L.Goodwin, Jr., Box A, Worcester, New York 12197.
After reading of the drought in many sections of this great
land, I must praise the Lord for the rains that fell here in the
northeast. The weekend of October 9th and 10th was a wet one! Now,
I don’t mind the rain, but I felt a little twinge of remorse
because it was falling all over my 1877 Dudts steam engine and
boiler that my friend, Jim Gilstrap, was bringing me from
Churubusco, Indiana.
This was Jim’s second trip here from out west. The last
time, he brought ‘Doc’ and Pauline Schrage from New Haven
and ‘Doc’ and I did a little ol’ country swappin’
and a lot of visiting. This time Jim brought his son, Mike. Mike is
about the age of my son Steve, so while they played, Jim and I
unloaded my little steamer.
The week just prior to Jim’s arrival, the Lord had been
splashing vivid colors all over the mountain sides. Now it seemed
as if He were out to wet down the lush green land and wash the
colors away. It rained all day Saturday, except for the time Jim
and Ed Bell and I spent loading the tractor and Gray Jim was
hauling home.
The Gilstraps stayed the night and after church, Jan filled them
up with country stew and we sent them on their way with a
prayer.
Now, one thing that I have learned since being bitten by an
engine bug with a slight touch of tractor fever, is that there is
no such thing as a day too wet, too cold, or too hot for engine
pickin’. Then Jim and Mike rode off into the west, we loaded up
and headed north. I knew my Chevy ? ton wouldn’t shrink and the
Lord made me with a sanforized label so the rain didn’t bother
us. Jan, Paul, Steve and I were headed for Vermont and a rendezvous
with yet another FAMOUS.
The swish, swish of the wipers soon put Paul to sleep so that
eased the noise in the cab of the truck as we drove five hours
through the rain to my folks’ place in Fairfax, Vermont.
Monday dawned chilly, but bright. After a hearty Vermont
breakfast, Dad and I headed down the pike for Colchester, Vermont.
There we met Al Gregoritsch and he helped us load a beautiful old
4HP hopper cooled International FAMOUS. The engine had spent its
life inside and was in great shape with original battery box and
skids. It is a kerosene engine and a little different then most I
have seen. It has a nice round connecting rod and a serial number
of RC-1244. I like it! I like it! It is the second FAMOUS Al has
found for me. The other was a 2 HP Upright, screen-cooled.
While parked in Dad’s drive, the post-master drove by and
saw the engine so he called and sold me a 3HP Sattley #1815. We
also picked up a mulcher/shredder for Dad. He likes his gas engines
a little newer.
We arrived home safely at 9 P.M. Monday night and unloaded
Tuesday. Ready to roll again!
Stop by. The latch string is always out!
