How My Hobby Started

By Staff
Published on July 1, 1983

308 Sequoyal, Altus, Oklahoma 73521

I was out hustling model A and T car parts due to a lead given
me by a collector of old farm implement iron. Jumping into my
pick-up I drove 70 miles North of Altus, Oklahoma to the little
town of Butleragain to be on the wrong end of a ‘no-hit’
ball game; I noticed some iron under a few sheets of corrigated
steel roofing. About two hours later, I headed South with what I
later learned was a 5 HP Hercules. It was frozen like an Alaskan
glacier!

An old engine ‘head’ thawed it out via a 4′ x 4′
and a 12 pound hammer. It took up space in my garage until two men
from somewhere near Lubbock, Texas, had a love affair with it and
proceeded with it to their old engine farm. If they would contact
me, I would appreciate it.

Next, I am into a Maytag. Having seven thumbs and three fingers,
I made several consecutive mistakes and the old dog sputtered, ran
for a few minutes and died. Noticing that two of my thumbs had
changed to fingers, I said ‘there is hope yet?’ The engine
now runs fine and is mounted under a model 80 washing machine of
the same name. Proud? ‘I guess so!’

Several months and a business trip to Boire City, Oklahoma
(panhandle) produced about 300 pounds of Maytag iron at 25 a pound.
My first keeper, one lunger, was a 3 HP Cushman Cub from Griggs,
Oklahoma. It runs thanks to Marvin Schlinley of Apache.

After a brief interlude with an unsuccessful restoring attempt
at a 68 VW Kaumen, Ohio, my understanding, beloved wife, was
determined that the VW was taking up room which could be used to
store more ‘one lungers’. I think she is very philosophical
about this sickness of mine – better old iron than other women and
booze!

An oil field supply yard near Duncan Produced a 4 HP Cushman Cub
which is still ill. As I travel a lot in western Oklahoma and talk
even more, my stable now includes; HP Maytag upright Hobart; HP
horizontal Associated Freedom; 2 HP Emerson Brantingham Arnett; 2
HP vertical Monitor Stirling; 2 HP Stover Fletcher; 1-2 HP
International; 5 HP Economic. There are two more grazing out there
: a 25 HP Y type Fairbanks Gloplug and some make of equally large
stationary steam engine in a quarry.

Les Brown of Altus is my companion and source of
‘smarts’ in my quest and fix-up process. Several others
have responded to my requests for information and I thank them: Joe
Sykes, Dallas Womack, The Martins, Wm. B. Stafford, Walter Watson,
Larry Hochstein, Dan Etterling and Milton Fox.

I am trying to get up a list of those interested in OLs in
Oklahoma and Texas, Anyone like to be included – drop me a note or
call in the PM 405-477-0677.

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