Like the proverbial charm of a snake of its prey, the steam
engine attracts. You never see a steamer without a long look. One
man uses a portable engine as an attraction at his gas station and
it was the talk of the people for miles around. Folks bought gas
from him as an excuse to look at the engine. Beauty does not enter
in. You would not say a Kitten Engine is beautiful but when you see
build, and operation. It has CHARM. I have a couple engines on
display, no one would say they are beautiful; but I am delighted to
imagine how the man who first bought it felt when he got word it
was at the station and he made preparation to go the next morning
and unload it. He worked all day and brought it home that evening,
and at supper he told his wife what a great puller it was. . .
CHARM!
There is something about them power reliability when you open
the throttle it goes. We may select our wives on beauty, but not an
engine there it is CHARM. If it has butt strap boiler it is in a
certain class if it is a single riveted boiler, it is in another
class, if wood wheels it is in another class, if it has square
guides, it is in another, but all are CHARM.