The Ladies Page discusses winter weather and displays of gas engines.
It is very difficult for me to be sitting here tonight trying to
think of something to write that will be of interest to you two
months from now. Halloween has just passed with all the children in
their costumes out for “trick or treat”. Thanksgiving will
be next, when we all pause a moment to count our blessings and to
give thanks for what we have. Then along comes Christmas which is
so commercialized now days that I think many people have lost sight
of the fact that it is to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
Displays are in the stores by the middle of October so the shoppers
will buy more and bigger gifts. I may be old-fashioned but I still
believe that children were happier when they had less. A few toys
meant more and were better taken care of than the many expensive
toys received today which are quickly discarded. Well anyway, I
hope you all had a happy holiday and are ready to start the New
Year off with a bang!
It is the time of year that here in the northern part of the
country, we can expect some of our worse weather. While the winds
howl and blow the snow into mountain high drifts, one cannot help
but think of man’s helplessness in the face of the works of
nature. Men can orbit people into space successfully, and make
plans to land on the moon, but can do nothing but wait out the fury
of a storm.
It is seldom that we are snowed in, but occasionally it still
happens. It is a good feeling to know that there is enough food in
the cupboard and fuel in the tank and that we have a standby
generator in case the electric is off. But it is not so with
everyone. We hear on the radio of the many people marooned on the
roads in their cars; people without bread and milk; houses without
heat and we realize how lucky we are.
Let’s talk about displays of gas engines. A 10-20 Three Wheel Case tractor owned by Alan Bushman of
Spencerport, New York shown at the 1966 Reunion of The Pioneer Gas
Engine Association at Fairville, N.Y. It was purchased from Harry
Schoff estate of Honeoye Falls, N.Y. in April 1966. It was in read
bad shape and set up. Alan spent many hours to free it. He had the
head welded, new valve seats put in and had the magneto rebuilt. He
also made many of the missing parts. The tractor was bought new by
a farmer and used for many years in the vicinity of Hemlock, New
York. The Case people told Alan that only 97 of these tractors were
built.
Part of my collection of gas engines which I’m in the
process of restoring. Note my old grind stone collection in the
background.
This home made run about attracted a great deal of attention at
the 1966 Reunion of the Pioneer Gas Engine Association at
Fairville, New York. It was built and is owned by Lowell Hines and
William Cook of Candor, N. Y. It is powered by a 1920 2 hp Novo
vertical gas engine. It uses a 1937 Ford rear end with a 1937 Chevy
transmission, and uses the belt tightener for a clutch. The brake
is on the pulley drive to the transmission. The seat is from an old
lumber wagon. Approximately 200 hours of labor went into building
this machine. The boys had a great time with this and it was lots
easier than walking. It was also at the Pagent of Steam in
Canandaigua.
Here is a picture of Paul Woodruff and Lyman Knapp’s 30-60
Aultman-Taylor, No. 1878, which was new in 1918, pulling 10 —
14 foot plows in August, 1944, 5 miles south and 2 east of
Blackwell, Oklahoma.
Threshing with 20-40 Oil Pull Tractor and 32 foot Case Separator
in Missouri River bottom, 1936.
Here is a picture of Jas. Anderson looking after his 16-30
Rumely Oilpull belted to a 28-46 McCormick thresher in 1962. He
started out threshing in 11927 with a Waterloo steam engine and
thresher. Then he got a 25-45 Cross Motor Case and after that came
the Rumelys which we have 6 of now. He also had a Fordson and a
15-27 Cross Motor Case which he. crushed stone and gravel with for
the township of West Flamboro.
One can do many things with an unexpected day or two. There may
be a good detective book to curl up with and read; a new recipe
book to go through and experiment with; letters to write; or some
long put-off household job to do.
Then the snow plow finally goes through, we dig the car out and
we are once again in contact with the outside world.
When I was a girl in the Southern Tier of New York State, it
seemed that such storms were commonplace. Of course there were not
the snow-plows to dig out the country roads. In the winter we
depended on the team of horses and sleighs to take the milk to town
and do all other errands. The car was put in the garage until
Spring. When it was impossible to take the milk out, we celebrated
by making ice cream and butter.
To go out in the winter, we would get all bundled up with long
underwear (how we hated them), long black leggings (no slacks
then), heat up the soapstone and the charcoal foot warmer, and wrap
up in heavy carriage robes. Off we would go. Sometimes the horses
would get off the track and get their harness all tangled up. To
look back, it was fun and the generation of today are missing out
on a lot of good times.
Until next time may you all live in good health and remember
this, “Things will begin to look right when you stop doing
things wrong.”