R.R.3 Waverly, KS 66871
My husband, Glenn, is a true sportsman. He is a tractor hunter.
At last count, our fence row was home to fifteen old tractors of
various makes, models, and states of repair. (I say at last count
because the number may have gone up since I last checked.) By far
the most prevalent specie is the John Deere, the more mature, the
better. Stalking the Wily Deere is a real adventure for my husband.
Even though it is camouflaged by protective coloration of green and
yellow, the seasoned Deere-stalker can spot one a mile away. Its
native hatitat is farm country, and is most often seen at farm
sales, in junkyards and farmyards, or along the fence row at the
back of somebody’s place. It takes much skill and cunning to
outbid the next guy at the sale or to talk the owner into selling.
But the prize is worth winning. When my husband gets his hands on a
vintage model, his face lights up with the same joy and pride he
felt when our first son was born.
Repair parts for the old creatures are even more elusive than
the beasts themselves. Since most parts departments merely look
blank, they are generally taken from tractors of the same kind in
even worse shape, but sometimes the hunter must range farther a
field. Although I do not know a head gasket from a hole in the
ground, I have dispatched letters to as far away as South Dakota in
search of parts for these creatures. Then it’s time for the 3
R’s — repairing, replacing, and renovating the old machines.
The final step is the test run, which consists of charging around
and around the chicken house eight or ten times.
Casterans Flexible Truck Tractor designed and built by J.F.
Johnson & Company, 2317 N. 16th Street, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Photo by Williams & Deal of Broad & Erie
Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.
John says he does not know where he got the picture, nor does he
know anything about it, but it is an original and probably taken in
Philadelphia.
Deere-hunting used to be a more or less solitary pursuit for my
husband. But now he has found a fellow sportsman who is as crazy
about old tractors as he is, so together they scour the territory
for even older and more exotic varieties. It was in this search
that they ran across a real trophy model. The friend wanted to find
a John Deere GP similar to one his older brother used to own, so my
big-hearted husband said, ‘I know where there is one.’ The
two of them viewed the tractor and found the owner, who was willing
to sell to the friend for a pittance. All went well until they got
the tractor home and took a close look at the serial number. It was
not a GP, but a C, a limited production model that not even all
Deere buffs are aware of a real collector’s item, according to
the factory. My husband hasn’t recovered yet. That was the big
one that got away!
There are quite a few things a man can take up for a hobby. He
can smoke, play the horses, or chase women. So, as long as my
husband is only out stalking the Wily Deere, I consider myself
fortunate.
