Smoke Rings

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Hi to everyone of you-hope you're all having a great time this summer learning more about your gas engine hobby-and hope you are also making many new friends. The more you learn the more you want to find out about your engines, tractors, etc. And it is so much more interesting when you meet people who are interested in the same things. And so, I'll get on to the letters so you folks can communicate through the Smoke Rings column.

First of all we have a letter from one of our newer subscribers as JAMES H. ORSBORN, P.O. Box 598, Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194 tells us: 'I have been interested in old gasoline and kerosene engines for years and have built up a fair size collection. I didn't realize that so many shared my interest until about a year ago when I met a man at an antique car show who had one of his engines on display. He showed me a copy of GEM and I have been reading it from cover to cover ever since.

I need some information on a couple of engines I have bought recently and hope to find someone who can help me through your Smoke Rings column. I have a 14 HP Waterloo Boy kerosene engine, serial #201099, with patent dates August 7, 1900, December 1901, October 7, 1902, and August, 1907. The other engine is a small IHC. I don't have a serial number on it, but H129 is stamped in the head, and H161 on the main bearing caps. I would especially like to know the year each engine was manufactured, the correct coloring, and if the engine was battery ignited or if it had a magneto. I would also like to know the type and horsepower of the IHC.

I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone with these types of engines. Thank you for a great hobby magazine, GEM.'

ROBERT MATEUX, 2204 Comanche Street, Sulphur, Louisiana 70663 is in desperate need of information on the 'Hallett' Diesel Engine Company in Inglewood, California. Please send answers to the above address. His phone number is 318-625-4801.

Needing some answers is a note from CHARLES WILSON, 12515 W. Graves, Waukegan, Illinois 60087: 'I have an Empire 2? HP, S.N. 65427 and a Cushman Cub model R14, S.N. 145090 and would like to know years made. It would be good to see a list of colors and where they can be purchased for the different engines and tractors, perhaps a few each issue. (Anybody out there have a list of this type let us hear from you.)

You have a swell magazine!' (Thanks Charles, glad you enjoy it.)

LARRY DEIN, R.D. 2, Blair, Nebraska 68008 tells us: 'I am enclosing a picture of a small grinder I recently acquired. I am in hopes that one of your readers may be able to identify it. It is a small burr mill and the only lettering on it is Baker Mfg. Co., Evansville, Wisconsin. I would appreciate any information as to the kind of hopper it would have had on it, the year and the color and any data on the Baker Mfg. Co.'

A letter of appreciation comes from LEROY WONDER, Danbury, Iowa 51019: 'This is just a note of thanks for the help I get from your magazine. What a great bunch of people you have for subscribers! We had a letter in your column and some ads in the back, and we got letters from all over. One day we had three letters, one from Canada with tractor for sale, one from Florida with picture of his tractor so I could see the colors and one from the northwest corner of Washington with serial number of his M.M. UDLX or Comfortractor.