Box 241, Bird City, Kansas 67731.
I have been a reader of I.M.A. Magazine for many
years and when a new issue comes, all other activity ceases
until I have read all of it, including the want ads. Also
enjoy the articles and pictures of the old engines rescued
from the junk piles which will soon be restored to near new
condition.
I have a story about a Junker being restored at a time when a
good used engine could be bought quite cheap. Better start with the
beginning of our threshing business. When I was nearly 19 my
brother, S. V., who was 2 years older, and I, bought our first
threshing rig. A 16 HP Russell #11182 and an Advance separator. The
price was $600.00. It had been badly used but with a lot of work,
we had the rig in fair shape and had a well paying run the first
year, 1910.
About 1912 we had a blacksmith shop, also a garage in south
central Nebraska with the shop fairly well equipped. Sort of a one
horse place, the same as most shops at that time. The local Case
dealer came in the garage one day and asked if we had a pair of
tires that would fit his car. (We were selling a few tires which
were not the best grade.) We found the tires and he said he had an
18 HP Gaar-Scott engine northwest of town that he would trade for
the tires. We traded and some time later steamed the Russell and
pulled our prize to the shop.
We knew that it had been badly wrecked and soon found that the
cylinder head was blown out, piston rod broken, cross shaft bent,
connecting rod bent and the front end broken, throttle gone and no
injectors; also a few minor parts gone. We did not know the cause
of the wreck but knowing the reputation of the former owners
thought there may have been alcohol involved. They had run it only
a few days after buying it from the man who bought it new in the
early 1890’s. We knew this man and he was a good operator.
We did have some experience working on steamers, but more
ambition than know-how.
The boiler appeared to be in good shape, crown sheet perfect, no
sign of a leaky stay bolt or flue, but the sides of the firebox
were warped in just above the grates on each side. We straightened
the bulges and put a new stay bolt in each, 22 in all. When
drilling holes for the stay bolts we found no thin pieces neither
did the metal paper to be burned. Can anyone tell me what caused
this defect? It was a full water bottom boiler and had always been
run in an area where the water is extremely soft. Never had a leaky
stay bolt or flue as long as we had it. Working in our spare time
and with some expense, we did a good job of restoring it. Made new
stirrup for connecting rod, forge welded it, straightened
connecting rod and cross shaft. We had a lathe and made a new
piston rod made new coal bunkers, canopy and new head tank. Two new
injectors as it had no crosshead pump. Injectors at that time cost
about $15.00 each. Desmond injectors, good as any we ever used.
Cleaned and painted it and it was a first class engine. It had a
link reverse, the best I ever ran except for the Russell, but I
doubt if the Russell would be satisfactory on much of anything
except a balanced valve.
We ran this engine on a 36 x 58 Case separator a year or two in
Nebraska and in 1915 shipped the rig to Bird City, Kansas where
about 90% of the grain was headed and stacked. All grain in
Nebraska was bound, with much of it threshed from the shock, but
some stack threshing. This engine was hard to fire, but my brother
(S.V.) or I, could always keep it hot. Had the boiler been
completely jacketed it would have fired easier. Some time in the
1920’s two men came in the shop and asked if we would sell the
Gaar-Scott and Case separator. S.V. was not there so I contacted
him and as we could see that combines would soon take over we
decided to price it. Thinking they would want us to cut our price,
we made it plenty high. When I told them our price and they said
they would take it, but we would have to wait for our money two or
three weeks. (Didn’t ask for a price cut.) In about three weeks
we had their check. Had other deals that did not turn out so
well.
I am in no way an authority on steamers but do have my own
opinion of different makes I have run including Russell, Case,
Nichols & Shepard, Advance and Huber. All had their good
features, with the Russell being my favorite belt engine. The Huber
the most economical on fuel and the most powerful, the 25 x 75
Case.
I was talking to our local wheat king one day, Mr. A. Weaver,
and he said he had a few fields that they had failed to get on the
regular run. Took more than 3 weeks, as he found more than he had
expected. Had his 25-75 Case on a 40-62 Case with long extension
feeder. With 8 pitchers that thing would eat a lot of hay. Have no
idea how many bushels we threshed, but it looked like a lot.
I ran the Huber for an uncle of mine late one fall to finish his
run near Clayton, Kansas. Being late in the fall it was not a belly
burner. A nice engine to run and the only one I ever ran with a
crosshead pump that always worked. The slow RPM of course accounts
for the good operation of the pump. Never had much luck with a
crosshead pump on a Russell, too high speed.
I’ve read that it takes a long time to steam a cold Huber.
Not if one knows how and my uncle knew the trick. Leave the fire
door open enough to get a good draft and a Huber will steam about
as quick as most engines.
I also ran the Advance on a fodder shredder one winter. Some
days the temperature was never above zero. S.V. and I operated a
lot of machinery during our fifty year partnership and always had a
profit from threshing.
Our last year of threshing we used a 40-70 Flour City Gas
Tractor on a Case separator. A nice tractor to handle and plenty of
power. We owned many gas tractors with our farming operations. Most
of them were good tractors at their time which included Flour City,
Hart Paar, Emerson, Wallis, John Deere and I.H.C. most of which
became obsolete many years ago. At the time of my brother’s
death in 1964 we were using 7 I.H.C. W9 tractors.
We had our ups and downs, but always came out on top. Never a
serious accident but came close at times. A few fires with only one
grain stack burned, but several straw piles went up in smoke.
What an interesting life I have had from horse and buggy to
space age. Now Father Time is breathing down my back. Spend most of
my time in bed or a wheel chair. Can take a few steps with the aid
of two canes, but STILL A STEAM BUFF!
