by Jay (J.D.) Mills, Volcan, Panama 2-17-08
I recall that we had our own gasoline pump on the farm. It was an old hand operated pump with a large glass tank in the top section. You moved the pump handle in a horizontal arc, back and forth, until the gasoline reached the desired gallon mark on the glass, then removed the hose and filled the tractor tank.
We had 2 or 3 old tractors, but gasoline was rationed because of the war, so most of the moving of wagons and some farm implements was done with mules or horses. We had a combined farming and ranching operation, so cattle feed had to be moved up the 200 foot high hill in winter in a wagon. If the hill was impassable, the feed had to hauled around and in from the Hoosier Road on the other side, a trip of several miles.
The farm, being 8 miles from town, was pretty self-sufficient. Before the rural electric reached the farm, we had our own 32 volt “Delco plant” generator, and batteries that supplied power for 2 or 3 light bulbs and our radio in the house, plus power for lights in the shop and barn. The generator was located far enough from the house that we could not hear it running. The first hint that there was a problem was when the lights faded to dim and quickly went out as the batteries went down.
We had our own blacksmith shop, simply called “the shop”. I watched as dad hammered and shaped hot iron into parts and items that he needed on the farm. When he had a hot fire going in the forge, I used to take crackers down from the house and he would “toast” them in the fire. Sometimes we would also put butter on the hot crackers. Quite a treat for a 4 or 5 year old!
I am just now realizing that my dad was a very multi-talented individual, by necessity and/or by nature. A knack for diagnosing, fixing and improvising is very handy on a farm. Apparently that is where my ability or willingness to try to fix almost anything, and to create new solutions for problems began. -30-
7 comments:
Since my dad was always in the gasoline business in one way or another I saw many examples of the old hand pumps you describe. In front of the general store in Hewins I remember seeing one of those old pumps that they used to dispense gasoline to their customers. I think I remember that when the modern pumps were first installed that some thought they might be getting cheated because they couldn't see the gasoline before they purchased it.
I have told this before, but your mentioning the old gas pumps brought it to mind again. When I was about 14, I drove a tractor for Rolla Holland plowing some of his fields. I would drive our old pickup down to his farm in the morning and home at night. One day I got in the pickup and found the gas gauge on empty. I was so smart, I put some "gas" in from Holland's gasoline pump and started home. Didn't get very far, because it was diesel fuel and not gasoline, and the old Chevy didn't run on diesel. My dad was fairly unhapppy with me. Probably Rolla was also.
I have a recent experience with fuel to share. My little VW is a diesel. One day when I was not very conscious, I found myself putting regular gas into the car. Knowing that gas is death to diesel engines, I called a wrecker to come and haul the car away before I started the engine. It cost me about $100 to get the gas cleared out of the tank, but I didn't have to replace the engine.
By the way, I get wonderful milage (above 40) on the road so the diesel engine pays for itself.
Jay, it is agreed that your dad was quite self-sufficient. Isn't it interesting how often we really only get to know our parents [and to realize their real strengths and weaknesses] as we get older? It seems to me that the generation of our parents were [as a group] quite remarkable folks. The great depression and the great war seemed to have given them great strength.
A weakness that seems to be verified by various accounts on the blog indicates that the male gender of the time seemed to have been not super nurturing to their sons. Perhaps that is why many of us weren't as close to them as we later would have desired?
Phil, I agree about not really knowing (about) our parents until much later. As you say, as a group many were reluctant to express their feelings. Fortunately, I learned (unlearned parental conditioning) to express hugging and verbal love with my daughter while my mother was still living. I believe that the first time mother said, "I love you" was after I learned to express that sentiment to her when I was 39 or 40, and she was 79. We're never too old to learn.
Jay, you describe a mind set folks needed to have to survive the hard times of the depression and continued to live by for many years. A quilting friend of mine has a motto that harkens back to those times: "Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without."
Unfortunately this motto is no longer popular, or so it seems.
Jay, I agree with Phil and Diane in both comments. I guess I should have included my dad in the article about favorite teachers, or in his case, most important teacher. He taught me how to use tools ( I still have some tools of his that are now 100 years old), how to fix things that needed fixing, how to respect God ( although that lesson has been lost) and how to live a good life.
But, Diane, I still live by that motto, but my kids say I am "tight". I guess they did not learn from me. Maybe that is just as well.
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