIN E. JAHNKE, Star Route, Box 357-A, Detroit Lakes,
Minnesota 56501.
BETTY ELLIOT, RR3, Florence, Ontario, Canada NOP 1RO sends this
human interest bit as she relates: ‘Last Christmas, my
daughter, Janice Elliott, who was then 12 years old, sat down and
in about a half hour composed the attached poem. Some of our
friends, antique buffs, read it and suggested we sent it in to your
magazine. We thought it might be appropriate for your Christmas
issue. Janice is very much interested in your magazine and always
attends the Western Ontario Steam Show at Brigden.’ (It’s
great and deserves a place in the magazine. It deals with some
steam, but I think Santa has definitely become more modern as time
goes by as he goes to the gas machines for transportation. I
believe you’ll enjoy it. As for Janice, perhaps she will
combine a career of mechanics and journalism).
Just a friendly chat in the form of this communication comes
form GERALD DARR, 215 Oaklawn Avenue, Fremont, Ohio 43420 and he
states: ‘While reading I.M.A. I kept watch of smoked pork
sausage on the grill. I wonder how many IMA readers have tried
grilling pork sausage either smoked or plain?
In the May-June issue I read of the Rubens collection in Gatene,
Sweden. My wife and I are going to the Scandinavian countries
leaving New York in August and would like to visit Gatene and see
the collection. I attend the N.T.A. show at Wauseon, Ohio and hope
to get down to the Dover show also.
Some year I would like to go to the show at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
or the Lake Region Show at Dalton, Minnesota. It would really be
something to see that Wheelock engine in operation. The crew sure
put a lot of effort to tear that engine down and set it more than
500 miles away. They did an incredible job. My wife is a native of
Barnesville, Minnesota which is somewhere close to Dalton. Keep the
I.M.A. coming as I enjoy each issue.’
JAY UNJAY, 900 Farrell, Unitas, Pennsylvania 28222 (This post
office and zip code are nowhere to be found in the postal books, so
somewhere we have an error. Jay’s writing was quite legible and
it seemed to be written plainly as above maybe he’ll get in
touch with me and we can get the address straightened out.)
Jay went on to say: ‘Mr. Gronewald of St. Peters, Missouri
asks in the Sept-Oct issue the make of a large tractor pictured
pulling a road grader. That tractor was shown, if memory serves me
right, a long time back in one of your magazines. I don’t have
the magazine available at present to research same. However, it was
listed as a Pioneer or Parrett. it was listed as a big piston, 6
cylinder brute with high rear drivers and high horsepower and also
high fuel consumption. Not much to go on, just a start. Love your
mag, never a drag.’ (Any of you folks help out any more with
more identification on the above item?) See picture on page 13,
Sept-Oct. 1983 issue.
A regular contributor to our column is CARL M. LATHROP, 108
Garfield Avenue Madison, New Jersey 07940 and here is a note of
interest from his latest excursion: ‘When one travels in a
foreign land many miles from home and fireside the chance passing
of a familiar face quickens the heart beat. I have just returned
from a trip to the Amazon jungle area of Ecuador where travel is
either by airplane or dugout canoenothing much in between.
Enroute, the Alto-plano region which is Ecuador’s
breadbasket was a side trip. Riding a decrepit bus down a bumpy
road one day I passed a hacienda and in the farmyard stood a
familiar machine with the name New Holland.
We both were a long way from home I hope to make it home in due
course. Those New Holland machines will never again see Lancaster,
County. But, seeing something familiar had the usual effect. Later,
as my plane approached Newark Airport I pointed out the Statue of
Liberty to a little old Italian lady in the seat next to me. She
smiled broadly and said with feeling ‘God Bless America’. I
agreed.’
In one of our back letters, we had some helpful hints and I
thought I would pass them on to you. It comes from MRS. WM. HINTZ,
9679 E. Co. Road 32, Box 78, Green Springs. Ohio 44836: Household
Hints -1. use a grapefruit rind as a pad to clean copper. Sprinkle
the rind with salt and rub. The tarnish disappears fast. 2. To
remove crayon marks from plaster board walls, etc. rub a little
toot paste on the marks. You will find they come off very easy. 3.
Instead of using flour or constarch for thickening in vegetables,
try a few spoons of minute rice. This is especially good in stewed
tomatoes and they are ready to serve in a jiffy. 4. Bake potatoes
in a cupcake pan for easy handling. Be sure to prick them with a
fork though, or they will tend to explode easier. 5. When Baby
thinks he is big enough to hold his cup but can’t avoid a few
spills, cut a hole in a sponge to just fit the bottom of his cup.
Fit his cup inside and the sponge will catch the spills.
(Perhaps many of you have time-saving or inexpensive short cuts
to help make our lives run more smoothly let us know).
DENNIS EMERY, 4391 Stewart Road, Metamora, Michigan 48455 writes
a letter of appreciation: ‘I want to thank you for printing the
article in I.M.A. of May-June, page 10. It did make a good tribute
to my Dad.
I’ve had a little bad luck this summer in that I wasn’t
able to take the Huber to Wauseon, Ohio nor to our own show over at
Crossroads Village near Flint, but hopefully next year will fall
into place again.
We here in Michigan surely enjoy your fine magazine and hope it
continues for many more years to come. Keep the soot cleaned from
the flues and the steam up!’
Since this is a fall issue and hunting is in process in many
areas, I thought you might enjoy this short story called A Real
Killjoy. We have here a story about one of our good steam friends,
who we will not name at this time as we do not wish to embarrass
him needlessly. This particular steam thresher is also an ardent
sportsman. A few years back he went deer hunting in Maddison
County, Montana. He came back quite disappointed and disillusioned
as he had not even seen a deer during his entire stay. Mr. X was
also quite a photographer, and had taken a number of scenery shots
which he hoped would turn out good. Well, some of them did, at
least one of them was especially interesting, as right in the
center, staring smack into the camera lens, was a beautiful
six-point buck. This would drive a man with only ordinary stamina
to drink. Isn’t that some story, though? True, but
heartbreaking and a bit funny too, except to the hunter. This was
in the Central North Dakota Steam Threshers, Inc. Show book of
1974-75.
In ending, some things to think about, perhaps to help us better
ourselves. There’s so much good in the worst of us, and so much
bad in the best of us, that it’s hard to tell which one of us
ought to reform the rest of us. How rare it is to find a person
quiet enough to hear God speak. Isn’t it true, you can usually
do the things your want to do. If you want your dreams to come
true, don’t oversleep. Happy Holidays – Love You All.
