Verne’s grain truck is always seen at the local show, he
says. .. ‘Everyone asks me for bits and pieces so I just load
in everything I can think of, so if anyone wants anything I tell
them just to go and get it. I take spare oil, batteries, coils,
oilers, fuel, tools, everything!’
The following article is reprinted with permission from the
March 1985 issue of Stationary Engine, an English publication which
each month profiles an individual collector.
Twenty five years ago hardly anyone showed enthusiasm for
disused, rusty old stationary engines, so when Verne Kindschi began
collecting and restoring engines he did it behind closed doors in
case the neighbours thought he was crazy! Nobody else, as far as he
knew, collected old engines, it surely was the strangest of
hobbies. A quarter of a century later Verne has 85 to 90 engines
(he hasn’t bothered to count them) and a further two hundred or
so have passed through his hands in exchange dealshe prefers to
swop rather than buy.
But what actually inspired Verne to buy his first engine? It all
began when his father bought a farm. Across the road was a small
farm owned by ‘an old maid who still milked by hand’, and
as she farmed alone she was unable to manage all the work. A deal
was struck in which Verne’s father worked her corn and oats
etc. on a 50/50 share. However she wanted all the hay for herself,
and it was one day when Verne and his father were bailing this hay
that engine number one was found. It was a hot day and the working
pair wanderer into the shade of a barn to eat their lunch. In the
barn sat an International 1 ‘M’ type which had long retired
from its duties. It reminded Verne of a similar engine which, when
he was only 5 or 6 years of age some twenty years previous, he was
given the job of filling the reservoir of the carburetor every five
minutes while his father busied himself putting oats in the
granary.
It should be pointed out that the biggest trouble experienced
with the International ‘M’ type was premature corrosion of
the fuel pump casting. So seeing the 1 ‘M’ type in the barn
all those years later prompted Verne to ask this father if it was
the same engine as used on their own farm when he was a lad.
Apparently it wasn’t, they had used a 3 HP ‘M’ type,
but even so it was enough to persuade Verne to try to acquire the
engine, for reasons unknown at the time, he just wanted it.
The old maid who owned the farm wasn’t so slow, she wanted
25 dollars for the engine which was far too much for those days.
But Verne was undetterred, he paid the money, took the enigne home
where it stayed untouched for over two years. Finally he stripped
and rebuilt the engine, painted it and ran it a few times, and
then…’What do you do when you’ve finished and engine, you
look around and buy yourself another.’
Next came a Fuller &. Johnson type ND, a fairly late model,
this was followed by an older type ‘N’ of 4 HP. This was
about the time the local show started (21 years ago), and Verne
took the three engines, he has attended the that local show every
year since. The first year NINE engines completed the stationary
engine line-up, last year the number was four hundred! At that time
of the first show a number of enthusiasts decided to form a club,
but the admission fee was 50 dollars-clubs were exclusive in those
days! As Verne had only recently been married he decided he could
not afford this extravagance, he had other priorities, so he spent
the money buying more engines! He did in fact join some five years
later when admission was around twenty dollars. He now belongs to
four organisations but is only active in the Badger Gas Engine Club
as the others are too far away. He attends about eight events a
year and tries to visit one long distance event-around 500 miles
away, although he has visited Kentucky some 880 miles away. Being a
farmer he is only able to attend one day events.
His favourite engine? ‘If somebody told me I had to get rid
of all my engines except one, I’d keep the 20 HP Fuller &.
Johnson, and if I could keep two the other would be my Vi scale
model of a 3 Hp F & J.’ Other favourites are, the Badger
side-shaft engines, also his highly prized Lauson & Lawton. He
likes engines that are ‘mechanically different’ hence the
preference for side-shaft engines. Another favourite is the
Stickney… ‘it’s so different that it’s ridiculous, I
love it.’
Verne s son Brian is very good with engines and shares the
collection, although he has some of his own as well, but as for
daughter Susan.. .’She wouldn’t care if she didn’t see
another engine ever again.’ Pearly, Verne’s wife, always
goes to the rallies as she enjoys meeting people and finds the
enthusiasts very interesting; she also runs the bookstall at the
local show.
Like the majority of enthusiasts Verne has missed the odd chance
of acquiring an engine ‘at the right time’, for instance
and uncle telephoned to tell him to come and take away on old 9 HP
Fuller &t Johnson. At that time Verne was new to engine
collecting and thought the F & J was far too big to bother
with. Within five years the engine had been through three owners
with the price rising each time. Guess who was the forth owner?
Right, and for the costly sum of 150 dollars! (that being some
years ago.)
Long term readers of this magazine will be aware that Verne
Kindschi is the leading authority on Fuller & Johnson engines
and, for a number of years, has been compiling information to write
to a book on the history of the firm. His initial interest in
Fuller &. Johnson engines came about by accident. He had
acquired several engines of this make and one day someone happened
to mention that a man who lived in Madison had the F & J
records. So Verne went to see this man, and sure enough the records
were stored in a basement which was also the coal cellar. The man
was able to date the engines and tell who had originally bought
them. Verne found this very interesting and went away more than
delighted.
About a year later Verne wanted a few more engines dates so once
again made the trip to Madison, but this time he was unlucky, the
man was in hospital and in a bad way. About a month later Verne
went to Madison again, and just in time, as the man was about to
throw the F & J records away as he was too weak and ill to
climb the cellar steps. Verne was offered the records and readily
accepted with the idea of passing them on to a museum or engine
club. However after considerable thought he decided it would be
best to keep the records himself and set up an engine registry and
service to F &. J owners. He felt that a club or museum would
not offer this kind of service, and the records could become lost
or fall into the wrong hands. Now he charges 50 cents to provide
the date and history of the 1st engine, with 25 cents for
additional one. This covers postage stamps and envelopes, because
enthusiasts often forget to enclose a stamped addressed
envelope-costly when handling several enquiries per day. Since the
registry began, some 2000 to 3000 engines, have been recorded which
each number being kept on a separate card. Verne also offers,
decals, books, cloth badges and engine name plates, all in answer
to many requests. A complete service for the Fuller & Johnson
owner.
One of Verne’s highlights was his trip to England and the
Stationary Engine Magazine Rally at Longleat. He was a most welcome
visitor in this country and we all hope he will plan a return trip
in the not too distant future. His first article appeared in this
magazine way back in issue 15.
Verne Kindschi is indeed a keen enthusiast and the type of
person that makes the stationary engine movement what it is today.
He is always prepared to help anyone who requires assistance, for
instance at the Longleat Rally he was approached by Dutch
enthusiast Anthonie Boer who was seeking a Wico EK magneto for his
Novo. Within a few weeks Anthonie had received a magneto which
Verne had sent from the USA, few people would part with such a
sought after item so readily.
