So Off I Went On A New Lead!

By Staff
Published on January 1, 1992
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5923 Paloma, Needville, Texas 77461

I thought you might enjoy the story behind this nice 2? HP
Aermotor.

The first part of June, I was to meet a friend and farmer in the
next little town to the north. When I arrived at the farm (two
hours early) he was not at home, and it was my thinking every
farmer I know would be home in time for lunch, so I decided to hit
the back roads, instead of waiting to return at lunch time.

I turned on the first gravel road to investigate several
windmills in the distance, but found nothing of interest to me. I
passed a very old homestead, where an older gentleman was working
on an old John Deere tractor. He smiled and waved, so I stopped to
talk. I told him that I was picking up an engine from the next farm
over. He knew the farmer and told me that he had two of those old
engines, but got rid of them years ago. He went on to tell me where
to find one, and told me to go to the end of the road to Mr.
Wilson. He may not have one, but he would know where to find
one.

So off I went with a new lead. I found Mr. Wilson out in the
barnyard with his two sons getting ready to spray cotton. I told
them what I was looking for, and with much delight he said, ‘I
know where there is one old engine like you described.’ He told
me it was not there, but he gave me a map. He warned me that it was
no good and had been sitting out there for fifty years. His
father-in-law had used the engine to pump water for his cattle.
Needless to say, off I went with map in hand for approximately ten
miles. On the way to the engine, I thought that it was a Fairbanks,
or something fairly common.

The old farm really didn’t look old enough to house old
iron. No one had lived there for over three years. The grass was
tall and wet as I walked around an old building and saw the old
engine. I was quite shocked to find an Aermotor. Now, all I had to
do was get them to sell the engine to me. I met the lady that night
and bought it from her.

The engine is complete, except for the muffler and pipe.
I’ve got it completely apart, and feel it will be a welcome
engine to my collection.

Because of my work, I can’t attend the shows on weekends. If
any of the GEM readers live close to Needville, Texas, 40 miles
south of Houston, I’d like to get together and crank them
up.

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