I am writing in response to the Jones Oil Engine Corp. In the
late 1960s my father was asked by a friend to help get one of these
running because of his diesel experience. That engine was a
1-cylinder, hopper-cooled type and used a gravity fed Hvid-type
fuel system. It was in the 3 to 5 HP size and the tag read Jones
Oil Engine and gave an address of Syracuse, N.Y. The original owner
of this engine lived in Geneva, N.Y., about 50 miles from Syracuse.
It was restored and displayed by the late Howard Sheer of
Fairville, N.Y. It is the only one that I know of, so production
may have been small. I do not know its present location but I’m
sure it’s in someone’s collection.
Roy Voak
Penn Yan, N.Y.
Editor’s note: It seems the mystery is solved and Clyde
Joscelyn’s mother (April 2006 GEM) was not duped.
According to Barry Mugglin, Arthur L. Jones began in 1915 as a
manager at Syracuse Supply Electric. He was president of Arrow
Electric Co. in 1917 and Lewis-White Inc. in 1918. He then became
an engineer for Jones Oil Engine Corp. and Lewis-White Inc. By
1920, he was manager of Jones Oil Engine Corp., which was located
at 815 Free St. in New York. In 1923, Jones served as treasurer for
Phoenix Shops Inc., a division of Syracuse Oil Engine
Corp.
The president of Jones Oil Engine Corp. in 1921 was N.
Howard Wood, whose signature can be seen on Clyde’s 1920 stock
certificate.
