969 Iron Bridge Rd Mount joy, Pennsylvania 17552
At the Blue Mountain show, I passed a lady wearing a tee shirt
which said, ‘If Mama’s not happy, ain’t nobody
happy.’ Well, this ‘Mama’ was very happy at the grove
in Jacktown, Pennsylvania, on July 16th, 1998.
The best retirement benefit for a gas engine guy is the
opportunity to arrive early and pick a choice spot at a show. All
was quiet when we turned in the driveway. As I gazed at the
well-manicured grounds, I could see there had been a lot of
planning and preparation. In fact I was told about a group of men
known as ‘The Boys’ who often meet at the grounds and on
occasion at the diner in Bangor. They are the ones who keep the
grove lookin’ so good. They also do other club projects as well
on a regular basis. These ‘boys’ are leaving a grand legacy
for the younger generation.
This was the first I had seen the area that once had been dense,
unusable underbrush transformed into a beautiful shady, grassy
park-like setting. To make us comfortable and to add a friendly
touch, unusual light-weight portable chairs which come in sections
were set around the grounds. These chairs are easily moved at will
to watch a demonstration or just to sit in the shade and reflect. I
think Al Stickney asked Lloyd Osmun St., if the club would be
interested in some chairs and he said, ‘sure.’ Lloyd has
great vision and always wants everyone to be happy at the show.
What a guy!
We chose a spot at the rear so we could have our truck camper
with our display. As we finished setting up our display, it seemed
the activity began. From our vantage point, we watched the many
brands of tractors arrive and fill up their designated area. We saw
huge dump trucks unload gigantic logs for the saw mill, and smaller
logs for the drag saw, shingle and planer operations.
Also arriving and placed near the saw mill was an unusual
machine called the Morgan Lock Corner Cutter manufactured in 1896.
Among other things, it was used to make finger joint boxes for the
shipment of Remington typewriters. It dawned on me that in the
future people will be collecting old typewriters and kids will be
asking, ‘What are those things?’ This machine is owned by
Mark and Dawn Cromley from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania who work very
hard: at their exhibit as they make souvenir finger joint boxes
branded on the lid with the club’s logo. The boxes made an
unusual and useful souvenir.
Then came the truck bringing the gigantic In gersol-Rand oil
engine once used at the I-R plant in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. This
is an eight cylinder, 101/2‘ bore,
12’ stroke, 8308 CI, 1000 HP at 720 Max r.p.m. The engine was
built in 1936. A diesel motor is used to start the big engine. When
show time for this is about to begin, the engine guys pick up the
four-seat benches, plunk them down, sit with their arms folded and
watch it run. Although I could see no visible moving parts, the
absolute power the emanates from it is fascinating. I have a
picture of a giant piston once used in it. This engine is owned by
Joe Stasyshyn.
Bob Mayberry from Port Murray, New Jersey, demonstrated his
craft by making ‘furniture-for-fun’ from logs with a Stihl
chain saw.
This was the first year that I had seen the new gazebo which is
used for musical entertainment during the evenings of the event and
the Sunday morning church service. The public has always been
invited to this show at no charge, day or evening. It’s a real
family event which touches many generations.
Friday evening the tractors lined up to pull their way to the
finish line, and Saturday afternoon there was a child’s tractor
pull. There were so many children involved, the big guys had to
wait to make their parade around the grounds. No one was in a
hurry.
Nearby the I-R engine, Herb Bedell of Masonville, New York, set
up a row of small engines, not your usual ones but unique designs.
One of his small engines included a very nice brass lamp as a pump.
Could this have come from one of his wife’s best living room
lamps? I bet she has to keep an eye on everything in the house.
Last winter he also made a new shiny dark green, very small
two-seater truck trimmed in red with a surrey on the top. I hope he
takes me for a ride next year.
Lloyd Osmun Sr., brought a large rare Backus Water Motor nicely
restored in bright red. It was manufactured in June of 1894 in
Newark, New Jersey. It is a very sharp-looking engine. I saw Lloyd
at Rough & Tumble, and he said with a little smile he’s
looking to trade it for a 1935 Harley-Davidson.
Will Bullivant of Asbury, New Jersey, had an interesting display
of about twenty-five antique regular size sewing machines. I saw a
very nice one with mother-of-pearl flowers set on the base. To my
surprise, it was made in 1875 by the Providence Tool Company in
Rhode Island, my home state. I noticed when he was packing up to
leave he brushed each one with a special spray applied to a big
black soft brush and carefully dusted them inside and out before
covering them. I wonder if he helps out at home.
Speaking of sewing machines, Judith Burmeister of Fountainville,
Pennsylvania, was working away at her 1910 Singer treadle machine.
This year she was making an unusually beautiful multi-colored rug.
Her talent for braiding and her knowledge of sewing is remarkable.
She also has a nice display of very sweet teddy bears which she
makes.
Next I ventured into ‘Lathe City.’ I found a lathe
operated by a huge, beautifully crafted wooden wheel called a
‘Great Wheel.’ When hand-cranked it is the power for the
lathe that turns out wooden objects. I watched a pedal-operated
wood lathe turning out a rolling pin. This International Famous
lathe was manufactured in 1900, and is owned by Jack and Doris
Shelly. Jack and Doris enjoy working with the youth of today to
encourage their creativity. Barry Werner of Bedminster was using a
pedal-powered metal lathe which was turning out fancy brass
punches.
I went by Leonard Haring of Ore-field, Pennsylvania who makes
miniature hay bales on a model 1926 John Deere baler
(1/6 scale of the original). He and a friend
were working feverishly to repair a temporary snag so he could
continue to make and give away the little bales. The bales are the
perfect thing to use with miniature farm equipment in your family
room over the winter when you get ‘gas engine show
fever.’
I stopped to talk to Gary and Alan Ruschman from East
Stroudsburg. They had a display of toy steam engines hooked up to
wonderful little working toys that do their thing. A
1/2 HP New Holland engine and compressor
power the steam engines and the fancy little animated toys. To name
a few, there was a windmill with water trough, a Bing water pump, a
sausage maker made in 1950, and a Bing butter churn made in 1902.
Also they had a fire tower with firemen climbing up the tower. My
favorite was a tiny wooden lady Alan hand-carved using as a model a
picture from a book. She was moving up and down bending over a
washboard scrubbing clothes. Alan showed me a book, ‘Steam
Toys, A Symphony in Motion’ by Martin Hirschberg. It blew my
mind to see all the beautiful and intricate toys of the past.
Pictured in the book was a Marklin Fauground Carousel which today
will sell for $80,000. It’s sad to think this creativity ended
abruptly with the advent of WWII.
I am finally getting to the reason I entitled this article
‘Water World.’ The show featured pumps. It was interesting
to see the great number of exhibitors who participated in this
special event by bringing their engines/pumps out to the show.
There were several trailers filled with, if I may say, pretty
pumps painted in many bright colors. I took a picture of an old
Model A Ford truck with the restored wooden bed filled with a
really nice collection of old pumps.
Bud Wakefield of Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, had a very
interesting collection of many good-looking restored pumps. He told
me his favorite is a Myers deep well manufactured in 1920. I found
something else I liked among these pumps. It is a cast iron
alligator lawn sprinkler about a foot long. He is a very
interesting old fellow not Bud, the alligator. Bud is searching for
the old iron turtle and duck sprinklers to be ‘Allie’s’
companions. Anyone have any extra sprinklers?
Barry Navarre of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, set up for action
hydraulic ram models, a water powered fan and a water powered egg
beateryes I said ‘egg beater.’ He also had a very nice
1/2 scale model of a corn sheller designed by
the late Bruce Moyer. As I looked down I saw in his unique and
well-engineered display of two motors, one red and one black,
hanging from a special reservoir which was set on a stand. The
water motors were pumping water into a galvanized tub. They were
shaped something like my old hair dryer.
I talked to a gentleman parked next to me who had an outstanding
fancy light blue pump with lattice work on it among his collection.
He told me how he acquired it. He was driving down the road when he
spotted this pump used as a stand for a mail box. (This idea had to
come from a woman.) He noticed the house was for sale. He contacted
the realtor and was awarded the pump for just asking. How about
that!Just ask and receive.
There were two young boys who set up very nice displays. One had
a very nice collection of John Deere farm equipment. The other
young fellow had a collection of tractors and operated his model
train for onlookers. I am sorry I didn’t get their names.
The family emphasis came into focus further when I noticed many
fathers taking time to stop and explain the design and function of
this old equipment to their children as they passed by our New Way
engines.
I have one more story with a moral that will encourage you to
‘never give up.’ It’s about our buddy from New England,
Norm Jones, who lives at 28 Locust Road in Chelmsford,
Massachusetts 01824. We met Norm years ago at Rough &. Tumble.
Every now and then he would mention his Lowell gas engine made by
the Lowell Model Company in Lowell, Massachusetts, that needed
parts.
After fifteen years of searching for information, his heart
raced as he came face to face with a working engine practically in
his own backyard at the Straw Hollow Show in Boyleston,
Massachusetts. Imagine thatthe search was over.
Norm was able that day, thanks to Bob Ring of Wakefield,
Massachusetts, to take measurements of the two dozen parts he
needed. During the winter months of 1998 he built the entire
governor mechanism, battery saver circuit, and the entire exhaust
valve assembly. He also added ignition parts. He made a brass water
tank.
The engine is thermo-siphoned. The hot water will rise to the
top. It flows into the top of the column. As the water cools it
sinks. The Lowell has a piston tripped igniter mechanism. This
engine and what it was used for is listed in C. H. Wendel’s
American Gasoline Engines Since 1872. It seems to an exact
duplicate of the Gillespie 1/2 HP engine made
by the L. W. Gillespie &. Company in Marion, Indiana.
Norm’s pride and joy, the Lowell gas engine, had its first
run at the Blue Mountain Show this July. Norm also asked me to give
credit to John Rex and Bill Lopoulas who were a great help in the
completion of this project. Norm also builds models and can be
found hanging out at the very busy model pavilion.
The Lowell engine is of particular interest to me as many of my
father’s family resided in Lowell, Massachusetts. If anyone has
one of these engines, contact Norm. (If there are any of my long
lost cousins out there, please contact me.)
We checked out the club’s large Watts Campbell 100 HP steam
engine which has Corliss type valves. This engine is installed on a
concrete base. My husband, Ed, told me it was an excellent
restoration job. You can expect to see it running on steam power by
the October show. The engine is located in the large, brown storage
building to the rear of the display area.
Thank you to all who patiently provided me with the information
to write this article. I have tried to be accurate.
Yes, ‘Mama was a happy camper that weekend. A collector at
heart, she loves to look at the things people collect, build and
restore. Oh yes, the ice cream at Jacktown is ‘out of this
world.’
