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Weekly News September 1, 2014Description
“The Last Day of Summer”: As I write this on August 31, I am reminded what a special day in steam car history this was 115 years ago. Flora Stanley called this the “Last Day of Summer,” and a gorgeous day it was in 1899, when she and her husband planned the ascent of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. Having driven over the road from their home in Newton, Massachusetts, in a very early Locomobile steamer of Stanley design, they undertook the 4,500-foot climb up the unpaved carriage road to the summit. About two hours later, F.O. and Flora Stanley arrived at the highest peak in New England in what became the first automobile to climb Mount Washington. August 31, 1899!
On this date in 1940, only 74 years ago, my father honored George S. McCarty at a testimonial shoot at the Yorklyn Gun Club. In 1924, George McCarty had taken on the job of building permanent home grounds for the new Amateur Trapshooting Association of America at Vandalia, Ohio, and had almost single-handedly sold thousands of Life Memberships at $25 each to build a two-story clubhouse and a line of 22 traps, unheard of at that time. After his major accomplishment as president of the A.T.A., he dropped out of trapshooting for 15 years, raising quail at his farm near Newfield, New Jersey. In the late 1930s, he began to compete in South Jersey league shoots, and at the Marshall tournament at Yorklyn in early August, 1940, he renewed old friendships with Forrest McNeir of Houston, Texas, and Charlie Newcomb of Philadelphia, all of them Class AA shooters of the 1910s and 1920s.
One-day shoots before World War II seldom had 100 shooters, but 125 competed at Yorklyn to honor George McCarty. I was honored to shoot in his five-man squad. The scores were high on the 100-target program. In our squad, Ralph Willis (#1) broke 98, I (at #2 position) broke 99, George McCarty (#3) broke 98, my father (#4) broke 94, and Tom Young (#5) broke 100. Mr. McCarty, quite a showman who often did the impossible even at age 72, shot with an $11 Winchester single-barrel gun (Sears sold this same gun for $9.95). August 31, 1940.
With World War II over but the official signing of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay still two days away, my B-24 crew and I sat on Iwo Jima awaiting our schedule to fly a weather mission over the Japanese mainland for the first time. We visited the makeshift cemetery on Iwo, where the bodies of hundreds of brave men from the battle six months before were interred. While the graves were marked only by the official wooden crosses, family survivors back home had sent small monuments and headstones that lined the perimeter of the cemetery. One of these I noticed particularly. It read: “With love to Jimmy, killed on his 21st birthday, February 20, 1945.” That was also my 21st birthday. August 31, 1945.
The Last Day of Summer.
Work Report: On Tuesday, August 26, four Stanleys and our Model T Ford, along with 21 members, participated in our final Ice Cream Run of the season. This time we went to Foxy Loxy on Route 82 in Unionville, next to Lou Mandich’s Last Chance Garage. This ice cream shop and unique restaurant features Woodside Farm Ice Cream, second to none, and nearly 20 flavors were offered. It was a perfect summer evening, and everyone enjoyed the 17-mile round-trip to and from. In firing up, the pilot pin came loose from the screw in the burner of the Model 735, so Dave Leon and Mark Russell had to leave this car behind. (It was repaired and checked out on 8/28.)
Bob Wilhelm and Paul Kratunis, with Paul’s mother and Ken Ricketts, handled the Model 725, Dan Citron had Jared Schoenly along with the ranger (and his fiancé) for Auburn Heights Preserve in the Model 87, Steve and Ann Bryce had Dan Holloway and Cynthia Hewlett in the Model 76, Tom and Ruth Marshall had Dave Leon, Mark and Lynette Russell, Devon Hall, and John Bacino in the Mountain Wagon, and Bill Schwoebel had Ted Kamen in the Model T Ford. We were joined for ice cream by newly recovering Richard Bernard and his wife, Carol; John Lawrence and his wife and daughter; Lou Mandich; and Jim Groome. Paul Kratunis, Mark Russell, Dave Leon, and Ted Kamen had a chance to practice their driving, and Devon Hall and John Bacino took in what was going on as the Mountain Wagon made its way over the route.
A few stayed behind to work. Jerry Novak (in charge), Emil Christofano, Bob Jordan, and Dennis Dragon worked again on the electrical switch for the Model 607. As pointed out by Bob Jordan, project leader, some incorrect information was mentioned in last week’s work report, as there was plenty of wire attached to make the connection from battery to switch box. For want of a 6-32 tap, the switch project was not quite completed.
On Thursday, August 28, the following 11 volunteers were present: Tim Ward (in charge), Bill Schwoebel, Mark Russell, Dave Leon, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Steve Bryce, Eugene Maute, Gerhard Maute, Dan Citron, and Tom Marshall. The switch box wiring on the Model 607 was completed (and the lights came on!), but to finish the job, the correct light bulbs need to be located. Cars were cleaned up from the Ice Cream Run (and the trip in the Model EX to Blue Ball Barn on 8/23), and the pilot on the Model 735 was repaired and the U-tube vaporizer cleaned out. The pilot appears to be good. The trim on one of the museum doors was repaired. The boiler on the Model 87 was filled, as it did not syphon after the run on 8/26. A new piece of copper tubing and a pipe strap were fitted onto the stack blower on the Model 76. Work continued in the FAHP Library.
On Saturday 8/30, 12-v. double contact bulbs were located for the side lamps on the Model 607, and the dash light already has a 12-v. screw-base bulb, all suitable for the compact 12-v. battery now in the battery box.
It is with sadness that we report the passing of Ed Hoffmeister on August 23. An ambitious volunteer, even when in failing health, Ed won the award several years as the volunteer with the most hours for the Wilmington & Western Railroad, before he became a part of the Steam Team at Auburn Heights. With us, he did almost everything from learning the operation of Stanley cars to fabricating our AVRR electric signal lights to running the popcorn operation on our Steamin’ Days. He and his wife, Betty, put in long hours running our steam popper and making a lot of people happy with their delicious popcorn. Ed had been in and out of the hospital eight times in 2014, and his last operation for congestive heart failure proved to be the end. A memorial service was held at a small church in Folsom, PA, on Thursday, 8/28. We send our sincere condolences to Betty and their family. Contributions in Ed’s memory may be made to the Hockessin Historical Society, P.O. Box 36, Hockessin, DE 19707.
We have heard from Rob and Chevonne Robison that they will be unable to host a Holiday Dinner Party for FAHP this December. For nine years in a row they did this for us, and it was always the most fun evening of the year. Several times the attendance approached 100! Chevonne’s delicacies were definitely “out of this world.” Words cannot convey our thanks and sincere appreciation to Rob and Chevonne for nine great parties in as many Decembers.
