Box A, Worcester, New York 12197
Probably one of the most serious maladies to strike an old iron
nut is ‘RUMELY FEVER.’ It’s one of the
easiest collector diseases to get, but one of the hardest to cure.
Granted, the antidote is well known, but the prescription (buy a
Rumely) is hard to fill. Not only is the cost prohibitive, but
available ingredients are hard to locate.
Prior to finding a heavy-weight to suit my fancy, I spent a
small fortune on stamps and a great deal of time on correspondence.
I am grateful to the many fellow collectors who fully understood my
plight and offered as much assistance as they could.
Of the dozens of letters I received, all but one offered Rumely
lightweights. I had just about settled on one located on the west
coast when I received a letter offering a heavy-weight in Iowa. Now
that’s a little far for a preacher to trailer something that
size, but it started me thinking heavy-weights again.
While waiting for pictures to arrive from Iowa, a friend called
me on the phone and told me he had a Rumely to sell only 123 miles
south of Worcester.
That’s all I needed! By now, my fever had become a raging
passion. I was unable to go to see the Rumely for three days as I
had other pressing appointments. However, my wife and sons were
very understanding as I wandered about the house going
‘huffa-huffa’ trying my best to sound like a full grown
Rumely. To console me for the moment, my son, George, even designed
me a special Rumely shirt. I wore it around for the next three
days-sort of like a security blanket.
Tuesday finally rolled around, as Tuesdays always do, and as
soon as the boys left for school, I left for Marlboro, New York.
Straining to hold the 400 horses of my Caprice to the legal 55 MPH,
I finally arrived at Ed Dina’s shop around 11:00 A.M. that
morning.
We soon left for his home where he showed me the 20/40 under the
shed. I looked at it and it looked at me and we both knew we
weren’t made for each other. My heart sank to my boots! I knew
I would never have room to maneuver that hunk of iron around behind
the church so I knew I would have to pass on the 20/40.
Immediately, the fever, which had started to subside, raged
again.
Ed said he really didn’t want to sell that one anyway but he
had one in the barn I might like.
We tramped through the snow and into the barn and there before
my eyes stood the most beautiful 16/30 I had ever seen. It easily
spoke of the many countless hours Ed had spent in loving care and
restoration.
Not only did he want me to see it, he wanted me to hear it. I
told him I never expected it to start in the 17° weather but after
a few pulls on the flywheel, I heard the old familiar warcry of the
heavy-weight-HUFFA-HUFFA-HUFFA – my heart skipped a beat.
After about an hour I was on the road headed north, the proud
owner of a 16/30, and I was wearing the biggest grin I ever
wore.
You fellow collectors, you know what I mean!!!
SANDWICH CATALOG
A reprint of a Sandwich Gasoline Engine Catalog, showing
numerous products, has been issued by Vestal Press of Vestal, New
York.
Picture reproduction is of exceptional quality. The maker,
Sandwich Manufacturing Company, Sandwich, Illinois, said it sought
to turn out ‘the best engine sold in the agricultural
trade.’ Discussing its ‘Excess Power Gasoline and Kerosene
Engines,’ the firm said: ‘Sandwich engines are all of the
horizontal type. The beds are unusually heavy and amply strong for
the strain put upon them. The crankshaft boxes are cast at an angle
of 30 degrees, thus distributing the thrust equally throughout the
bed instead of directly against the bolts which secure the box
caps. All beds are surfaced and bored in jogs, insuring
accuracy.’
We could not find a date of issuance of the catalog, but
Sandwich collectors will probably be able to zero in on it. It has
32 pages, 6′ x 10′; $4.00 postpaid. A job well done.
The catalog can be ordered from Stemgas Publishing Company, Box
328, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604. -Gerry Lestz