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Weekly News May 29, 2017Description
Chauffeurs of Note: In the days before World War II, occasionally I would go with my mother to Philadelphia on a Saturday morning, where she wanted to do some special shopping. Often, I preferred to observe activity along Chestnut Street rather than go in a store with her. I recall vividly big Packards and Cadillacs, driven by men in full chauffeur’s livery, that would pull up to the curb and let a society matron in her fur coat out of the back seat. While his employer was in the store, the chauffeur would play a game with the police on horseback, whose job it was to prevent cars from parking along the busy curb. The police usually won, but the chauffeur would simply go around the block and stop at curbside again, repeating this until his passenger was ready to go to her next destination.
During the same time period, when we were on a motor trip, my father liked to stay at nice hotels. Two such places I remember especially are the Lake Placid Club in the Adirondacks and the Glen Springs Hotel at Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, New York. In the hotel garages and the parking areas around them would be some beautiful cars: Pierce Arrows, Stutzes, Marmons, Franklins, and again Packards and Cadillacs. The hotel had separate quarters for the chauffeurs who brought their bosses and their families, and these loyal employees kept their owners’ cars pristine in every way.
In the world of trapshooting, two prominent chauffeurs come to mind, and both seemed to have unlimited vacation time to attend tournaments whenever they pleased. One was Charles H. Mason, head chauffeur for Pierre S. du Pont. The Masons lived in a beautiful home next to Longwood Gardens, and Mr. du Pont, who was childless, treated the three Mason children almost as his own, making sure they had the best private educations. Perhaps Charlie Mason, a very popular and active trapshooter, chauffeured the du Ponts very occasionally, but his job seemed to be to supervise the fleet of vehicles owned by Longwood, and to play cards with his boss (and others) on evenings when Mr. du Pont was staying at the Pierce House at Longwood.
He attended many trapshooting events of several days’ duration each year and was president of the Atlantic Indians (trapshooting organization) in 1937-38.
The other trapshooting chauffeur was James M. Stinson of Bradford, Pennsylvania, in the oil country. His boss was Alfred Mullhaupt Jr., an oil magnate from Bradford, who was also an expert trapshooter. Jimmy Stinson was supposed to be Mrs. Mullhaupt’s chauffeur, but like Mason, he seemed to be able to take off for trapshooting tournaments whenever he wished. He and Al Mullhaupt never came to shoots together, however, as Stinson would drive with his passenger Harry Brown of Kane (near Bradford), and Mullhaupt would travel by train. Both were well liked by the shooters, and both bordered on being in Class AA (averaging about 96%). Stinson never won the Pennsylvania State Championship, but he frequently came close and was elected in 1940 as Eastern Vice President of the Amateur Trapshooting Association, succeeding my father in that capacity. When Mullhaupt was sober, he seldom missed a target, but he was seldom sober. When he came to Yorklyn, the first order of business was to send “Cliffey” (Clifford Murray) to Tim’s Liquor Store near Hockessin to accommodate his needs, for which he paid most generously.
Work Report: On Tuesday, May 23, 15 volunteers attended, viz: John Bacino, Mark Bodenstab, Steve Bryce, Dennis Dragon, Ken Hilbeck, Robert Hopkins, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Dave Leon, Jerry Lucas, Tom Marshall, Mac Taylor, Larry Tennity, John Schubel, and Bill Scheper.
On the Model 740, the cable was pulled, and the vaporizer was cleaned. The hanger nuts on the burner were tightened. A few small leaks were taken up. The car was driven several miles and tested for its use at the Memorial Day parade in Kennett Square on May 29. On the Model 735, the banjo bolt on the pilot was reworked and now believed to be tight. Dry wall work continued on the ceiling of the shop under the supervision of Mark Bodenstab, and the panels are ready for sealing the joints. Work continued on the ’37 Packard and on the Lionel electric trains.
The 30-day Seth Thomas shop clock, now 93 years old, was taken by Dennis Dragon for cleaning and oiling. An operator’s lesson was given by Jerry Lucas to John Schubel using one of the condensing cars. Still attempting to get proper output from the water pumps on the Model 87, several modifications were made: a new boiler check was installed, the lift of the balls on inlet and outlet of both pumps was checked and adjusted, the condition of the seats in these pumps was also observed, and a small leak under the 3-tube indicator was addressed. It was noticed that the right front tire on the Mountain Wagon was low on air, so the pressure was restored to 65#. It will be checked further for a leak.
On Wednesday afternoon, May 24, the following four volunteers took part: Bill Schwoebel (in charge), Dave Leon, Jerry Lucas, and Larry Tennity.
An operator’s lesson was given by Jerry Lucas to Larry Tennity. The new wheels for the Model 607 were completely sanded and are now ready for a second coat of Qwik-Poly.
On Thursday, May 25, eight volunteers heeded the call: Steve Bryce, Jim Personti, Paul Kratunis, Mark Russell, Tim Ward, Bob Stransky, Ted Kamen, and Tom Marshall (in charge).
On the Mountain Wagon, new plastic balls were installed in the water pumps, and the packing gland on the fuel pump was taken up one notch. The car was cleaned for its upcoming use on June 4. On the ’37 Packard, running board fasteners were spray-painted, and the chrome trim on the wheels was polished. A new copper line was made and installed for the steam automatic on the Stanley Model 725.
The rebuilt 12-v. generator was installed on the Model 87, and the voltage regulator was also hooked up. Consumption of cylinder oil was reduced by adjusting the plunger in the oil pump one turn on its tiny threads. The front water pump was re-worked, completing the current effort to correct the pumping situation on this car. Steel balls are now in both pumps for a trial of 50 to 100 miles -- it is then planned to return to plastic balls, which are quieter and easier on the brass seats in the pumps.
The Model 76 was checked over, cleaned, and polished for its use in the Kennett Square parade on Memorial Day. The steering mechanism was greased on the Rauch & Lang electric. The new bronze “cowcatcher” was painted and installed on the front of AVRR Locomotive 402. The questionable tire on the Mountain Wagon was checked, and it had lost only about 5 pounds in two days.
