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Weekly News February 19, 2018Description
Reader’s Digest “Shorts”: Fifty to 75 years ago, the “Reader’s Digest,” a small widely-circulated magazine published monthly, usually had short bits of Americana, in addition to its longer stories. Here are three of them that I remember:
A teenager, making a mere living as an itinerant working on Ohio farms, was given sleeping quarters in a farmer’s barn, as was common practice in the 19th century. The lad fell in love with the farmer’s daughter. The farmer wanted no chance of a romance to develop and ordered the young man off his property. About 50 years later, when the barn was being razed, carving was noticed on one of the beams. Carved thereon was believed to be the young man’s name: James A. Garfield. (For young readers who don’t know, Garfield was the 20th president of the United States. Only four months into his presidency, he was shot by an assassin in the railroad station in Washington, D.C. He lived three months thereafter and died at the age of 50.)
In the Ohio valley of the early 19th century was a man named Jonathan Chapman. He looked like a bum and moved on foot from place to place, selling apple seeds where he could and giving them away where people couldn’t pay. He was widely regarded as a friendly tramp and acquired the name “Johnny Appleseed.” Like Garfield in the story above, he fancied the daughter of a farmer where he was staying, and the farmer ordered this bum to leave and never return. A few years later, the farmer ran into hard times, and his farm was being sold at sheriff’s sale. The “bum,” Johnny Appleseed, showed up, bought the farm at the sale, and immediately gave it back to the farmer who had run him off some years before.
Walking down a country road in Illinois in the late 1830s, a tall, straggly young man came upon a farmer, cutting a corner of his field with a scythe. They entered into conversation, but before long the farmer’s wife called him to dinner. As he excused himself, the farmer told the stranger to stick around, that they would continue their conversation right after he had eaten. When the farmer returned, however, his scythe was leaning against a tree, and the field was neatly cut and trimmed, but the stranger was gone. A note tacked to the tree was found. It read, “I’m running for the State Legislature. I hope you will vote for me. A. Lincoln.”
The Reader’s Digest also had an article each issue that was called “The Most Unforgettable Character I’ve Ever Met.” William S. Dutton of Avondale wrote one of these articles, which was published in the late 1940s about Jacob Noznesky of Kennett Square (1876-1950), a Ukrainian Jew who emigrated to this country about 1905 and made good. My father first knew him when he collected scrap from the paper and fiber mills soon thereafter, and a lifetime friendship resulted. In all his business endeavors, and he had many, he never cheated anyone, and before his death he owned nearly half the commercial properties in his adopted town of Kennett. He was much loved in the community and was the first Jew invited to join the Lions Club of Kennett Square He seldom missed a weekly meeting during his final years. Jake’s old Model T Ford pick-up truck is owned by the Borough of Kennett Square and is cared for by Lou Mandich, owner of the Last Chance Garage and an active FAHP volunteer.
Work Report: On Tuesday, February 13, four volunteers turned out, as follows: Larry Tennity (in charge), Stan Lakey, Brent McDougall, and Tom Sandbrook.
Oil was drained from the generator to be used on the Maintenance of Way cars on the AVRR. Some paint touch-up was also performed on these cars. The inside of the fuel tank from the Model CX was cleaned with solvent and scraped with a lot of elbow grease.
On Wednesday, February 14, five volunteers were on hand: Larry Tennity (in charge again- thank you, Larry, for “doubling up”), Stan Lakey, Jerry Lucas, Mark Russell, and Mike Todd.
The Model CX’s fuel tank was blown out and cleaned further with acetone. The side-window crank on the Rauch & Lang electric was lubricated and works much better. The running boards from the Model 76 were removed, which required removal of the battery box, acetylene tank and brackets, and some tubing and electric wires (the battery box is stored behind the car). The plywood boards (certainly not original) will be replaced with oak ones. Progress was made on replacement of the front floor board on this car.
On Thursday afternoon, Bill Schwoebel cleaned the CX’s fuel tank further, drilled out the small delivery pipe from the sump, and tinned surfaces in preparation for fastening the top of the tank back in place.
At the Thursday evening session on February 15, four volunteers attended: John Schubel (in charge), Jim Personti, Geoff Fallows, and Ted Kamen.
The top of the Model CX’s fuel tank was soldered back on, the tank was tested, and all is good. The Serial Number plate for the Model K has been redone with the correct serial number and is now back on the car. The old numbers were removed and the new corrected ones stamped in the plate. Guess who was able to make a good job of this? The third section of the museum floor was scraped and swept and now awaits application of solvent and thorough washing.
AVRR Work Report: Volunteers: Tom Sandbrook, Brent McDougall, Mike Ciosek, Bob Koury, Mike Leister
Accomplishments: 1. Receive and started storing wood shingles from Woodside Creamery in the wood shed (need some help next week); 2. Continue painting of the MOW Tool Car; 3 Completed restoring water tower; 4. Delivered new castings and parts for two sets of freight trucks (total of 4 trucks) Started milling of castings; 5. Started servicing generator in preparation of installation on the MOW Tool Car. Obtained owner's manual.
