The Thoughts Of A Once Proud Engine Named ‘Leader’

By Staff
Published on November 1, 1991

When I was molded from scrap iron and assembled, I was shiny,
red and proud. I was shipped out to a dealer’s showroom. I sat
there on the floor. People would come by and give my flywheel a
turn and say how good I looked. One day a farmer came in and said
he would buy me. A deal was made. He took me home and put me in his
new workshop.

He put me to work pulling a line shaft with all kinds of tools
belted to it. Boy, was I proud! He kept me dusted off and I did a
fine job every time he called on me. I worked many years for him.
One day, he unbolted me and pushed me aside. There I sat collecting
dust. In my place he installed an electric motor. It sat there
making a crazy noise.

One day he moved me out in back of his shop alongside a fence.
He put a piece of tin over me. As time passed, the wind blew the
tin off and I started to rust and get stiff and freeze up. The
weeds grew tall around me. One cold night I got a splitting
headache. Then on a cold day, I heard a noise. A little mouse was
looking for a home, so in my hopper he went. I was not alone
anymore. I got brown with rust and felt forgotten.

One day a man and his son were rabbit hunting, and the little
boy shouted for his dad to come see what he had found. The man said
it was just an old pump. The boy said he had never seen a pump with
a spark plug, so the dad said he would ask about it. The owner said
he could have it. Boy, did that make me happy!

They took me home, took me all apart, fixed up my frozen joints,
cleaned my rust, and painted me all up. Now I look and feel like
new again. They take me to a lot of fairs to show me off. Now
I’m happy and proud again.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388