Jeff..I think you know these guys…send the story to them if you do…they have
built windmill near Goderich…sold me the pump.
alan
BURIED TREASURE
(another story from Gordon Ball auction)
alan skeoch
Nov. 2018
Gordon Ball managed to squirrel things away much as a
squirrel does with black walnuts. Such was the case with
the log built pump house.
“Pump House? I do not see a pump in there.”
“Carefull, the log house is built on top of a deep cistern well…then
filled with cast of planks and stuff”
“Building seems full of wood… nothing more.”
“Right, but once the wood is removed, then the rotten floor
will be revealed.”
“Is there a pump?”
“Take a look for yourself.”
“Well, I’ll be darned…a filigree clad long handled pump;”
“Do you want it?”
“Sure, how much?”
“Just state a price…but the pump is attached to s long pipe…need s cutter.”
“No electricity here.”
“I can cut it out, Dad.”
“Are you sure?”
“Watch me.”
“These guys bought the log building…goes with the
operating windmill they have reconstructed up near Goderich.”
“Who are they?”
“Not sure but I know one of them…guy on right…is a doctor
now retired.”
“I always wondered what retired doctors looked like.”
“For five bucks you can have all the wood in the pump house…actually
I will take less than five bucks:”
“Will you take 40 for the pump?”
“Seems an honest price, yes.”
“Andy, I think this guy said he was a doctor, just retired.”
“Must be so.”
“Why?”
“Notice his medical tools…and the fine hand eye coordination…medical person for sure.”
“What is this thing, Dad?”
“The is a hand made cutting box for slicing up corn stalks into ensilage…was
that in the pump house?”
“Yours now, Dad.”
“Andrew, How in tarnation can we get the pump out?
“Floor is rotten…could drop 15 or 20 feet into the cistern.”
“Couple of planks should solve that.”
“Battery operated cutter?”
“Beautiful job, Andrew…look at the cistern rocks …. field stone ….probably built about time
that hand made corn cutter was made.
“Dad, I bought this cast iron machine (pic below)…called it a corn cutter as well.”
“Same machine…one manufactured with sophisticated slicing
wheel like guillotine…the other has blade made from a scythe blade…
“Now what, Dad?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
“Christmas present for Marjorie.”
“Didn’t you give her a used tractor last year?”
“Yes.”
“We got it running. Has mom ever driven it?”
“Nope.”
“Will she use the pump?”
“No one will ever use the pump again…we cut the
guts off it.”
