SHELDON:

By Staff
Published on December 1, 2000
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Sheldon No. 10 grinder for small grain.
Sheldon No. 10 grinder for small grain.
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Sheldon No. 10 grinder for small grain.
Sheldon No. 10 grinder for small grain.
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Sheldon is a name we rarely see in the pages of Gas Engine
Magazine. These engines were sold by the Sheldon Engine & Sales
Co. of Waterloo, Iowa. In his book, American Gas Engines Since
1872, Charles Wendel notes the striking resemblance of the Sheldon
to the Sandow engine made by Sandy McManus, Inc. of the same city.
In Wendel’s Power In The Past Volume 1, he also compares the
Sheldon to the Smythe, and the Yale. All of the mentioned engines
are examples of ‘contract engines,’ which would have been
made by one manufacturer, allowing the supply company to attach
their own nameplate and sell the engine under their name.

The illustrations on these pages are from a 1919 brochure. At
the time, Sheldon Jr. gasoline engines were offered in sizes from
1? to 7 HP; throttle governing kerosene engines with Webster
magnetos came in 3, 5, 7 and 8 HP sizes; Sheldon gasoline engines
sold were 2 HP with battery or magneto, 3, 5, 7 and 9 HP; Sheldon
kerosene engines sold in 3, 5, 7 and 9 HP sizes, all with Webster
magneto.

In addition, Sheldon sold a wide variety of other useful
equipment for the farm including corn shellers, feed cutters, feed
and grain mills. Also on their price list were household
conveniences such as washing machines, tank heaters, and sanitary
toilets. Concrete mixers could be purchased as well.

Another Sheldon product available was a ‘3-purpose auto
attachment’ to enable the buyer to make a tractor out of a Ford
car. For $200, a wholesaler could purchase the attachment that
would make the car a tractor that put no strain on the Ford car and
could travel from 2? to 12 miles per hour.

Sheldon light plants had been in service for 10 years at the
time this circular was printed. The light plants were available in
sizes from 35 to 125 lights and the wholesale prices ranged from
$157.50 to $370.00.

The photographs on these pages are of a Sheldon engine formerly
owned by George Archer, which sold at his April auction in Des
Moines, Iowa. (See GEM September 2000 for article about that
auction.)

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